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Lyndhurst
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Museums Event Planning & Services Venues & Event Spaces Museums, Venues & Event Spaces [Edit]
635 S BroadwayTarrytown, NY 10591
(914) 631-4481
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
10 reviews for Lyndhurst
10 reviews in English
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Review from Hideki K.
7/2/2011
Lyndhurst Castle was impressive with furnishings of better taste than the Kykuit Rockefeller Estate. I also enjoyed visiting here better than Washington Irving's Sunnyside home. Of the Hudson River Valley historic locations I have been to (all of them except Montgomery Place, so that means Kykuit, Philipsburg Manor, Van Cortlandt Manor, Sunnyside, Lyndhurst, and Union Church of Pocantico Hills), Lyndhurst was my favorite. I took my mother here for a visit today and then we went to visit Union Church.
"The house was designed in 1838 by Alexander Jackson Davis, and has been the home of former New York City mayor William Paulding, Jr., merchant George Merritt, and railroad tycoon Jay Gould, whose daughter Anna Gould, Duchess of Talleyrand-Périgord, donated it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1961. It is now open to the public." (Source: Wiki)
The house was originally known as The Knoll, but came to be known as Lyndhurst beacuse of the German linden trees that are planted on its estate.
The interior furnishings and decorations are mostly those of Jay Gould and his daughter Anna. Some are from the earlier residents, so they were acquired anywhere from 1838-1961. Alexander Jackson Davis designed many of the furniture. He and others did a remarkable job at faux styling the place too. The portico wooden doors are painted to look like stone. Some of the walls are painted to look like marble, and others to look like leather. Look closely to see that it's actually paint. It's quite deceptive and amazing.
It was interesting to see the bathrooms that were built in 1913 and how small the shower curtain envelopment was. The voice tubes that lead down from the top floor to the butler's pantry is interesting too. Under it (on the top floor), you can see an electric button system was installed, along with a hospital bedside push button for one of the beds. Jay Gould's desk has about 100 compartments, along with hidden ones too.
When visiting, I highly suggest attending a guided tour. It wouldn't be as fun or educational without one. You pay for the tour in the basement gift shop, which used to be the kitchen. It's $12 for adults and $11 for seniors. Parking is either free or included in the admission. There is parking on the premises and you shouldn't have problems finding a spot. You just have to drive past the castle.
To read up on the history of the Lyndhurst estate, visit:
http://lyndhurst.wordp...
http://en.wikipedia.or...
When visiting, don't forget to take a guided tour of the other Historic Hudson Valley sites:
http://www.hudsonvalle... -
Review from Camille M.
Manhattan, NY
Well, there's nothing better to me than escaping the big city to the beautiful green hills of new york and the Hudson. I felt better just walking the grounds and smelling the clean air. After taking a modern arch class, I became enchanted with some of the estates in this vicinity, particularly this one.
Very cool Gothic revival design - stained glass windows, tracery, quatrefoil design, vaulted ceilings and really cool bathrooms. A must see! Head to the Hudson river cafe for lunch before or after... enjoy. -
Review from HamiltonHeights H.
Manhattan, NY
12/11/2006
I was dissapointed in the Fairy Tale Holiday. It was not a well-oiled machine. A very nice young woman stopped EVERY SINGLE CAR and gave a long schpiel about how the upper parking lot is for handicapped, etc.. and could we please park our car in the lower lot? She told us we had to get our tickets for the 4:30 p.m. tour down in the gift shop in the garage and then go up to the house. Fine. We go to the gift shop and it's just some guy sitting at a table with a cash drawer. We stood in line behind about 20 yentas dickering about who was going to pay for what. Whatever.
After paying for our $12 tickets, we walked up to the house where there was ANOTHER woman with a cash drawer!! We could have skipped the whole dumb garage/gift shop but whatever. Turns out it's not a guided tour at all but we just walk around and peek in rooms made up like fairy tales.
Must say the decorations were nice. House looked great. There were some clog ups because SOME rooms had girls dressed up like princesses who told their particular story. They weren't microphoned so no one could hear them unless s/he was close up. Which necessitated them repeating themselves ad nauseum. Clog clog clog clog clog. Move it along folks.
When we got outside, it was dark and there are no sidewalks so everyone has to walk on the road. This is great with little kids. -
Review from Christopher W.
Nutley, NJ
9/16/2007
What the heck are these people reviewing? This is an 1838 Gothic Revival Mansion, not a Fairy Land event or some usual and sundry park. The place is frickin' *remarkable*, people. Straighten up and take the tour. Be impressed with it. Let the docent show you what you might not see, try to pick out what isn't in the tour. Walk the grounds, see the bowling alley (being remodeled/ restored), the rose garden and conservatory, the swimming pool building, and the train station.
It's hard to believe something so beautiful is only a half-hour from The Bronx -- yes, I said it, and tough cookies, Bronxians or Bronxites or whatever your appellation may be. This is the perfect afternoon destination for a nice weekend, starting with The Cloisters and ending here. It'll put you in a nice frame of mind for dinner. Best in spring (apple blossoms) or mid-autumn (tree colors will astound).
-C -
Review from John K.
Summit, NJ
6/4/2011
If you have time to see one house in this area , make it Kykuit ! Lyndhurst is well worth visiting but is something of a stereotypic 19 th century showplace.It lacks a certain excitement.I also think it is probably not all that well endowed. The grounds are somewhat run down looking.It would make a good setting for Shirley Jacksons THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE with Jay Gould as Hugh Crane but I guess that's been done.
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Review from Hank C.
4/6/2009
The visitor's center is also the house. Note during winters it's only opened on weekends for visitors, and limited tours exist in the main house on the half hours. After April 15th, they have full hourly/half hourly tours of the house. There's a gift shop in the basement and all the various rooms to explore with your guide. No touching the walls or furnishings, and no photography allowed.
The architectural styles inside stem from the three primary owners (and the children after Gould), building in different time periods and having different tastes. The library has moved a few times, apparently, as has the dining room. The tower with the observatory isn't open to the public. But you can view the art viewing room (it deserves a wow!) on the second floor in a large room.
Certainly wealth accumulated here, with valuable paintings and physical pieces of art, books, and more. Each room has a particular theme and a real sense of being in luxury for their time, and even now, while a bit ornate, still embodies a rich culture and schemes of color. Even now, the carpet still feels thick and soft underfoot.
You'll go through the viewing room, library, various bedrooms and bathrooms, down into the butler's pantry and scullery, and through the kitchen. Check out the 50+ acres of landscape, walk down to the Hudson, look at the Tappen Zee bridge, and walk to where the once world-famous arboreum stands. The grounds used to be even larger, but most of it was sold away.
There's a small LEGO mockup of the entire thing down in the basement, too, very neat. Catering business on the grounds, too, for events.
http://www.hudsonvalle... -
Review from Diana B.
New York, NY
6/22/2006
Ugly, garish, ornate mansion that does not rival Sunnyside but is also located up the Hudson from NYC.
Both are often part of a tour package, but Sunnyside is far superior: human scale, personal, not just an estate that shows off the owner's wealth.
http://www.fieldtrip.c... -
Review from Aruna A.
8/7/2010
This review is based on a visit in January a few years ago. I actually went there to visit for a art history class paper. The museum was surprisingly fun, and I imagine that in the summer time, it's wonderful. The grounds are beautiful, the tour guides are REALLY helpful, the rooms are wonderfully maintained. Additionally, parking is really easy. I think that in the spring time, the grounds are BEAUTIFUL. And that the views of the hudson are even more spectacular. Def go and visit if you are in the area / haven't already.
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Review from LOUIS K.
Hartsdale, NY
8/28/2007
Location, Location, Location along the Hudson overlooking the TZ bridge .This Gem needs to be seen, wait xmas is just around the corner and the fantasy will blow you away.
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Review from Marzena R.
Brooklyn, NY
9/8/2010
My husband & I went there during Labor Day weekend. We loved the views and highly recommend taking the free tour around the castle. Very informative and full of history. Great time spent!
