Sunnyside, the home of Washington Irving (1783-1859), stands on the banks of the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York. Writer, intellectual, diplomat, designer, and American hero celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic, Irving created Sunnyside as a splendid, peaceful, Romantic-style home, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Admission: $8
Program length: 2 hours
Group limit: 120
Grades: 4 - 6
New This Year!
From a Child’s Perspective
A story, a letter, a house, a painting, all serve as primary documents for
students to analyze and interpret in learning about childhood in the mid-
19th century. During this three-part program, students tour Irving’s cottage,
participate in a discussion of 19th-century fashion and activities, and discover
how their peers communicated without the benefit of IMing or cell phones.
On the tour, students look for objects that reveal clues to 19th-century games,
toys, and children’s literature. During a lively conversation, students also
observe paintings to discover 19th-century children’s fashion and answer
questions about how gender influenced dress. There will be an opportunity
to handle and try on period accessories. To practice reading and writing
skills students, decipher a thank you note written by Washington Irving then
compose their own formal correspondence.
May 25-27, 2010
Tales of a Traveler: Creating Sunnyside
Washington Irving traveled throughout America and Europe, capturing ideas for his stories and the design of his home, Sunnyside. In this program, students are encouraged to imagine what life was like during the 1850s at Sunnyside. Through examining primary documents and handling reproduction objects, students draw conclusions about life in another time period. A 19th-century-style talk show allows students to synthesize the information they have gathered. To prepare for the talk show, students work
collaboratively, fashioning questions and answers for fellow students who portray characters they have learned about on the tour.
Not Available in March
Legend Days
Celebrate American author, Washington Irving, and his tales of ghosts, pumpkins,talking skulls, and things that go bump in the night. On a guided tour of his house,students sharpen their observational skills by following plot, character, and setting clues that tell the story of an event that may have taken place in Irving’s life. At the completion of the house tour, students participate in a group writing experience,
summarizing their observations into a story. Next, students take a woodland walk to experience Irving’s folk tale, The Devil and Tom Walker. Students then watch a shadow puppet version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. During the program
conclusion, students share their group stories based on their tour of the house.
Oct to Mid-Nov & Mid-April to June
Admission: $7
Program length: 1 1/2 hours
Group limit: 55
Grades: 2 - 5
Holiday Life in the Nineteenth Century
Pay a visit to Uncle Wash's home, decorated for his family's Christmas celebration. Hear how members of Irving's extended family and his Irish-born servants celebrated the holiday. Students recognize the origins of many popular, secular American Christmas traditions still practiced today and observe the English customs made fashionable by Irving. The program concludes with selected dramatic holiday readings.
Mid-Nov to Dec
At Home with Washington Irving
Who was Washington Irving? Why was he a national and international cultural hero in the early 1800s? What was it like to live in a “modern” house of the 1850s? Students will discover age-appropriate answers to these questions by visiting Washington Irving’s Sunnyside. Irving, best known today for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle, was
even more significant in the mid-19th century. At Sunnyside, he created a warm and comfortable home for his extended family and large circle of friends. With costumed interpreters as their museum teachers, students view period objects, examine primary documents, and handle reproduction objects, gaining new perspectives and drawing conclusions about an important writer and social commentator from this
period in America’s development.
A Cottage on the Hudson
A long time ago, a young boy, about the age of a first grader, was introduced to George Washington, the hero of the American Revolution. That little boy was Washington Irving, a namesake of our first president. We invite first grade students to explore Sunnyside, the home Irving designed for his family. This program directly supports the Social Studies curriculum that focuses on "My Family and Other Families - Now and Long Ago." Students learn about Irving and his family through stories illustrating how people lived in the mid-19th century. There are touchable reproduction objects and a concluding home-school connection activity.
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Pre-Visit Materials
