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.

Admission: $6
Program length: 1 1/2 hours
Group limit: 55 
Grades: 3-12