Sleepy Hollow, New York

Sleepy Hollow, New York

That’s right, there really is a place called Sleepy Hollow; and it’s really haunted! The HeadlessHorsemanBridge was probably dubbed that after Washington Irving’s famous Legend was published, but people have been reporting all sorts of strange things occurring in town and the surrounding area for generations. Disembodied voices and mysterious music have been heard, along with reports of sightings of the spirit of a headless man riding a horse at night. The ill fated Ichabod Crane in Irving’s legend is based on a real school teacher named Samuel Youngs. As a matter of fact, the entire story is based on true events and people who once lived in the area.

SleepyHollowCemetery, where Washington Irving is actually buried, is said
to have a resident ghost that haunts an old monument. A specter woman has
been seen sitting in a chair at the monument. She reportedly wakes up and
roams the cemetery at night. If you do some exploring you will even be able
to find the gravestone of the Headless Horsemen himself.

Washington Irving loved the area so much that he moved there. His home, Sunnyside, still stands today in the town of Terrytown, and so does Washington Irving’s spirit. There have been numerous reports that
Irving has made himself known to Sunnyside’s visitors. Considering
all the ghost stories Irving wrote, it is apropos that he should be one now.
Guides have reported unusual phenomena here, from Irving's nieces keeping
the house clean and tidy to Irving himself pinching the occasional woman in
good-hearted fun.

"The KaatskillMountains had the most witching effect on my boyish imagination".  WashingtonIrving

Certain it is, the place still continues under the sway of  some witching power, that holds a spell over the minds  of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual  reverie…—Washington Irving, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”