One of Most Haunted New York Cemeteries Home to Cursed Bronze Lady
The cursed Bronze Lady is just one of many spirits you may feel, hear or even see at one of the most haunted cemeteries in New York state.
The cemetery is in the village that was known as North Tarrytown until it changed its name to Sleepy Hollow in 1996. It's home to more than 90 acres of spirits, including Washington Irving, the man behind The Headless Horseman, who rides around looking for his decapitated head.
Bronze Lady
The lesser-known spirit at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is the Bronze Lady. It was created in 1903 for Civil War general Samuel Thomas and is said to be cursed. Legend has it, the general's widow wasn't pleased with the depressing statue and wanted it redone. The sculptor created a happier head but refused to replace it and smashed the head on the ground. It wasn't until 1944 when the widow was buried next to her husband, the statue was said to become cursed.
Halloween Tours
You can uncover all the secrets behind the stones at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery during several Halloween tours. Learn about Irving and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, which recently celebrated its Bicentennial every day in October and every weekend in November.
Lantern Tours
For a spookier experience, soak up the history by lantern light during one of two evening tours. Visit some of the most impressive residents, including William Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, John Dustin Archbold, and others during a one-hour tour every night in October and select dates in November. Or trek through the darker side of the cemetery, meeting fallen angels and helpless victims on a two-hour walking tour.
Visit by lantern light the flamboyant businesswoman branded “the wickedest woman in New York,” a debonair counterfeiter, the scene of a grave robbery, victims of “the Mad Murderer of Sleepy Hollow,” a brotherly murder-suicide, and the celebrated opera singer who was alleged to have assaulted, extorted, and killed various of her seven husbands.
The Murder & Mayhem two-hour tour is held every Thursday and Saturday in October from 7:30 – 9:30 PM.
Walking Tours
Tickets for walking tours must be purchased in advance and can be done at SleepyHollowcemetery.com. But you can tour the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery on your own. It's open seven days a week and many have claimed to hear unexplained noises, even during the day.