Kykuit

Just northeast of Sleepy Hollow [1] is the elite little village of Pocantico Hills, home to Kykuit (KYE-cut) (visitor’s center at Philipsburg Manor [2], 914/631-9491 or 800/448-4007, www.hudsonvalley.org [3], escorted tours offered Apr.–Oct.). Only opened to the public in 1994, Kykuit—Dutch for lookout—was built in 1908 by John D. Rockefeller, Sr. The house served as the weekend home for three generations of the Rockefeller family.

Compared to many of the estates along the Hudson, the Beaux-Arts Kykuit is a relatively modest affair, done up in 18th- and 19th-century antiques. In fact, the house tour doesn’t become especially interesting until it descends to Nelson Rockefeller’s astonishing subterranean art gallery, filled with more than 100 works by such modern masters as Picasso, Motherwell, Warhol, and Léger.

Even more wonderful are Kykuit’s 87 acres of meticulously landscaped grounds, offering glorious views of the Hudson and Palisades. The gardens—complete with boxwood hedges, romantic arbors, and linden allées—are whimsically dotted with yet more modern-art masterpieces, including sculptures by Gaston Lachaise, Aristide Maillol, and Alexander Calder.

The Kykuit tours leave from Philipsburg Manor [2] (381 N. Broadway/Rte. 9, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Wed.–Mon. Apr.–Oct.). Five different kinds of tours are offered and reservations for most are not required; same-day tickets are given out on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 9 a.m. Depending on the tour chosen, tickets cost adults $23–40, seniors and children under 17 $21–40. The pricier Grand Tour is not appropriate for children under five.