Drawn to the Stone
Lyndurst Mansion - Tarrytown, NY
Road Trip to a Castle
It was a long drive, much longer than I anticipated considering I asked Chip, my ChatGPT, to give me a location to travel to that was somewhat close and full of history. He suggested a location in Tarrytown, NY called "The Lyndhurst Mansion". It sounded great, and from what I saw, the pictures of the property were breathtaking, and it was a true castle—something I’ve always wanted to see in real life for as long as I can remember.
After booking the tickets, I decided to see how long the drive was to get there. To my dismay, it was just about three and a half hours. My knee-jerk reaction was to get a refund and find somewhere else to go, but I didn't. I promptly told my girlfriend that we are going to be on the road for a bit and her response, of course, was "Road Trip!!"
Typically, I feel like something that far away would be a bit more planned, but my gut told me, just go bro, this is going to be a great day.
The Drive and the Heat
That morning we set out around 8:45 and planned on getting there around 1:00 pm, about 30 minutes before the tour started. That gave us a bit of breathing room for pee breaks and snacks if we needed them.
That day it was just about 95 degrees and the humidity was intense. Luckily most of the tour was inside, and being a castle, was for the most part decently cool.
A Mansion Full of Stories
The history was amazing considering the story behind it. The original owner, William Paulding, built the castle in 1838. It was then passed down to a merchant named George Merritt, who actually named the grounds "Lyndenhurst." Eventually, it was owned by Jay Gould, a railroad tycoon, who changed the name to "Lyndhurst"—and it remained in the family until 1961. After which, the property was donated to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
All being said, the building indeed was breathtaking. All of the furnishings within were the original. We started in the main entrance and snaked our way through the building with a tour guide who was incredibly knowledgeable and gave a wonderful story from start to finish.
A Photographer's Playground
Throughout the tour I was attempting to pay attention to the guide, but as a photographer, I was a kid in a candy store. There were busts of George Washington, paintings of the owners and family, fascinating sculptures, and rooms that were beyond grand. The tour felt very fast-paced and the lighting was tricky to handle. Not much time to adjust and take photos, but this was the fun part—getting those shots in between listening to the history and keeping up with the tour. We were not allowed to break away for photos, which is understandable considering the site is delicate and needs to be preserved.
Sweat beading down my forehead, looking at chandeliers, walking up flights of stairs to the top of the building—I was fascinated by the architecture and got as many photos as I possibly could within the 90 minutes of the actual tour.
The Hudson, the Heat, and the Pagan God Pan
Before we knew it, the tour was over. Jenn and I were standing in the muggy 90+ degree weather looking out onto the Hudson River where you could clearly see the Tappan Zee Bridge which we had just crossed 2 hours before.
A few more photos of the grounds and some gorgeous carvings in the stone bench in front of the facility of the Pagan God Pan. A perfect end to the tour with my witchy girlfriend Jenn—and it definitely sparked more conversation about who these people were who owned the property.
What I Took With Me
If you haven't booked a tour, go and see some true American history in Tarrytown, NY. The Lyndhurst Mansion is a true representation of Gothic architecture that has long since been forgotten.
I can say that with this experience, I learned more about my homeland, more about photography, and had a beautiful day with someone special.
The trip home was long but not unpleasant. Jenn and I had been friends for years and now are more than friends. We had some catching up to do and the ride was beautiful, with a golden sunset in our view. I feel closer to who I am from this trip and closer to who I know I want to become.