The Blog

Sheep aren’t the only fluffy, four-legged stars of Historic Hudson Valley’s Sheep-to-Shawl festival at Philipsburg Manor. Sure, they bear the wool that will be sheared, spun, dyed,…

While the blizzards and deep freezes this winter may be record-breakers, there’s nothing new about how Hudson Valley-dwellers choose to cope with all that snow…

Quick—how old is the Headless Horseman? If you answered “older than the United States,” you’d be right, since everyone’s favorite Hessian mercenary must have lost…

Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental disorder marked by difficulties with social interaction. So one wouldn’t expect to encounter an “Aspie” leading a public tour of…

The highly recognizable emblem known as the Jolly Roger that’s been associated with pirates for more than 300 years.  But where does this distinctive image…

Some say it was invented in 14th century Germany. Others credit the Blackhawk tribe of Illinois. Still others point to a Kentucky farmer in the…

What’s the connection between the heritage of Philipsburg Manor, an 18th-century Sleepy Hollow historic site once operated by slave labor, and piracy? Plenty. Though pirates have…

Besides giving us the classic tales of a Catskill denizen with a propensity for snoozing and a horseman seeking heads to replace the one he…

Ever wanted to see an exotic animal up close and personal, and would you pay for the privilege? In the early 1800’s Hackaliah Bailey figured…

A dentist invented cotton candy. We swear we’re not making that up. The year? 1897. The place? Nashville, Tennessee. Dentist William Morrison – perhaps seeing…