Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site offers a variety of walking tours for the general public and groups in Downtown Yonkers.
This tour explores the daylighted Sawmill River and the Yonkers waterfront. Focusing on the history of the site from when it was Nappeckamack - the Munsee Lunaape village located at the confluence of the Nepperhan and Hudson Rivers until the final addition to the Philipse Manor Hall in the 18th century, this walking tour will bring hidden history to life.
This one mile loop with both uphill and downhill slopes allows excellent views of the Manhattan skyline from the Yonkers waterfront.
Price: $6/person for adults, $3/person for seniors (62+) and students
Time: 45-90 minutes
Group Size: up to 20 people per tour
Distance: Approximately 1 mile on sidewalks with some mild inclines.
Join us for this special 2.5 mile walking tour of downtown Yonkers focused on the Revolutionary War! Did you know that George Washington and the Continental Army spent time in Yonkers during the American Revolution? And that British Army General Sir Henry Clinton once used Philipse Manor Hall as his headquarters? Explore the troop movements, skirmishes, and people of the American Revolution in Yonkers on this special themed walking tour of the Albany Post Road and the Yonkers waterfront. Tour will include stops at the Enslaved Africans Rain Garden, St. John's Episcopal Church, and Philipse Manor Hall.
Price: $6/person for adults, $3/person for seniors (62+) and students
Time: 2-2.5 hours
Group Size: up to 20 people per tour
Distance: 2.5 miles on sidewalks with inclines.
Explore 400 years of African and African-descended people in downtown Yonkers. This 2.5 mile urban hike will visit historic churches like St. John's Getty Square and Messiah Baptist Church, the waterfront’s Enslaved African Rain Garden, the sites of early Black landowners in Yonkers, and discuss Yonkers connections to the American Revolution, Underground Railroad, Civil Rights, redlining, and school segregation. We'll also discuss famous Yonkers residents, Yonkers firsts, schools, fraternal organizations, music, and more!
Price: $6/person for adults, $3/person for seniors (62+) and students
Time: 2.5 hours
Group Size: up to 20 people per tour
Distance: 2.5 miles on sidewalks with inclines.
Although often ignored today, the Saw Mill River was for centuries the main hub of life in Yonkers. On this special 2.5 mile, 2.5 hour urban hike, explore the Saw Mill River over 400 years of history, from its days as a fishing tributary called Nepperhan, through its earliest uses for water power, to its industrial heyday, burial, and daylighting. We’ll learn about historic mills, from Adriaen Van Der Donck’s saw mill to the Alexander Smith Carpet Mills, why it’s called Chicken Island, the influence of the Old Croton Aqueduct, and how the river shaped Yonkers’ working life.
Price: $6/person for adults, $3/person for seniors (62+) and students
Time: 2-2.5 hours
Group Size: up to 20 people per tour
Distance: 2.5 miles on sidewalks and unpaved trails with inclines.
Fees include general admission to Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. Too book a private walking tour, please use the contact form on the Education main page.
