Guided Tours

 

The Armour-Stiner Octagon House offers a variety of limited-time seasonal tours as well as its Classic Tour.   Reservations for one-hour guided tours can be made online during the months of April through December.  Exclusive private tours are available upon request and create a magical experience for a group to share and talk about for years to come.  For more information regarding private tours for individuals and groups, please enquire by email: tours@armourstiner.com or by phone: 914-817-5763

The Classic Tour  

Created as a whimsical summer retreat in 1872 by tea-importer Joseph Stiner, this National Historic Landmark's shape was based on the theories of Orson Squire Fowler, a phrenologist, who believed octagonal houses enclosed more space, allowed the sun in at all times, and permitted more views into the landscape. This lyrical home retains its magnificent ornamentation and furnishings and is the only remaining Egyptian Revival Room in America with its original decoration and furniture.  The tour is conducted by highly trained guides and while it covers much of the garden, including our charming Lord and Burnham Greenhouse, the emphasis of the tour is the interior, encompassing three floors which include the Lady’s Kitchen, the enchanting Dining Room, and the magnificent Egyptian Revival Room.

 

Springtime Tour 

April through June

This landscape & home-focused tour includes a brief history of specimen plants original to the property, the carefully restored Lord and Burnham greenhouse, and the wonderfully romantic foxglove garden. A stroll around the 180-degree verandah will convince you that the house is indeed an “arrested carousel” as one of our visitors so aptly described it! The experience continues inside the house, covering the first, second, and third floors, which retain their magnificent 19th-century ornamentation and furnishings.

 

Summer Tour

July, August

As the weather warms up, we move indoors to this 1872 domed, octagonal, (air-conditioned!) house once referred to as "The Taj Mahal of The Hudson Valley".  Our exceptional guides will regale you with many tales of noteworthy owners and renters who have inhabited this eight-sided home, including its current owner, Joseph Lombardi, and his decades-long journey in restoring the house to its former Victorian grandeur. Join us and see why tour after tour, guests are amazed by the preservation of this ornate and magnificent home. 

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Fall/Halloween Tour 

September, October

The Octagon House is a short horse ride away from The Legendary town of Sleepy Hollow, and for this reason, Fall/Halloween is our most popular season.  Tours during this time of the year concentrate on themes that intersect the season, the house, and the surrounding area during the 19th Century.  This year, our “Myths and Mysteries of The Octagon House” is a tour that focuses on supernatural myths and mysteries about the house not included in The Classic Tour.  

Holiday Tour

November, December

Celebrate the holiday season in this lyrical, eight-sided home surrounded by the sights of Christmas in 1872.  The restored National Landmark will be filled with elaborate holiday décor featuring wreaths, garlands, and the sparkle of ornaments on a grand Christmas Tree inside the salon. With the help of original feather trees and antique ornaments, the 1-hour tour will fill you in on the history of Christmas, and how it was celebrated in the 19th Century.  

 

Private Tours

We welcome private tour experiences of The Armour-Stiner Octagon House.  For more information regarding private tours for individuals and groups of up to 40 people,  please enquire by email: tours@armourstiner.com or by phone: 914-817-5763

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Before you go:

Transportation and Parking

The Armour Stiner Octagon House is a private home, and parking is extremely limited.   We recommend carpooling if coming as a group. 

 

Mobility and Stairs

The tour is physically demanding and includes two steep flights of stairs, thus is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with limited mobility.

 

Audience

While a ticket is required for all guests, including those under the age of 18, this experience is best suited for ages 12 and up. Babies and toddlers (although delightful) are not appropriate to bring along for the tour.  

 

Restrooms

Access to a restroom is very limited, please ask your guests to use restroom facilities before arrival on the site so that the tour can begin and end on time.

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No pets

The House and its grounds are very much privately owned.   Please, do not bring your pet, we do not allow animals to roam the property.  

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