Sleepy Hollow vs. Salem with JW Ocker 2023

A treat and maybe some tricks for Halloween, Lyndhurst welcomes back author J.W. Ocker who will give a special talk on Halloween destinations: Sleepy Hollow and Salem! Based on his bestselling books, The New York Grimpendium & The New England Grimpendium, Ocker will regale visitors with what separates these two titan towns of Halloween and then provide specialized itineraries for those looking to make the best of their excursions!

A droll and gruesome Baedeker; readers might die laughing, gag on its tasteless subject matter or even shed a tear or two.-Sam Roberts, New York Times

Winner of a 2013 Lowell Thomas Gold Award from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation.

Part personal travelogue, part guidebook, this book covers hundreds of macabre sites, attractions, and artifacts, all drawn from the firsthand experiences of J.W. Ocker, who covered miles of New York and New Englands roadways to visit such sites as 19th-century brain collection to the home of an artist whose muses are serial killers to a ship graveyard, and many other of the regions creepiest places!

He is also the mastermind behind OTIS (Odd Things I’ve Seen) which “is a chronicle of [his] visits to the unusual…oddities of nature, art, science, and culture.”

The New York Grimpendium and The New England Grimpendium will be on sale in the Lyndhurst Gift Shop should attendees wish to purchase a copy. All other books by Ocker can be purchased from him directly while he is here. Visitors will also be able to hear about Ocker’s latest book: The United States of Cryptids. After the talk, Ocker will be on hand to answer questions and sign books.

J.W. Ocker is the Lowell Thomas- and Edgar Award-winning author of macabre travelogues, spooky kid’s books, and horror novels. His books include A Season with the Witch, Death, and Douglas, Twelve Nights at Rotter House, and Cursed Objects. His next book is a middle-grade horror novel called The Smashed Man of Dread End.

All visitors must have a pre-purchased ticket to enter the event. There might be some walk-on availability.

Please present printed tour tickets or have them available on your smartphone to show to Welcome Center staff when checking in.

The event begins at the listed time, please arrive early to give yourself time to check-in.

The ticket does not include entry into the Mansion but provides access to the grounds.

All ticket purchases are non-refundable.