Free guided tours of the Tarrytown Lighthouse in Sleepy Hollow start for the season on Saturday, April 5.

It's one of Westchester County's best-kept treasures.

Step into round rooms, vast views and the unique job of keeping Hudson Valley shipping at bay.

Westchester County Parks curator John Phillips leads visitors through the winding stories of the refurbished National Historic Landmark, dating back more than 140 years.

"The lighthouse became operational in 1863 and was decommissioned in 1961," Phillips said.

During that time, about a dozen keepers and some of their families once called the lighthouse home.

"Certainly, an important part of the lighthouse is the keeper and their family," Phillips said, "it was a hard life, but also a cozy life because the family was all together in one small space."

The tour begins with a walkthrough on the first of five floors. It's the largest room, where families would spend most of their time.

It only spans about 15 feet in diameter, complete with a reproduction of a wood-burning stove.

"They were here 360 days a year, 24/7, .keeping ships safe, sometimes rescuing people," Phillips said.

Heading up the stairs will lead you into smaller rooms as you reach the bell deck.

"This is a very particular kind of lighthouse, its called a sparkplug lighthouse, its sort of short and stout," Philips said, "you see lighthouses like this in harbors, bays and lakes."

And on the catwalk of the bell deck is one of the most memorable moments of the tour, in part because of the unique views it offers.

"You can see NYC to the south, you can look up to the Hudson Highlands to the north, it's a remarkable experience," Phillips said, "you're climbing up into a tower and you're getting new views each floor you're on."

It's a special window into the ways this historic landmark served as a guiding light.

Now, the stories of more than a century shine on when you visit on a Road Trip Close to Home.

2025 season tours start on Saturday, April 5, at 10 a.m.

To schedule a time, click here.