The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze: Hudson Valley

Great family experience with young kids. The exhibits are always fun and it’s exciting to see what they add next year after year. We loved the Wizard of Oz yellow brick road. We visited the week after Halloween. The blaze was fantastic and the set up is always amazing! It’s always astounding to see thousands of carved pumpkins each year beautifully glowing in the night. You really have to take your time on the trail to truly respect the talent and time that goes into these carvings. I’ve lost track how many times we have gone here but it has become a yearly tradition that we cherish, and I recommend it anyone who loves Halloween and appreciates art.

The Jack O’ Lantern Blaze is probably one of the coolest Halloween events I’ve ever seen. We went the day before Halloween and bought our tickets early since we heard they sell out quickly. Just a heads-up: the tickets are pricey, non-refundable, and the event will not cancel even in the rain. They recommend checking the weather before you come, but that’s hard to do when you have to purchase tickets far in advance. Even with the rain and fog, we had a great time. Honestly, the weather made it feel even spookier. The displays were incredible and truly one of the best Halloween experiences I’ve ever had. I’m glad the event still went on despite the weather, but it would be nice to have a little flexibility with ticket changes or cancellations for those who book early.

Great experience and worth it, have been going for the past several years with my wife. Make sure you get tickets a few weeks in advance as the slots tend to fill up quickly. If you go after 9 pm it’s a bit less expensive. Take your time and really soak in the impressive artistry and coordination that goes into setting up the event. They add new exhibits to keep things exciting while keeping a lot of the classics.

Amazing fall attraction in Westchester county. This event is great for adults and kids of all ages. Each year it gets bigger, better and more detailed. We have gone to the Gourd and Goblet Tavern for the past two years and both times have been amazing. To sit and have a snack and a drink in a historic tavern is a great experience. There is staff everywhere and the Croton Police handle the traffic on the local roads. If you join historic Hudson valley your blaze tickets are included with your membership but the tavern is a small add on but well worth it.

We visited the week after Halloween. I don’t know what it is like leading up to Halloween but we had no problems parking and walking through. We got the package that allowed us to go inside (not the one where you get to sit) and get a snack and drink. If it was cold I think this would have been a great stop but the weather was great and the snacks and drink wasn’t amazing. There was a bathroom attached though, that we got to use, so that was nice! The blaze was amazing and the set up is fantastic! I really enjoyed everything! It took us about 40 minutes to walk through. Definitely recommend!

If you even remotely like jack o'lanterns, this is for you! It's a great event with hundreds, if not thousands, of experience carved pumpkins. Each display is themed and many of them change from year to year. We went at the earliest time. It wasn't crowded at first because it was still a bit bright out. After about 15 min it so it was dark and everything looked incredible. The pumpkin designs and scenes are well crafted and our son loved to see all of them. Parking was easy and the staff working the lot we're great. They knew what to do and wasted no time. If you can, but tickets in advance and go early. We went later last year and it was great, but I looked that it was a bit less crowded this time.

The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze is not just a Halloween event; it's an artistic masterpiece and an absolute must-see fall tradition. Stepping onto the illuminated, mile-long path feels like crossing the threshold into a purely whimsical and enchanting world carved entirely out of pumpkins. ​The sheer scale of the event is breathtaking. With over 7,000 hand-carved jack o'lanterns, the artistry on display is astounding. This isn't just about simple, spooky faces; we’re talking about elaborate, themed installations: colossal dragons breathing fire (made of pumpkins, of course!), massive, glowing dinosaurs, functioning carousel scenes, and even famous works of art recreated in gourd. The level of detail in the carvings is phenomenal, showcasing incredible creativity and technical skill. Every corner turned reveals a new, unforgettable vista.

My daughter and I really enjoyed the light show, despite rain. We took tons of cute pictures and were really amazed by the art. We enjoyed the gift shop as well, although the one candy my daughter wanted (pumpkin marshmallows) were hard and stale, every single bag, so she walked away sad empty handed. We did also really enjoy the treats at the snack shops. We purchased hot chocolates, hot apple cider, and apple cider donuts. The apple cider was good but not great. The donuts were a hit or miss (one was soft, warm and fresh, the second one although warm, was hard and stale). Lastly, the prices for the additional features like the headless horseman bar were super expensive. There was another feature also with another separate pricing. If they were an additional $15 or so, I might’ve bought into it, but I had to tell my daughter we couldn’t share in those experiences unfortunately. The lady admitting people told me it was around $80. Idk if that’s true or not but the entry to just Blaze was $56. Anyway, 4 stars for the overall pumpkin light show. Minus the 5th star for the factors mentioned. Would definitely go again!!

The place is very nice and great way to start or end your fall season. I am doing this every year and they always have some new decorations added. I wish it would be more affordable thou.

I purchased six tickets last night, 3 October 2024, for the 9:00 PM timed entrance. Everything was great until the very end. Just before leaving, my wife purchased a pack of apple cider donuts, a hot cider, and a hot chocolate totaling $34.50. Unfortunately, this establishment does not accept cash, so my wife paid using Apple Pay. The purchase was made and all was well, until the cashier said the transaction was not displayed on her monitor. She asked to re-tap the phone for another transaction. However, the transaction was displayed on my wife's phone saying it was approved for $34.50 with "Sp Historic Hudson." I advised my wife not to re-tap as she would be charged another $34.50. The cashier insisted that my wife re-tap, which is when I asked to speak with a manager-on-duty. The cashier advised us to stand to the side while the manager arrives. The manager, Randy Reyes, finally arrived and asked for the last four digits of my wife's debit card. We provided that information, along with showing him that the Apple Pay transaction with "Sp Historic Hudson" in the amount of $34.50 was approved. However, he continued to check his system to locate this transaction. After nearly 15 minutes, I told Reyes that we needed to leave as my two young daughters needed to be in bed, as it was now almost 10:00 PM. However, we were told to wait a bit longer as Reyes wanted to see why the transaction was not displayed on his system. That's when I insisted that we were leaving. I felt as though we were being held against our will, basically hostages, because there was a malfunction with their system. As we were leaving, I expressed my frustration with Reyes. He basically did not care and offered no apology. When I asked to speak to another manager, he said he was "the manager." I then asked for his last name, but he refused to provide it. That is when I noticed it was displayed on the badge on his shirt - Renaldo Reyes. Their Customer Service deserves a 0.

I went years ago it was fun time nothing earth shattering. Figure now years 8 years later I can take my kids. I go to look and they want $212 for two adults and 2 kids get lost with that.

This event impresses every year. They exhibits are so thoughtfully and creatively assembled and it's great for littles too. Plenty of food options nearby to make an evening of it but book early as it tends to fill up/sell out. If you're thinking about whether or not to bring the stroller, bring it. Plenty of hot beverages available on the way in but they're just ok.

This was our first time attending this event, and we had such a great time. It was very easy to get into the parking lot. Everyone was super nice. They had an easy flow of getting people through. I also enjoyed the fact they did have drinks and snacks available as well as a gift shop. I would definitely recommend going and we will definitely be back for another year.

This was a great experience. We love exposing our Little to everything we can. Since I had to work on Halloween evening and we could not go trick-or-treating, hubby and I decided to take our kiddo to Blaze in Hudson Valley. We've never gone before and I've always wanted to check it out. This is a walking excursion and takes about 45 minutes. I thought that sounded like a long time for walking but it's actually pretty accurate and it didn't feel like it was that long. I bought our tickets online. The price of two adults and a child came out to $124. The process was easy. You're able to choose the days and time you'd like to attend. They offer Flex tickets which are great because you can use them whenever you'd like, on one day of your choosing without having to pick the day in advance. Those tickets should be purchased early because they only have a limited amount and by the time I was looking to book, they were already sold out. The drive to the location took an hour because of rush hour traffic but coming home, it was only 30 minutes. We had a 7P entry time, arrived a little early and were granted access without any issues. Obviously, choosing a weekday is best if you want to avoid the crowds. They're pretty organized when it comes to directing traffic for parking. There were no lines for entry. They have Café Blaze and The Blaze Pub, where you can purchase small eats such as popcorn, pumpkin pie, apple cider donuts, hot cider and hot chocolate, and even wine, hard seltzer and beer. The hot chocolate is made with water and did not taste good but the hot cider was really nice and our kiddo like it a lot. They have port-a-potties adjacent to the entrance and I was nervous about the state of them but they smelled really good and were not at all messy, especially considering that they've been in operation for some weeks. There are also plenty of staff members everywhere. The carvings are amazing. So many of them are intricate. I wasn't sure if my terror tot would enjoy herself the entire time but with every new display, her eyes widened and she was even more excited and intrigued by the designs. Our favorite display was probably the Manor. It lit up and was a spectacle. The sunflowers and bees were a favorite of my kid as well. When we were leaving we stopped by their gift shop. Definitely ask about the prices prior to promising a toy to your kid. Hubby gave in and bought her a plush sunflower that ended up being $42 which is crazy. Despite the money we spent, we had a great night. This will definitely NOT be an annual tradition but it was a nice one-time experience that I'm sure my kiddo greatly appreciated.

I wanted to love this. Under different circumstances, I would have loved this event. The Jack-o-lanterns, a mix of organic and synthetic, are cool. The themes are colorful and creative. But you pay a pretty penny to be herded through like cattle, battling strollers and wagon-fuls of kids, as well as your busses of young and old. There is little time to really appreciate the venue, to appreciate Halloween or fall. I went at 7 PM on a Tuesday, during the third week of October, and it was still overflowing. Maybe if you went earlier in the month or later in the evening, it wouldn't be as bad. I spent about an hour here, leaving around 8 PM, and people were still flowing in steadily. Also, I took the Hudson line in from NYC and walked the approximate 7/10 of a mile, which was fortunate, because parking is a nightmare. It would be nice if a couple nights of the month were set aside for adults only, but I know kids bring the money. I've done this once and will never need to do it again.

Hello people that have been to the Great Jack O lantern blaze at shop rite I just wanted mention this that when you exit the blaze you come across a sign thats kind of hidden that mentions people that have helped and you might notice the girl scouts heart of the hudson ( which i am apart of) and something really cool is every year you guys go there and my girl scouts troop friends lights up mostly ever single one like the green light up house all the paths and the tunnel! So thank you so much for appreciating the time that my troop and other sponsors helped the blaze. Also the blaze has selections to look at like variety of different cool pumpkins to it has a great selection to look at plus the menu to get foods are great also tons of selections too but fyi the hot chocolate is not so great it made people throw up and the value of stuff there is great!

I went here the first week of November and it was a blast! So many skillfully carved pumpkins surrounding you as you walk the trail. The big benefit for me was that since it was after Halloween the crowd wasn't too bad and a lot of the merch was half off! It sells out QUICK, but I got a presale code which was how I finally got in this year. Depending on the day/time you can find some cheaper slots. It's a little pricy ($40/person for our group) but I thought it was worth it at least once! We chose the 6:00 time and with the time of year it was definitely dark enough the whole time. One thing that bummed me out was that not all of the pumpkins were real. They were plastic/pre carved. But it makes sense with the structure of some designs.

I'm torn about how many stars to give The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze. My family and I have made it a tradition, but honestly, it's pretty much the same every year. Also, with the prices going up, we may have to end this tradition. The first time I went to the Blaze I was in awe. I'd say, if you've never been, it is definitely something to check out. The way they use the pumpkins to create intricate designs and sculptures are so cool. Personally, I don't mind that most of the pumpkins are fake, maybe because I knew that going in, so I didn't feel "duped." But every visit after my first time has felt kind of meh. For the longest time it was just the same thing. They've since added a few more installations. I like how you can walk over the Tappen Zee Bridge area, and go under the Headless Horseman's Bridge. You can also walk in an under the sea area with cool jellyfish. My two kids (3 and 5) liked it for the most part. We found the cheapest day - end of September at 8:30pm. I think it was $32 per person, but obviously as you get closer to Halloween the prices go up. We do love making a day out of it though. We will go to the Sleepy Hollow cemetery and church. Eat lunch and dinner in the surrounding towns. And just do some sightseeing. Overall, I would consider The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze a one time event. Or maybe every 5 years if they update it every now and then.

Amazing!! The amount of pumpkins carved at this event is nothing short of a marvelous experience. If u can't appreciate this, you expectations are too high and u should just visit Dubai.

Beautiful displays/artwork. We took our almost 4 year old and she loved it! Last year I went to the holiday lights show at the Bronx Zoo and was disappointed. This was wayyyyy better and exceeded my expectations! The apple cider donuts were delicious and they offer lots of drink options (ciders, pumpkin beers, etc..). We had a great time and will definitely return.

Had such a fun time! The pumpkins were AMAZING. I was blown away by the artistry. The staff was helpful and friendly. My only issue was that the ran out of hot beverages before we got there and it was quite a chilly night.

This is my first year to this event and maybe because I don't have other years to compare to, I actually enjoyed myself. I love how balanced the whole event is. Tickets open up for purchase in August and since I missed out last year, I made sure to purchase early so I had my choice of todays and times. I prefer going in November when it gets dark earlier and the weather is chilly since it fits the theme. Overall, the event is very balanced between impressive scenic sets, little cute pumpkin and intricate cravings that showed the skills of the carvers. My favorites were the carousel, the sunflower field and the intricate pieces at the creamware exhibit. The attention to detail impressed me as environments are created for section - little wave pumpkins for the serpent, rat pumpkins for the doomsday clock. There are also nods to famous art pieces like the Mona Lisa and Bankys famous piece. It would have been nice if they have more options besides beer. Hot apple cider, fresh cinnamon donuts, s'mores and hot chocolate options will have made it more festive. Go when it is dark to get the full atmospheric experience.

Unreal artwork, beer and wine at entry but buy your tickets in advance for a discount. Make a day of it and go to dinner at an amazing local restaurant before so it's dark enough to enjoy the full experience! Happy Halloween

This exhibit was awesome! Various displays - one more creative than the other. Wish I could have taken more of my family members and friends. Will definitely return next year. Kudos to the event planners, Workforce and Volunteers.

PROS: This place is a one of a kind area. Large plot of land that holds many creatively carved pumpkins. Many different attractions that appeal to many different themes CONS: Completely overpriced at $45 when it was only $18 3 years ago. The place eliminated their nice gift shop too and despite there being a lot of land its easy to walk through in 15 minutes. They also don't sell hot beverages. OVERALL: Amazing place to come and enjoy something you can't see anywhere else! Just be ready to spend a lot.

COVID-19 Update: No huge merch tent. No midway with refreshments. That was disappointing (clearly it's because they want people in and out). But the positive? Less crowds. It's like you have the place to yourself. Oh and if you're reading this and don't have tickets yet, you're out of luck because they are sold out this season. We arrived about twenty minutes early for our 9pm reservation and were let in immediately. With the exception of one or two areas with bottleneck (for example, you will wait in line to enter one of the two tunnels), you will walk through in less than 20 minutes. I observed that everything seemed to be the same displays as last year, but I'm not complaining. It's such an enjoyable fall-like experience from the jack-o-lantern carousels to the MOPA (Museum of Pumpkin Art) to the huge Statue of Liberty sculpture to the Van Courtlandt manor all ablaze with synchronized lighting. What I especially appreciate are the winding walkways lined with lanterns that contain an actual lit candle. It's so atmospheric. Five stars because I will continue to support this great event and organization. The price will feel steep this year because you can't do the enjoyable stroll with a spiked cider or wine (no food or bevs allowed, even without the drinks and snacks being sold). You really do get the feeling you aren't supposed to linger too long. It's OK. Let's hope things are back to normal next year. Lack of crowds make up for a lot!

I've gone 3 times and since covid it's gotten pricier and less to see. What I didn't like in 2021was less to see, spaced out except for the new exhibit- the nyc which was the most narrow and ended up being where everyone got stuck and very little social distancing.

If you love Halloween then this is a must do! Located just north of Sleepy Hallow in the Hudson Valley, it's the perfect location for all your Halloween activities. Tickets have to be purchased a head of time as they are not sold on location. I highly recommend going when it's dark for the best experience. When you arrive there is a concession area where you can purchase cider and pumpkin beer to enjoy in your walk. It does get a little busy and at times feels a little cramped with people stopping to take photos, but it's still a fun experience. It's absolutely family friendly and not scary. If your looking for a fun Halloween activity, you must check this out!

Amazing fun for people of all ages Can't wait to go again ....tickets well worth cost

It was far better than I imagined. Well run, easy and free parking too. Great adult beverages and plenty of things for kids to hit each other with since that appears to be acceptable.

This is our second time coming out for the event. It's so nice and really cool to see the designs and what creative ways to make a display using lights and pumpkins! Some pumpkins are real but most are fake but they are none the less hand carvers the displays are fun and whimsical. The standard displays are used each year but every year they have new structures to keep it interesting. The first time we went they had the headless horseman and all the famous writers heads carved out. This year was super colorful and they had zodiacs!! And owls and unicorns it was an awesome show hands down! Would be super cool if they had a little train ride that you could take. But definitely be prepared for a crowd because it gets busy and since it's at your own pace you can move stop and go on your own time.

Very nice option especially during these times. There were many beautiful pumpkin displays and enough time spaced between visitors to take photos. Definitely recommend!

I can describe the Blaze in one word: FAKE!!! Almost all of the pumpkins are fake. We touched a number the displays to confirm it. Plastic, styrofoam, wood, whatever, but definitely not freshly carved pumpkins. Why didn't I read the Yelp reviews before I drove 2.5 hours for this? At least I would have been prepared. They have some big displays but of course they're fake pumpkins, so I'm not as impressed. Especially since you can see the numbers inside so every year someone just pieces them together, it's probably easier than assembling furniture from Ikea. And it means the displays are exactly the same every year, how boring. That definitely makes this a one trick pony. I guess I've been spoiled by the display at the Roger Williams Zoo in RI, where they have over 5,000 REAL hand carved pumpkins on display. They refresh them weekly, going through 20,000 pumpkins during the time it's open each year. And they change the theme/design every year. THAT is impressive. To my friends who told me that the Blaze blows away the display in RI: WRONG!!! If you have small kids, they'll probably love it. If you hit up the beer tent first, maybe you'll love it too. But go in with low expectations...or better yet, make the drive to RI instead.

Tickets start at $29 but weekend tickets are adults $40 and children $30. They have to compensate the loss of revenue due to the limited capacity due to COVID. Despite the high price tag, weekend tickets sold out fast online. Got there early. Right next to it is a plaza including Shop Rite, a pizzeria ( outdoor seating) and Chinese take out ( no outdoor seats). Free event parking was next to the shopping plaza. There are big sign abs police cars. You can't miss that. Parking was organized. No problem at all. Stood on line for 10 min to scan my tickets. Once in, there is a pop up gift store. Then you proceeded to see the displays. The setting was a loop. You got in and out from the same entrance/ exit. Ground was loose gravel on some and brick on others. There were impressive displays like the pumpkin planetarium, carousel, windmill, horoscope, dino, spiders, Statue of Liberty, music activated whole house lighting display etc. Six feet distance definitely not reinforced except it was reminded on the overhead speakers. It's definitely not as crowded due to limited capacity. However, certain displays were on narrow path. People stopped to take photos and blocked the whole traffic. Definitely not 6 ft apart. We have two kids 5-8 years old and spent about 40-45 min to finish the event. We went around the entrance and watched it the second time. We tried to get our money worth. Conclusion: It's a great halloween event. Theme music at different major displays compliment the ambience. But I wouldn't go again next year for the same price tag. It costed us $150 for a family of 4.

The event is great and a must do with the Family. Got VIP tickets and decided to Drive to the event. Arrived on what seemed the Coldest night ever, walked in and we forgot about the cold. All the Pumpkins were amazingly decorated and carved. It seemed that there were over 1500 nicely carved and themed pumpkins all over. Zodiak Calendars, Giant snakes, walls and Ceilings, 15 Feet Statues made entirely of hand-carved pumpkins. I would visit anytime again, just warmer weather :) Parking took longer than walking the event, maybe improve upon that.

What a fantastic display if Halloween related art and sound...I enjoyed the art and absolute atmosphere of the event and I love Croton as a town...highly recommended...

Perhaps the most popular event in the area is The Great Jack O Lantern Blaze held at historic Van Cortlandt Manor where roughly 10,000 hand carved pumpkins are lit ablaze! The festival runs for 45 nights and sells out remarkably quickly! Tickets go on sale late August and are virtually impossible to get on a weekend if you don't plan early! If you attempt to purchase from a source other than their site, be careful of tickets without listed time slots. Every rocket has a timed entry with the exception of VIP and Press passes. There are a few legit tickets on New York's Craigslist for those who couldn't keep their plans as the tickets are non-refundable or exchangeable. Another way to gain late access is to purchase a memberpass to the manor which gives you tickets to this AND to the or to book a package at one of the three hotels and inns offering specials. The Blaze was better than we anticipated and definitely worth the schlep! There were so many different things to see!! The Pumpkin Bridge shaped like the local Tappan Zee Bridge, and Jack o lanterns portraits of the members of Phish I was so happy to see! The Cake Boss and a cake, a carousel, a train, Celtic carvings, Asian carvings, Jack in the boxes, sliders, zombies, ghosts, Lady Liberty, an incredible pumpkin tunnel, hissing snakes, a garden full of sunflowers, dinosaurs and hatching eggs, and of course the Headless Horseman in the graveyard! The intricacy was quite remarkable. I've been to quite a few pumpkin festivals, but what I loved about this one was the addition of appropriate music to go with each section! I also loved how even the slightly spookier parts such as the pumpkin lit part leading to nowhere weren't necessarily scary, but your imagination could make it as such. We had an absolutely incredible time! It took us about an hour to make it through even with some minor crowd backups! We parked without issue for free. There was plenty of staff on hand directions traffic and making sure pedestrians could cross safely. I would highly recommend dressing warmer than you think you need to and getting there well before your scheduled time as there was definitely a line of cars coming off the highway. You can always peruse the gift shop tent and grab some apple cider, apple cider donuts and brews beforehand. We loved it and will be back!

Wow! SO blown away by this display, totally worth the trek out there. It's pretty simple to get to from Manhattan, it's about an hour and a half from city center. For $22, you really get an amazing experience. The artistry is spectacular, they keep you guessing the entire time. Also! Get the donut with some apple cider, it just put you in the mood and it's the perfect fall donut. I can't say enough great things, it was a magical experience.

Wow! Pumpkin galore! It's the coolest thing I've seen in a long time. Young and old delight at the same time. This is a master pumpkin carving display equal to none. I read over 70,000 pumpkins are used for the displays. Everything was impressive, but my favorites were The Planetarium, The Carrousel, and The Statue of Liberty. At the entrance is the gift shop full of trinkets, toys, t-shirts. As one continues to walk in to the right, food tent with a few sandwiches and plenty of sweets and oh, yes Hot Cider! The temperature dropped suddenly and it got really cold. Right opposite is the tent with Beer & Wine. Then, lavatories just before the entrance. It takes a good one hour and a half to see the exhibit at a good pace. The walking path is lined with carved pumpkins, and as well as the lamps are too. Wear warm clothes and very comfortable shoes as everything is open air, rain or dry. One needs to order tickets in advance and there are time slots at half hour intervals from 6:00PM-10:00PM. Enjoy!

On way home from here with a smile on my face such a really cute and fun place to come to and enjoy a brisk fall night looking at all the skilled carved pumpkins and all the hard work done to make this place so much fun for all to enjoy. Very well ran and smooth event. Parking was easy and not far away. Yes few things to change like more lighting some more benches to sit for couple minutes maybe few more workers but definitely a place to come to and enjoy.

Impressed with this beautiful event! The pumpkin carvings were amazing. Some of them were so intricate I can't even believe that they are pumpkins. It was misty rain when we went but still had a good time. It can get muddy so wear shows you don't mind getting dirty. There were a lot of people there even though they have set times so we did find ourselves stuck in a crowd at certain points. I think it would be better if they let a few less people in at once. I thought the sculptures were just so cool and well done. From the photos I've seen it doesn't look like it changes much year over year but I would come back again in the future.

I left off a star because of how congested this event was at my most recent visit. I've visited one time before about 2 years ago and it was not as packed. I honestly think they should deduct the allowed amount of guest per time slot by at least 50. It would have been so much more enjoyable if there weren't so many bodies herding around in the same direction and blocking every walk way. Outside of that, the displays are amazing. The biggest debate was whether they were all freshly carved pumpkins or fake. I wouldn't be disappointed if they were fake because I couldn't imagine how much work would go into the thousands of pumpkins on display. I was able to touch a few and to my surprise many were real.. so maybe all are real. Regardless, the details on display were beyond creative. They also sell hot chocolate which was tasty and not watered down. Apple cider donuts, pumpkin spice donuts, chili, Mac and cheese. They have a sizable gift shop. And a huge plus is that they allow you to take video and photos.. if you can get passed the hoards of people to get something good.

I returned to the Blaze after a few years hiatus; one of my friends bought tickets in bulk and asked if I wanted to go. While I don't believe this is something to do every year (the last time I went was when I wrote my original review in 2014), I thought it would be fun to ring in the season and see if they added anything new. Located on the grounds of Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton, the Blaze is a walk-through exhibit showing thousands of carved pumpkins in a number of different displays. While most of the pumpkins are fake, it doesn't really matter because it's dark while you're walking and the sculptures/carvings are so intricate that you never really notice. It takes about a 45 minutes to an hour to walk through, and on your way you'll see things like a replica of the Tappan Zee Bridge, dinosaurs, houses, tunnels, and the headless horseman - all made out of carved pumpkins. One thing I noticed they added this year compared to years past was an expanded snack and beer section. This was much needed, especially to cater more to the adult crowd that may want to come. As always there's a large gift shop at the beginning/end of the walk that has a good amount of Blaze and pumpkin spice merch. The Blaze isn't scary at all - so it's ideal for families with kids. While I don't think it's something to do every year, it's a fun way to get into the Halloween mood.

This was a unique experience that I thought was the best way to kick off spooky season. It's a little bit out of the way from queens but worth the hour ride. The pros : It's absolutely beautiful. Some of the carving work is breath taking, it's really hard to tell if all the pumpkins are as real as they say or not but even if they weren't (which they do seem to be) the amount of time in the designs are still worth the gander. They also have on site food and drinks, and if you try the 1911 hard cider you won't be disappointed! There's benches and barrels and tables for eating and talking and of course a gift shop. There was no wait time and we went on a Saturday at 930 pm. It was an easy enough walk, just a lot shorter than i expected for 7000 pumpkins but all of the installations were cool. Sometimes the lines back up when people stop for pictures so prepare to maneuver depending on what you did and don't care to stop for by far i think the carousel was the star of the show but the pumpkin planetarium was also a magnificent view. There are lots of photo ops and a nice light display at the mansion where you can just sit and take in the experience. The cons: not much in the ways of cons. It was short as I said. It could definitely benefit from more but that can be added over time. The only other negative was the port-a-potty only two for tons of guests and not well stocked. Seriously minor issues in comparison to the whole. Definately recommend for a date night or family/ friend outing during the fall season.

5 stars! It was absolutely amazing! If you're in the area- you need to visit this! The only complaint- if you have a specific ticket time- go early, as traffic getting into the Blaze piled up over a half hour long for us- with that being said it didn't feel crowded inside the Blaze. Be sure to enjoy a hot cider and some fall treats with walking through!

Amazing experience that shouldn't be missed. It was very well set up and organized. From the entrance, the police was helping to guide the cars into the parking lot, tons of parking attendants helping with the parking area and the entrance is beautiful with really cute goodies to buy finally followed by pumpkin themed light food and drinks. Once inside the blaze, I was amazed at how much efforts were put in into carving every single pumpkin with really cute themes like the pumpkin windmil, MoPA, carousel, statue of liberty, zodiac, train, bridge, cemetery and of course ending with the headless horseman. I was blown away at the quality AND the quantity of the pumpkins. My favorite theme personally was the MoPA which is Museum of Pumpkin Arts with paintings like mona lisa, the scream, Campbell soup comically presented in pumpkins! It was fantastic. It takes about an hour to quickly tour through the paths and I'd love to be back next year to see if they have changes to the theme annually. Props to the people who put in a lot of efforts carving and seting up the blaze. I had a blast!

Beautiful, whimsical, and worth every penny of the $25 admission price. Overall, this was a wonderful way to kill an hour and I would come back every year, especially with nieces and nephews in tow. The carvings and displays are gorgeous, mesmerizing and some are very historically and symbolically meaningful like the Celtic knots and the Van Cortlandt clock reproduction. Some are pretty spooky but everything is appropriate for kids. The ones that move and have sound effects were amazing! Can not say enough about this fabulous event except that I highly recommend it.

What an expensive let down. I have been wanting to go for quite a while. I love anything with Jack o lanterns, soni was pumped. Any everything says it is so good! "Best Halloween activity in New England!" No..... The pumpkins are FAKE!!!! they are just FOAM! With a few real ones thrown in here and there. So when you are excited to see thousands of carved lit pumpkins, and show up and find they are totally fake, for $57 a ticket, it is a big let down. I would have paid $10 for that, because the setup is still fun..but $56 to see foam Jack o lanterns?! No. That is is ridiculous. Yes, someone still had to carve them.... But only once, a while ago. Then they just reuse them every year.... Quite lame. So I felt obligated to let people know. I drove 6 hours and spent $57 to look at foam.... We were done and disappointed in 15 minutes. Fun displays yes. So still entertaining for kids I suppose. But not what I came for. And not what they advertise it to be! They never make any mention of them being FAKE! What a scam!!!!

I quite enjoyed the first year my boyfriend and I went to see this show. The all around event itself was unlike anything him and I had ever seen, but when him and I went this year we were quick to realize that the set up was exactly the same as last years. The pumpkins for the good majority are plastic, take that for what you will but we were coming into this thinking that they were real almost like the experience you get at the other pumpkins event like Rise of the Jack O'lanterns. We were able to clear the event in less than 20 minutes because no new material was there to see. My advise is if you've seen this before don't waste your money. If you haven't go for it it's beautiful. Will likely not be returning next year!

This is a wonderful event, but it is pricy. However, it has a lot of displays, and cool ideas. It's worth the money...once. I probably won't pay to go again. It's cool but not that cool. Plus if the weather is bad you either go or eat the substantial cost of the tickets.

10k+ pumpkins artfully carved in all kinds of shapes over a few months by 200+ volunteers!!! The Jack Lantern show is a great holiday event with family/friends. Just to name a few to check out: the giant Pumpkin Zee Bridge not far from entrance, the interesting pumpkin train with steams, the delicate pumpkin carved with patterns from bone china, a big pumpkin dragon, a dreamy LED light pumpkin tunnel with meteor shower over the head while you walk through, a big dinosaur garden, and etc. The whole tour is about 1 hour long. A lot of interesting delicate details to check out! How to get here: drive and park in the parking lot in front of the manor; take metro North from Grand Central (make sure you take express train ~40minutes, local train takes up to 1hr10mins), then either walk (10min) or uber to the manor. Where to get tickets: check out the explore Hudson valley website. How much is the ticket: $20 for Friday night. Heard weekend is $25.

This was awesome. I do recommend having extra plans like dinner or something if you're driving more than an hour out. This place is awe inspiring and jaw dropping. Especially when you stop and smell the pumpkins. Take everything, don't just take pictures. And remember, someone carved what you're looking at by hand. I thought this was gonna be a flustercuck, but it was super smooth even when it came to parking.

The GREAT Jack O' Lantern Blaze This place is BEAUTIFUL. The pictures are BEAUTIFUL and my coworkers are BEAUTIFUL. Actually the pictures do it no justice, but go check it out. The haunted house affiliated with this place is really cool too. Stay safe all of y'all, missed you guys #halloween #fun #lifeafterwork

Best pumpkin carving display in the area. There were a lot of copy cats this year and we decided to try one closer to our house...what a disappointment. There is really no comparison to this display. I think location has a lot to do with the whole feel of it too. Everything is incredibly well organized from parking to entry. There are snacks and gifts available for sale. If you can, spend the weekend in the area. There are other fun Halloween activities nearby in Sleepy Hollow!

Now as a mom 5 years later, returning here with my kiddo with a different perspective still yield to the same WOW factor and a 5 star review. Since my last visit in 2013, the event is more organized, better staffed, time managed, and maintain the same high standards of pumpkin carvings as the main focal point. Both the young and the old are drawn to the winding path that leads you through this enchanting space (fog machine effect helps). At 6:30pm in early October, as the sun is setting, it sent a beautifully eerie shiver down my spine. Tip: Buy tickets when they first become available online (early September), to get a good time slot especially when you are trying to time it with bedtime.

a bit of traffic but otherwise well organized. Great parking attendants and a simple entry process. The grounds can be muddy so would suggest wearing waterproof boots Didn't buy any food or souvenirs. Just enjoyed the great pumpkin displays. They were amazing and i would definitely go back again. It's definitely something to see ! We obviously went after Halloween and I'm sure the crowds were worse in October.

A very cool and unique event. Lots of creativity, atmosphere, and ingenuity. It definitely helps to get into the fall spirit. We enjoyed it a great deal and felt it was a perfect way to kick off fall. The carvings were detailed and creative, and some were complete works of art. It is certainly pricey, however. Based on pricing, I don't know if we would go again, as some other reviewers said. For the price, we spent only half an hour inside. It was a memorable trip, though. Arrive early. Things get crowded.