Bannerman Castle, Beacon NY

Great little island. Fantastic recommended views of the surrounding Hudson Valley, especially during the fall foliage of late October. Dress warm though, the wind is cold, especially on the shallow boat you take to get there.
Enjoy!

We lucked out and booked for a day with gorgeous weather so the trip was great! The directions to the boat were clear and easy to find with parking available. The boat staff were very friendly and gave a nice overview of the area on the 25 min boat ride to the island. The island itself is very neat and has a lot of history as it was privately owned and now owned by the state. I of course wish we could have gotten closer to the castle but there is a second property on the island to explore. The tour guide Jack did a great job giving us the history of the Bannerman's and the NY area. Overall great tour and unique activity. It's about a 25 min boat ride to the island, guided tour for about 30 mins and then free to explore for about an hour and then back on the boat to dock for about 25 mins.

Though the weather was absolutely miserable (bone-numbing cold and rainy), the tour guides were fabulous (both on the boat and on the Island), the castle was appropriately lugubrious (imposing, structurally scary), and the Bannerman story was interesting (quirky and fascinating). Additionally, the exhibits were informative, the bathrooms clean, the ponchos and loaner-umbrellas essential, and the hot cocoa a welcome addition to the tour.
Since one needs to book this tour in advance, and there are no cancellations, make sure you dress for the weather. Those ponchos will keep you dry but not warm!

Pretty basic as not really a castle, just old abandoned place and not really maintained well. Good boat ride and great scenery however.

Lovely Island to explore. Just a short boat ride from Beacon, New York. We will definitely come back next July for the butterfly migration

Such a great time at Bannerman! Tour guides were wonderful and the island is a beautiful place to explore. Could not recommend more.

Fantastic experience! Boat ride was beautiful and island was surreal. Great crew on the boat. Only word of advice would be to ensure you go to the correct 2 Red Flynn Drive in Beacon (next to metro north station)! There is another address a mile away which is easy to mistake. Enjoy!

It was my goal to get here and I absolutely live it! The tour was fantastic, I learned so much and history of this place is very interesting. The only thing is - you have just 40 minutes to self explore after the tour is over. Island is tiny, so it’s enough time, but just keep that in mind, if you want to take pictures or something. You can grab some food there, but since you only have 40 minutes, I recommend to eat before or after and just explore while you in the island.
It’s a bit pricey, but it’s so worth it! I took ferry, but there is also kayak option to get to the island, or you can go on your own kayak.

An amazing experience close to home! So good to learn the history of Bannerman island. Captain Steve and Moose made boat trip educational and entertaining. And thanks to Mary for the energetic tour! The island is beautifully gardened and we enjoying exploring! Would do it again!

The tour was very educational! I absolutely loved the play as well! September is such a good time to be there!

Great visit on Bannerman's island under a pouring rain! Very dramatic scenery. Captain makes you very welcome on his ship, and the presentation on the island offers nice historical insight. Would definitely come back with other friends:)

Awesome experience. Way more than just an old munitions cache. Fantastic gardens! Boat crew know their history too!

Amazing experience. The tour was absolutely fantastic with great views! But it’s really the staff that made the tour so interesting with their enthusiasm towards the history of the island that I’m sure I never would have imagined had I not gone! Would recommend for anyone.

Both the boat crew and island tour guides truly love what they do and are extremely informative. The grounds are beautiful and the history is beyond interesting. A must do.

Loved hearing about the history of the island! Our guide was great and so were the guys on the boat ferrying us back and forth!

Nice afternoon even with the rainy weather. Your was very informative. Ferry crew were also informative and helpful.

Great experience definitely recommend to everyone of all ages. The views are spectacular and the tour is interesting. There are bathrooms on the island and a small coffee shop, but no restaurants on the island.

Great place to visit for the savory tourist. The tour was very informative, the family history and castle. Tour guide was great.