Dia Beacon

America's 15 Best Small-Town Art Museums

"Quaintness defines much of the Hudson Valley, yet Dia Beacon — which overlooks the river about 50 miles north of New York City — is a hulking, muscular presence. Opened in 2003 in the shell of a 300,000-square-foot Nabisco box factory, the museum does nothing to hide its roots. Brick, steel, and concrete dominate, and massive windows flood the old manufacturing floors with natural light. The works on display, primarily minimalist and conceptual pieces from 1960 through today, are appropriately monumental, with each gallery given over to a different artist's vision. Look for John Chamberlain's crushed cars, Dan Flavin's fluorescent light displays, Michael Heizer's pitch-black well-like holes carved into the floor, Louise Bourgeois's menacing spiders, and Richard Serra's intimidating steel behemoths." - Travel + Leisure Editors