Bannerman Castle

This is a very interesting place to visit. The tour leaves from Beacon. The pier is right next to where you get of the train at the Metro North Beacon Station. You can also drive. Parking is free over the weekend at the train station. The instructions would tell you to arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time, but the folks there were nice to wait a bit a make sure to get everyone. Both the boat ride to and from the island and the tour itself was nice. The captain gave a very engage history lesson -- both shores were featured in the Revolutionary War and played a big part in modern US history. On the island, you get a 45-minute guided tour and 45 minutes of free exploration. The view was very nice. The paths could be rugged but overall not hard to walk at all. Loved it!

Amazing experience. The boat ride and tour of the island by our guide Molly were both amazing. Great insight into the Bannerman family, who had quite a history! We will back next spring/summer to enjoy some music and to see the flowers in bloom.

At last we got to see an artifact that we have been viewing by train for several years. It is so cool! We took a 30 minute boat ride, narrated by Captain John and Jen, along the Hudson. We were greeted on arrival by our tour guide, Mary(?), who was knowledgeable and friendly. The story of the island, castle, and Bannerman family is amazing. The views from the island are terrific. A great trip!

This place is amazing! You need to take a boat ride out there, boat goes out from Beacon. Book ahead as, they fill up fast. Lots of great events here too, theater, music Sundays and great tours of the ruins on the island. No pets allowed! The gardens have been restored beautifully!

We had a scenic twenty minute boat ride down the Hudson River to Bannerman Castle Island. The tour guide was informative, interactive and once the tour was over, we got to explore the island on our own. Super fun experience

Would definitely go again. It’s been on my bucket list for sometime and I finally got the chance to go on the tour. Our boat took you from Beacon, close to where the train station is—Which is where you can park for free on the weekends. Another fun tip: I would recommend you finding a restroom before the tour. Captain John and Jen were great… loved their jokes and music choices. Jen is also a volunteer coordinator and gave us interesting facts throughout the boat ride. Even from the boat you can tell what a huge impact this castle had on the region. Upon arriving to the island, you are greeted with a guide. Our guide was okay, wish he took a different direction with the storyline. One can only hope to ever achieve this much riches to draw something on a napkin and turn it into a castle on a private island in the Hudson. The gardens are beautiful and don’t get enough credit. I enjoyed learning about the monarch butterflies. The views from the island are breathtaking. The castle was built in the style of European castles, which does transport you in time. Our guide mentioned some Bannerman family members visited the island earlier that day…would be interesting to hear their thoughts. The current situation is that the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation owns the land but doesn’t contribute to the upkeep and tourism operations. The Bannerman Castle Trust handles all of that. They restored a smaller area on the island, but there are no efforts to restore the castle due to high costs. At this point they should probably build a new castle in the style of what it once was. Or try their best to secure what’s left and attach it to a new structure. Similar to what Germany did after WW2 when their buildings were heavily boomed. Turn it into an opera theater and museum. Maybe invite local artists to do exhibits. Get some nice restrooms lol wouldn’t recommend using the ones that are currently there. The island definitely needs a permanent electric supply to survive all seasons. It’s sad to see the state not invest anything into tourism on the island. It really seems like a missed opportunity. The island grounds should be made more walking friendly. I can’t imagine taking someone elderly on this tour. To end my rant on a positive, go and check it out! Castle remains are beautiful and the island itself is a treasure with unforgettable views.

8.24.24 We wanted something different to do, and this fit the bill. Parked the car for free, lots of open spots at 10am. We bought our tickets for the ferry to bring us to the island ahead of time, approx $50pp. Ferry ride was fun and quick. You can move about the ferry to take photos. On the island, you have to do the organized tour, which is included in the price. And afterwards you get 30 min to go on your own. This place is a photographers dream. Lots of views of the castle ruins, the grounds are full of flowers and beautiful views. This will be superb in the fall.

Beautiful island and beautiful castle with a rich history. Unfortunately nobody is raising money to fix it and it is left to decay. The tour guide was great and gave us a lot of history. Also the captain of the boat John and his helper Jen were amazing and John told us a lot of stories about famous people who lived here.