nice boat ride, great narrative on the way to the island, friendly staff, great narrative from Mary, wonderful views, great paths. wish we had packed a lunch, great place to have one. little disappointed that you can not get close to the ruins, but did understand why. Great short day trip.

Great trip , the boat dock is directly across from the Beacon train station , parking and access was fine . The boat trip is short but nice , includes a bit of information about places passed in Newburgh and surrounding areas. The island was small and easy to travel , yes, there are steps but they are regular steps with rails nothing to worry about. The tour guide Mary was really informative and interesting and clearly loves her job. The tour was well done, time was available for some self exploration and then the ride back . I did not know what to expect but was more then happily surprised with the day - hoping to see more of the castle preserved in the future - it’s a gem .

Highly recommend this excursion when in the Beacon area. The boat ride was lovely and the staff on board were not only knowledgeable but also fun! The staff giving the tour of Bannerman Castle were equally knowledgeable and gave an excellent tour. The amount of time to explore the island after the talk was perfect too!

Tour guide Mark was highly knowledgeable and friendly. The castle ruins and the story behind them were fascinating. The best part is, they give you about 45 minutes to explore the island along its trails.

Looking for something different to do? Go see Bannerman's Castle, you won't regret it. Once you get over the 72 steps it's smooth sailing. Most probably going to make the trip again since we took the tour and would like to explore on our own next time. Great job by the volunteers.

Great trip. Very interesting history and beautiful way to spend a few hours on the Hudson. You can take the tour or walk by yourself. I recommend the tour. You will still have time to walk around. The boat ride is about 30 mins at the most.

It was a great day out. The care that the staff and volunteers put into preserving the island is commendable. Such beautiful flowers/shrubbery and the views of the Hudson Valley are amazing. I had no idea about the history of Bannerman Castle and the tour guide on the island told us the interesting backstory. Jay and Jason, the boat staffers, were great. I would recommend this fun day out to anyone looking for something different to do.

Wonderful walking tour (great guides!) with free time to enjoy the island and views. Highly recommended excursion and perfect to pair with time in the town of Beacon! We had been passing by this charming island and folly for years and were thrilled to find that we can now take a boat ride and walking tour. It was a lovely and informative experience and easy to coordinate. The island's trails and buildings filled our time and there are nice amenities there (bathrooms, shop, cafe). I highly recommend booking the boat ride/tour. Practical matters: MetroNorth train takes you practically to the dock, which is fantastic! The nearest portipotty/bathroom while you wait for the boat tour to begin is in a pretty park about 500 yards north (we went straight there and parked by them for free and then drove back to the dock where we found plenty of free weekend parking available for those of us taking the boat ride. Only about 40 folks are permitted onto the island via tour at a time, and you leave with your group, which means it never gets crowded. If you go there by train, you may find 2-3 cabs at the Beacon station (East side of tracks) that can later take you up the hill to the town of Beacon, which is worth seeing and where you will find wonderful eating and shopping options. We took the 11am tour and had a very fine lunch later at the Roundhouse in town.

Loved this tour, guides were very knowledgeable and so interesting to learn about the history of the island and castle. We loved the boat ride over and back and our tour of the island. We also explored Beacon, which was so beautiful and so much to do , Highly recommend this tour and visiting Beacon.

The views from Bannerman Island itself are beautiful, but this event was so fun. Not only was it informative, but it was also breathtakingly beautiful. The staff was amazing at every step Of the way, both attentive and humorous. The food at the concession stand hit the spot as well! The Only tip I would give is to be mindful that the time on your ticket is the time you can dock the boat, so do not assume first come first serve. And pack layers as it gets chiller as the evening continues. We would absolutely do this again and multiple times if we can!