Bannerman Island Castle
POB 843
Glenham, NY 12527
(845) 831-1001
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollepel_Island
Open: Please check the website as this is a seasonal location
Admission: Adults and Children 11 and Up $45.00/Children 11 and under $35.00
My review on TripAdvisor:
The mysterious Bannerman Castle sits on an island in the middle of the Hudson River
The welcoming sign by the riverfront
I recently visited Bannerman Island (Pollepel Island) just outside of Beacon, New York on a cool cloudy day and I highly recommend the twenty minute boat trip to this mysterious and scenic island. The only way to visit the island is by boat or kayak and the ride is very quick depending on the weather and the waves on the Hudson River.
The dock at the Beacon Railroad station at the beginning of the tour
The dockside and park at the Beacon park
The view of the docks before the tour
The view of the bridge near the park and part of the boat tour
Video of the boat ride out to the island:
Video of the boat ride out to the island:
Video of the boat ride out to the island:
Video of the boat ride out to the island:
Video of the boat ride out to the island:
Arriving at the dock on Bannerman Island after your boat ride
The historic sign of General Lafayette’s landing at this site in 1824
Once you get to the island, you are greeted by the tour guide and then have to walk up 74 steps from the harbor to the ridge of the island so this is NOT ADA compliant. At the top of the stairs starts the path around the island. Our tour guide that lead the tour had been there since the tours started in 2004 and gave us many insights on the history of the island and its purpose to the Bannerman family.
The gardens at the hillside as you walk up the stairs at Bannerman Island in the Summer of 2024
The first stop on the tour is the view of the ruins of the old Munitions Storage building
Our first stop was the Bannerman Munitions Storage facilities that were in the form of a castle that can be seen from the rail system up to Poughkeepsie, NY. For years I thought (as most people do) that this was a home but it was the Bannerman Munitions Warehouse for all the Army surplus items that Mr. Bannerman had brought up here from New York City. All the Military items were stored up here and the orders were fulfilled from this island.
Walking by the ruins of the old castle
Walking by the castle on the pathway
The pathway by the river
Walking the pathway by the river
The company has not been in business since the early 60’s and when the children of the founder closed the company after the laws in the Federal Government changed to where private citizens could not sell explosive, it put a damper into operations. In 1967, the storage buildings were destroyed by fire and the compound was a shell of the former factory. The home was also abandoned at the top of the ridge when the family sold the island.
The Bannerman Island Munitions Storage Facility
Once you leave the former storage facility which is now being held up by stilts because the structure is so weak, you will proceed up the path past the formal gardens that are planted along the trail. The local garden clubs now come to the island to replant Mrs. Bannerman’s formal gardens and beautify the island.
The gardens on the pathway to the house
The gardens along the pathway
The gardens
The gardens along the pathway to the house
The gardens by the front of the house
The gardens by the front door of the Bannerman Mansion
At the top of the point, there is the former home of the Bannerman family that is currently under renovation. It houses a quick tour of the family and there is a small gift shop inside. The porch area has the most amazing views of the Hudson River and the surrounding mountains. Here the Friends of Bannerman Island show movies in the warmer months and hold plays just outside the home. The last movie had been “Abbott and Costello Meet the Frankenstein”, which had been sold out according to the tour guide.
The Bannerman House and Gardens
The main room in the house
The old kitchen in the Bannerman home
The restoration of the house
The house restoration
When you leave the house, there are two paths that you can follow around, one to Wee Bay at the bottom of the hill where you can see the beach and some of the river buildings. The other is the Red Trail around the hill of the island that takes you to the top of the hill to see spectacular views and back to the dock where you will pick up the boat. I suggest good walking shoes and patience. The Wee Bay trail is past the gardens. You take the trail down to the beach.
The pathway to the beach
The Bannerman sign before you head down the hill
The signs to Wee Bay Beach
The Wee Bay path tour
The Wee Bay path tour
The Wee Bay path tour
The views of the river from the Wee Path tour
The Wee Bay beach at the bottom of the trail
The beauty of the beach at the bottom of the hill
The docking buildings by the beach
Wee Bay Beach
The view from the beach
The view of the River buildings
I headed back to the top of the trail by the house and continued the walk around the house to walk the Red Trail on the other side of the house. I have to admit this is not for the faint hearted and you had better like hiking because it is not easy.
The beginning of the trails by the main house
The Red Trail gardens
The Red Trail by the house
The trail at the highest point on the Red Trail
The end of the Red Trail
The end of the trail by the castle
As you exit the tour, you will be heading down another flight of stairs to go back to the harbor. Please watch out for poison ivy! It is all over the place. Then it is back on the boat to the Beacon harbor. The tour guide gives you plenty of time to take pictures.
The view of Mount Beacon on the Hudson River
Finishing the tour and back to the boat
The tours are finished at the end of October and will reopen again in the Spring. You must book on line for the tours through the State website and the boats only hold 44 people so be sure to book in advance of when you want to go.
In 2019, I had lucked out in that three people did not show up for the 2:00pm tour and I was able to pay cash for the trip. In 2024 I booked online which is what I suggest.
For the views alone it is well worth the trip
The view of Downtown Beacon when you return to the dock
The boat awaited the next group who were at the dock when we returned
The view of the parks when you return
History of Bannerman Castle on Pollepel Island:
Bannerman Castle was built from 1901-1918 by Frank Bannerman IV as a warehouse to store his collection of antique military equipment from the Spanish American and Civil Wars. Bannerman was the father of the Army Navy Store. His world famous catalogue of military equipment became the “go to” source for collectors.
The ruins of the Bannerman Castle
The island housed seven structures that formed the Scottish baronial castle, including workers apartments, a summer residence and beautiful trails and gardens. A great fire in 1969 destroyed the interiors and left the shells you see today. Bannerman island opened for tours in 2004.
History of Francis Bannerman VI:
(from the parks website)
Francis Bannerman VI was born on March 24th, 1851 in Northern Ireland and emigrated to the United States in 1854. The family moved to Brooklyn, NY and began a military surplus business by the Brooklyn Navy Yard purchasing army surplus after the Civil War. The family continued to grow the business by buying weapons directly from the Spanish Government before it evacuated Cuba and then purchased 90% of the munitions auctioned off by the Federal Government that had been capture by American forces at the close of the Spanish-American War.
The family bought the island in 1900 to store the surplus items to their growing business. The warehouse in New York was too small and too dangerous to keep in the City anymore and they could keep their inventory isolated on the island.
Frank Bannerman IV
https://www.electricscotland.com/history/descendants/chap36.htm
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8048322/francis-bannerman
The castle was visible from the water and had a giant advertisement sign right on the arsenal “Bannerman’s Island Arsenal” created into the wall of the building. With the change in federal and state laws on selling military weapons and the sinking of the ferryboat that served the island by 1950, the island was abandoned. The island and its buildings were bought by New York State in 1967 and is now run by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
(This information is a combination from Wiki and the island pamphlet)
I visited Downtown Beacon, NY when I was finished with the tour. I highly recommend the town to shop and eat lunch or dinner. Maybe just a drink by the river. It is really a nice town.
Downtown Beacon in Summer 2024
Downtown Beacon, NY in the Summer of 2024
Downtown Beacon by the falls in the Summer of 2024
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 
