Things to Do in Beacon, New York

This is the reason many people come. Dia’s museum fills a former Nabisco box-printing factory at 3 Beekman Street with large-scale art from the 1960s to today. Long-term installations include Agnes Martin, John Chamberlain, Bridget Riley and Lee Ufan. There’s a cafe and a bookshop on site.

★ Good to know It’s open Friday through Monday and closed midweek; Beacon and Newburgh residents get in free, and Hudson Valley residents are free on the last Sunday of each month.

The hike starts on a staircase that follows the route of the old Mount Beacon Incline Railway, which ran from 1902 to 1978 at a 74 percent grade. Switchbacks take you to viewing platforms, and about a mile farther the South Mount Beacon fire tower climbs 60 feet. On a clear day the tower view runs from Manhattan to Albany.

★ Good to know The trailhead is at 788 Wolcott Ave.; it’s free and open dawn to dusk year-round, and the climb is steep, so bring water.

Francis Bannerman VI built a castle-style arsenal on this 6.5-acre Hudson island starting in 1901 to store his military surplus. Its ruins now sit just south of Beacon. The Bannerman Castle Trust runs boat trips from Beacon for tours, plus seasonal theater and special events on the island.

★ Good to know Expect uneven ground and stairs on the island, wear sturdy shoes and book ahead on the trust’s site.

Catheryna Brett, Beacon’s first European settler, built her house on Van Nydeck Avenue in 1709, and it’s the oldest house in Dutchess County. Docents lead one-hour history tours and shorter walk-throughs. Her grist mill stood at what’s now Madam Brett Park on Fishkill Creek. The free 12-acre park has a marsh, a waterfall and the Tioronda Hat Works ruins next door.

★ Good to know The waterfall is loudest in spring or after heavy rain, and the homestead grounds are open dawn to dusk.

This was the colonial homestead of the Verplanck family, on 145 Sterling Street near the river. General Friedrich von Steuben made his headquarters here in 1782 and 1783, and learned here of the Treaty of Paris that ended the war. The site also tells the story of James F. Brown, a man who escaped slavery and kept a journal for decades as Mount Gulian’s master gardener.

★ Good to know Guided tours are seasonal, so check the site before you go.

Beacon’s mile-plus Main Street runs from the river side of town toward the mountain, lined with small shops, galleries and restaurants. Hudson Beach Glass sells glasswork at 162 Main, and BAU Gallery at 506 Main shows local artists. The Howland Cultural Center at 477 Main fills an 1872 library designed by Richard Morris Hunt. At Main and East Main, look for the 1926 dummy light, a traffic signal on a pedestal in the middle of the intersection.

★ Good to know The free Beacon Loop bus links the train station, Dia, Main Street and the Mount Beacon trailhead Monday through Saturday.

Hudson Valley Brewery pours from 7 East Main Street, Two Way Brewing is at 18 West Main, and Industrial Arts Brewing has a taproom at 511 Fishkill Avenue. Denning’s Point Distillery makes spirits at 10 North Chestnut Street.

★ Good to know Taproom hours change through the week and by season, so check before you plan a crawl.