Iconic Hudson River Island Opens to the Public This Month

The weather has finally turned which means spring and summer activities are on the rise across the Hudson Valley.

One of the more iconic locations on the Hudson River is opening up for the 2024 season.

Bannerman Island Opens for the 2024 Season

Tis the season! Bannerman Island is opening up for the season on the weekend of May 26th, 2024.

Opening weekend brings many fun outdoor activities to do on and around the island. The most popular activity, according to Bannerman's website, is of course the Bannerman Island Cruise and Walking Tour. Guests will embark on a 2.5-hour informational tour of the island that departs by boat from Beacon, New York.

Once on the island guests will explore the castle and the gardens on a guided 45-minute tour. Coming up on August 26th and September 30th the Island will host Eleanor Owen Seeland who will give a lecture about life on Bannerman Island. Seeland is the last inhabitant of Bannerman and lived on the island when she was growing up in the 1930s.

Tours can be booked on the Bannerman website.

Another way to explore Bannerman is by water. How does kayaking around the Island sound?

The Bannerman kayak tour not only includes the tour by water, but also a walking tour. On the Bannerman website, they explain that this tour option is 3 hours long and is suitable for guests 12 years old and older.

Movie Nights, Dinners, and More on Bannerman Island

Bannerman doesn't host just tours, but there are several shows and dinners scheduled for the 2024 season.

Several movie nights are scheduled on the island this year, including the first showing of the season of Casablanca on May 17th. Theatrical performances for 2024 include Driving Miss Daisy, Always...Patsy Cline and Dracula.

Every year Bannerman will host a farm-to-table dinner and a Titanic First Class Dinner recreated by a local chef.

Is Bannerman Island Actually Haunted?

Haunted tours of Bannerman Island aren't a thing, but they should be, as the Hudson River island is said to be haunted.

You know how it goes with haunted locations, usually local legends or lore get misconstrued throughout the years and take on a life of its own. We're not sure if that's the case with Bannerman, but legends state that back in the 1800s local Native Americans believed the island to be possessed.

READ MORE: Does Bannerman Island Have a Goblin Problem?

Another local legend speaks of goblins haunting the island and the water surrounding it. The stories have gained so much traction recently that Bannerman Island released the following statement on their Facebook page:

That sounds exactly what someone with a Goblin problem would say...just saying. Speaking of spooky, Bannerman Island will host several movie nights during the 2024 season including Jurassic Park in August and Hocus Pocus in October.

You can get the full listing of movies on the island at BannermanCastle.org.