Even though it’s possible to live three lifetimes in New York City and still not get to everything the metropolis has to offer, sometimes even diehard New Yorkers need a change of scenery. We’re going to let you in on a little secret: Beacon is one of the coolest day trips from New York City, and after reading about all of the cool things to do in Beacon, NY, we wouldn’t be surprised if you hop on the next train going upstate!

Where is Beacon, NY Anyway?

Well, for starters, if the state abbreviation didn’t give it away, Beacon is located in New York state. Specifically, it’s a city of roughly 15,000 people in Dutchess County that’s located:

• 16 miles south of Poughkeepsie, where you can visit FDR’s former home,
• 90 miles south of Albany, the capital of New York state,
• 72 miles north of Shake Shack in Terminal 4 of John F. Kennedy airport, and
• 62 miles north of where The Late Show with Stephen Colbert tapes with a live studio audience in Manhattan.

In simpler terms, Beacon, NY is a 90-minute drive from Manhattan (assuming the traffic gods cooperate and you don’t take a gazillion bathroom breaks on the road), making it a perfect day trip from New York City. Check out the map below for points for interest.

Pro tip ⇒ You can use the handy dandy zoom feature to get a sense of where Beacon is. Just click on the minus sign to zoom out and you’ll see where it’s located relative to NYC!

How Do You Get to Beacon, NY?

There are two main ways you can take to get to the city of Beacon, NY from NYC: take a road trip or take the train.

If you’re driving, you A) probably live here in New York City and have enough moola to pay for monthly parking, or B) are like us and rent cars for day trips (we personally use a Zipcar membership).

The train, on the other hand, is a pleasant option for those of us who hate driving, feel at ease on the Tube in London, or want to get from Point A to Point B in a cost-effective manner. To get to Beacon from New York City via train:

• Use Grand Central station as your starting point. If you’re coming from elsewhere in the city, take the subway to Grand Central.
• From Grand Central, take the Hudson line on Metro-North to Beacon station. The train ride is 80-90 minutes long, depending on which train you catch.
• Fares change depending on if you ride at a peak time or off-peak time. Currently, if you buy your tickets at Grand Central station, it’s $22 one-way during peak times ($44 roundtrip) or $16.75 one-way during off-peak times ($33.50 roundtrip). You can buy tickets on board, but it costs a bit more (e.g., $28 one-way during peak times or $23 during off-peak).
• If you want to go to Dia:Beacon, consider buying a ticket package via Metro-North to save money. Metro-North runs various getaway packages; one particular package includes roundtrip rail tickets and entrance to Dia:Beacon (see next section). Currently, this deal is $39, but check their website for the most up-to-date info.

The Best Things to Do in Beacon, NY

Impress Art Buffs at Dia:Beacon

Though I’m no art expert by any means, there’s a reason that visiting Dia:Beacon is often at the top of lists for things to do in Beacon, NY.

For $15, you can spend time wandering around Dia:Beacon’s crazy extensive art collection (all 300,000 square feet of it!). The museum, which opened in May 2003, is housed in a former Nabisco box printing factory and features art from the 1960s to the present.

Turn a corner and you might see something like this:

There’s some photographic pieces here, like Dan Flavin’s art using fluorescent tubes and John Chamberlain’s work with chromium-plated steel.

Our favorite pieces at Dia:Beacon are Richard Serra’s enormous steel sculptures, where you can actually wander around inside them like Alice in Wonderland chasing that damn rabbit.

Of course, you may not love everything you see. As someone with a pretty bad case of arachnophobia, I was not having this NIGHTMARE-SIZED spider sculpture (see above). Not sure what inspired Louise Bourgeois to make a crouching spider to scare the bejeezus out of people, but it certainly had its intended effect!

And if you’ve got trypophobia — er, a fear of holes — you may want to walk past Michael Heizer’s North, East, South, West (though, for the record, this was actually one of our favorite artworks).

Dia:Beacon is the kind of museum that challenges you to think, “Is this art? Could my three-year-old make this?” Sometimes, your art museum buddy might say, “Yes, I could throw pieces of glass on the floor too.” But sometimes, he might stop and stare at a piece for five minutes, lost deep in thought. And that, my friends, is why you stop at Dia:Beacon.

Geek Out at The Pandorica, A Doctor Who-Themed Restaurant

After thirty-odd years on Planet Earth, I finally decided to start watching the BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who, and I just could. not. stop. (It’s officially my favorite television show of all time now.) We finished all 10 seasons of the series’ relaunch (e.g., the Ninth Doctor and onward) just in time to check out The Pandorica, a Doctor Who-themed restaurant in Beacon, NY.

The Pandorica is certainly a front runner for Best Themed Restaurant in the Galaxy (and I spent my childhood years as a devoted fan of Rainforest Cafe, yo). Doctor Who references abound in the restaurant, from its décor (a TARDIS bathroom door and a large print of Van Gogh’s exploding TARDIS painting) down to the menu (“Rory’s Roman Caesar Salad” and “Madame De Pompadour Cake”).

There’s even “Fish Fingers and Custard,” Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith’s favorite food — but fear not: it’s actually battered french toast. The food is solid overall, and service is pleasant and attentive. If you’re a Whovian, allons-y and get yourself over to The Pandorica!

Be a Fancypants at The Roundhouse

The Roundhouse is a veritable triple threat: it’s a charming boutique hotel, fine dining, and cozy bar all rolled into one. Savor halibut with green asparagus, morels, and fava beans or grass-fed ribeye with a caramelized shallot-red wine sauce in the award-winning restaurant, or sip on signature cocktails in the lounge.

Be sure to book ahead to snag a table with killer views of Beacon Falls. Definitely worth it!

Grab a Pint at Hudson Valley Brewery…

Open since 2016, Hudson Valley Brewery specializes in producing farmhouse sour beers. Normally, sour beers aren’t my cup of tea pint of beer, but Hudson Valley Brewery makes ones that are really approachable.

Standout beers here include “Bloom” — a Sour DIPA with flavors of cherries, dark chocolate, and chamomile — and “Plumage,” a Sour DIPA with notes of ruby red grapefruit, white chocolate, and peppermint.

Hudson Valley Brewery’s tasting room is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It’s popular, so you might be standing around for a while before securing a seat. That’s OK, though; you’ll likely wind up talking to some locals and swapping brewery recs while you wait, which is half of the fun!

… Or Cocktails at Denning’s Point Distillery!

Visiting Denning’s Point Distillery is another one of the best things to do in Beacon, NY. Since opening its doors in 2014, the distillery’s handcrafted spirits have won several awards, including honors from the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Sidle up to the (tiny, semi-cramped) bar in their tasting room and sample three spirits for $5. Though Mr. Five O’Clock and I disagreed over whether the Beacon Bourbon or the Beacon Whiskey was better (I won out and took a bottle of the whiskey home), we both concurred that their “Maid of the Meadow” vodka was like drinking a fantastic spiked tea for breakfast.

The distillery is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays; tours occur three times on Saturdays. You can also buy cocktails for a reasonable $7 and nosh on free popcorn in the larger room adjacent to the tasting room.

Honorable Mention

Of course, there’s no shortage of things to do in Beacon, NY. Here’s a few other ideas for return trips:

• Bannerman Island – Also known as Pollepel Island, you’ll find the ruins of a century old Scottish castle here. Travel by boat or join a kayak tour to reach the island, which is only accessible by water.
• Mount Beacon Park – If a hike is what you fancy, strap on your hiking boots and climb up to the peak of Mount Beacon.
• Go shopping – Main Street boasts a variety of great shops, from Hudson Beach Glass (where you can make your own blown glass ornaments!) to More Good (which features bitters, tea & soda syrups and donates 10% of their net profits to Generosity Water).
• Drinks at 2 Way Brewing Company – We didn’t make it to 2 Way Brewing Company on our first visit, but we’ll definitely check them out next time. Their Revolution Red and Heart of Darkness beers in particular look mighty tasty!

Essential Info:
Where should you stay in Beacon? Check out all options here.
Want a guidebook for the Hudson Valley region? I recommend this guidebook.
Where else have I visited in New York lately? Imli for Indian food and various NYC cocktail bars.
Have questions for me? Hit me up on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest!

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