What To See On Bannerman Island This 2026 Season
Tours, Theater, Dance, Music, Movies Under The Stars, And More
Arriving at Bannerman Island on the Estuary Steward boat.
It sounds like something out of a fairytale: a crumbling castle rising from the waters of the Hudson Highlands.
When Beacon local Neil Caplan first came across the overgrown and mysterious Bannerman Island (AKA “Pollepel Island”) in the 1990s, he and his wife began imagining it could become a place for theater, art, and education.
More than 30 years later, that vision has come to life. Thanks to the Bannerman Castle Trust, led by Caplan and a dedicated group of friends, the island opened to visitors in 2018 with daytime tours and a steadily growing lineup of events.
Bannerman Island Tours Return
As the 2026 season begins on Friday May 1st, Bannerman Island is welcoming back visitors with possibly its most ambitious events programming yet, and plenty of reasons to make the trip across the water.
You’ll find more information on the walking and kayak tour schedules as well links to buy event tickets here. The Estuary Steward boat conveniently leaves from Beacon’s waterfront at Red Flynn Drive.
The Season’s Event Highlights
Left and right: Will Reynolds and Alex Kunz of Broadway In Beacon with choreographer, Skyla Schreter.
Epic Broadway presented by Broadway In Beacon
When: Friday, July 24th and Saturday, July 25th
Broadway In Beacon has been selling out shows across Beacon for the past two years with their lively, upbeat open mic nights co-hosted by Will Reynolds and Broadway’s Patti Murin, who played the original Anna in Frozen.
This summer, the Broadway In Beacon crew will be performing some of Broadway’s finest fairytale classics against the magical backdrop of the historic Bannerman residence and gardens in Epic Broadway. Expect powerhouse vocals, theatrical sparkle, and songs from Cinderella, Shrek, Camelot, Brigadoon, Beauty & The Beast, and more.
Drac Is Back!
When: Tuesday, September 15th to Sunday, September 20th and Friday, September 25th to Saturday, September 26th
Following sell-out performances of this riveting one-man show in 2025, Dracula: The Journal Of Jonathan Harker, starring Duane Boutté, returns to Bannerman Island’s outdoor theater.
In the play, Jonathan Harker is sent to Castle Dracula to deliver deeds to the infamous Count with no idea of what he’s getting himself into. After his escape, his worst fears are confirmed: Count Dracula is an undead creature of the night. What follows sends Harker on a nail-biting mission to find and destroy the Count, risking his life to save those he loves.
The Flock: An Original Dance Work
When: Thursday, October 1st
Skyla Schreter—a former dancer with the San Francisco Ballet Company and now a choreographer and artistic director based in Beacon—is bringing an original dance work to Bannerman Island this fall. The island’s unique geography, natural environment, and architectural elements will provide a powerful backdrop to this contemporary adaptation of the 1970 novella, Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
The work follows a young seagull who is cast out of her flock for questioning its rigid rules, setting her on a path of discovery where new possibilities open beyond the confines of her flock.
The live performance will be shot as a short film as part of a larger project. At Saint Rita’s Music Room (85 Eliza Street), on Sunday, May 31st, there will be an opportunity to learn more when Skyla and the project’s lead dancer, Hannah Straney, work through different creative and movement ideas in real time. The event is free, with RSVPs requested.
Watch A Movie Under The Stars
When: Throughout the season
When you book to see a movie on Bannerman Island, not only do you get to watch it under the stars, but you arrive in time to witness a stunning Hudson Highlands summer sunset. There are nine outdoor movie screenings throughout the season, including Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, Strangers On A Train, The Princess Bride, The Great Gatsby, and Gremlins.
Plus, A Screening Of The Movie Musical “1776” For REV250
When: Friday, July 3rd
This 1972 Tony Award-winning musical with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards dramatizes the debates and conflicts within the Second Continental Congress that culminated in the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This is a special screening marking the United States 250th anniversary celebrations.
Butterflies of Memory
One of Bannerman Island’s pollinator gardens, carefully tended by volunteers.
Sculptor Kathleen Griffin will unveil her latest work, The Butterflies of Memory, during the 2026 season. This ambitious project will introduce a host of 13 to 16 feet tall showstopping gold butterflies to the island in a feat that will be achieved through equal parts art and engineering. Bannerman Island happens to be a certified Monarch butterfly waystation, which means it’s a pathway to help the pollinators on their 3,000-mile migratory journey across North America. Griffin’s project is dedicated to showcasing the island’s beautiful pollinator gardens that are maintained by its dedicated volunteer teams.
The History Of Bannerman Island
Bannerman Castle in the Hudson Highlands, crumbling yet still majestic.
The story of Bannerman Island and its crumbling yet still majestic castle may just be one of the quirkiest in the Hudson Valley.
The castle was built between 1901 and 1918 by a colorful character named Frank Bannerman VI, a military supplies entrepreneur who needed a safe place to store the surplus military equipment (including volatile black powder) he’d bought from the government after the Spanish American Civil War ended in 1898.
Born in Scotland before coming to Brooklyn, NY as a child, Bannerman wanted the facility to resemble a Scottish Castle, so he designed the dramatic, fairytale-like structure himself.
The ominous black powder house exploded just two years later in 1920—the explosion forceful enough to destroy the black powder house and be heard as far north as Poughkeepsie. Despite this, the family continued to visit the summer residence up until the 1940s.
The Bannerman Island Trust describes the period of the 1920s to 1959 as a “white elephant” for the family. The business closed in 1959, and the Jackson Hole Preserve eventually bought the Island in 1967 and incorporated it into the Hudson Highlands State Park.
Sadly, another fire destroyed the Bannerman Castle arsenal buildings in 1969, leaving just the shell. A fire at the family residence a year later destroyed all the floors and roof. The island was subsequently deemed dangerous and was closed.
Luckily for us, this wasn’t the end of the story for the Island or Bannerman Castle. The island remained closed until 2004 when The Bannerman Castle Trust, a friends’ group for NY State Parks led by Neil Caplan, opened the island for public tours. And the rest is history.
For everything you need to know about Bannerman Island and to become a supporter, visit their website.
Until next time…
The Beacon Beacon🧡