Bannerman Castle isn't truly a castle. It is the ruins of a warehouse that was designed to be like, and look like, a castle! Nonetheless is does make for a fun day. Let me explain what I mean further.

I also have a video you can watch that has this castle and other New York castles. That video is at the bottom of this page.

It was a warehouse for munitions. And the risk with storing munitions is explosions. And this warehouse did explode! Now it is a ruins.

Bannerman Castle is on a small island called Pollepel island in the Hudson River.

And the thing that makes this a fun and adventurous day is that you take a ferry boat out to the island castle.

When you arrive on the island a tour guide greets you and walks you around - telling you interesting things about Bannerman, the castle, the grounds and more.

There is also a home that Bannerman built on the island. It was meant to be a part time residence for him and his family. It too was the victim of an explosion. And it is now being rebuilt and restored.

Inside this smaller summer home they have it laid out as a museum with a lot of interesting stuff about Bannerman and the castle. Here is an actual concept drawing made by Bannerman for how he wanted the warehouse castle to be built.

And that's it. It was a fun day but after a couple of hours you return to the ferry and travel back down the river to the dock where you parked your car.

I have some tips for you. First off you should dress warm. Warmer than the day would dictate. This is because you are riding on a ferry boat on the river and that means a good temperature drop. And you might want to consider bringing a raincoat. You might need it! On the island there is no food allowed. So, you might want to eat before you depart on the ferry.

Want to learn more or purchase a ferry and tour ticket? Check out the bannerman trust website right here: Bannerman Castle

Want to watch a video? You can watch it without leaving this page: