Grand Opening of the Restored Turn of the Century Grotto Area on Historic Bannerman Island

Beacon, NY, Thursday, June 25th, 6:00pm – The Bannerman Castle Trust (BCT) with their offices and gallery located at 150 Main Street in Beacon, NY cordially invites the public to attend a special fundraising benefit celebrating the completion of the newest restoration milestone on historic Bannerman Island in the Hudson River Highlands – The Bannerman Island Grotto.

The grotto is an architectural marvel, skillfully built into an ancient cave-like rock formation directly under the Bannerman Stone residence and terrace in the early 1900’s.  Once used by the Bannerman Family as a quiet place for contemplation and prayer, the Grotto offers a majestic Hudson River view looking south to the Hudson Highlands chain of mountains and West Point.  The Grotto’s re-constructed stone terrace is unbelievably beautiful, and visitors will be transported to another time taking in the view and the island’s gardens – now in full bloom.

The grotto was in disrepair, overgrown with indigenous wild vegetation, and hidden for years until the BCT employed Master Mason Aric Morgan and his team to take the challenge and reconstruct the area using original photos from over a 100 years ago for guidance.  Funded in part by grants from Parks & Trails NY and the Hudson River Valley Greenway, the BCT is thrilled to unveil this magnificent architectural feature that now connects to one of our major trails on the island. This exclusive evening offers a rare look at the island’s hidden corners, complete with a historic ribbon-cutting and a toast to the island’s future.

At 6:00 pm, attendees will board the BCT’s Estuary Tour Boat from the Beacon, NY dock located at 2 Red Flynn Drive, directly across from the Beacon Metro-North Train Station, and enjoy a 20-minute Hudson River Cruise to Bannerman Island for the festivities.  An island tour of the grotto and other areas will follow upon arrival, and light refreshments will be served.  The tour boat will return to the Beacon, NY Dock by 9:00pm.

All ticket proceeds will fund the BCT’s 2026/2027 stabilization and restoration initiatives.  Enjoy an unforgettable evening on the Hudson River while championing a Hudson Valley historic treasure.  Tickets are only $55 and limited, so please book your passage to Bannerman Island for this very special event today at: bannermancastle.org.  For more information, please call 845-831-1001.