I recently traveled to Albany, NY to visit its capitol building…it’s one of the most flamboyant state capitol buildings. It cost more to construct than the U.S. Capitol! Yet it’s undeniably beautiful, having not one, but THREE monumental staircases…it’s also decorated with an astonishing amount of carved stone, featuring portraits of famous people, animals, and natural motifs.
You can view a video that I made of the Capitol building’s highlights:
Video highlights from the Albany Capitol
Albany is about an hour and a half train ride from New York City. Free guided tours of the capitol building are offered several times a day on weekdays. There are also other attractions in the vicinity, such as the New York State Museum (also free!), which has exhibits about natural history, and the history of New York State!
Imagine seeing the ruins of a castle, perched on a rocky island in the middle of a river…it may sound like something from the pages of a gothic novel. But this castle is real…and it’s located only 50 miles from New York City!
Bannerman Castle is on Pollepel Island, just down the river from Beacon, NY. A brief ferry ride took me and the other visitors to the island.
After climbing a 72-step staircase (!), we were rewarded with this view of the castle:
The castle was the brainchild of businessman Francis Bannerman VI, a dealer in military surplus. In 1901, he started building the structure to hold his inventory of guns, ammunition, and other military equipment.
Unfortunately, some of Bannerman’s stored ammunition exploded in 1920 and damaged the building. Later on, in 1969, a fire of unknown origin caused even more severe damage. Steel beams have been added to the walls to support them, and visitors are not allowed to go inside. However, the ruin is still very impressive!
The island itself offers majestic views of the surrounding Hudson Highlands.
You can also follow several walking trails around the island. Along the way, you can enjoy a variety of flowers, like these vibrant tulips.
Another point of interest is the Bannerman family’s home, smaller in scale than the castle, but equally fanciful.
Today the building houses displays about the history of the castle and the Bannerman family.
Before leaving, I walked up to one of the highest spots on the island and enjoyed a peaceful view of the river and neighboring Newburgh, NY…the perfect end to an afternoon’s adventure!
The Bannerman Castle Trust offers regularly scheduled guided tours that depart from Beacon. For more details, visit their website: https://bannermancastle.org/
Last month, I got to visit a storybook chateau…but instead of going to France, I traveled to Huntington, NY!
Oheka Castle, named for its owner, financier Otto Hermann Kahn, was completed in 1919. While other area mansions, like Coe Hall at Planting Fields Arboretum and Hempstead House at Sands Point were built in the Tudor Revival style, Kahn’s home was based on French Renaissance models.
You’re greeted by this elegant grand staircase. The wrought iron staircase was created by Samuel Yellin, who produced ironwork for other mansions of the period.
Kahn threw many parties here, entertaining celebrities like Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and Enrico Caruso. While the decoration of this ballroom is not original, it is faithful to the era, and gives a sense of the luxury that he and his guests enjoyed.
Here’s the stately library, with Kahn’s portrait hanging over the fireplace. (He is said to have been the inspiration for “Mr. Monopoly.”) The walls may look like wood, but they’re actually painted plaster! The castle was constructed to be fireproof.
Oheka still retains a French style garden, with clipped hedges, statues, reflecting pools and statues, like the one seen above. When I visited, the fountains were still turned off for the winter, but it was still a great pleasure to walk around!
After Kahn’s death in 1934, the castle was put to different uses…including being a vacation venue for New York sanitation workers! Eventually, the building was abandoned and fell into a severely neglected state. Luckily, the developer Gary Melius bought the property in 1984 and restored it.
Today, the castle has been reborn as a luxury hotel and event venue. You can visit as I did, by buying a ticket for a guided tour…or you can make a reservation at the hotel’s restaurant. Either way, it’s a treat to experience this beautiful Jazz Age mansion!
JoAnn's Imagined Past 