Every summer about twelve of us would go out to Bannerman for beebee gun wars. We found hinges from cots, and a huge pile of bayonet scabbards. We were certain that under the collapsed roofs there was the heavy stuff that never sold, but we couldn't get to it without tools. Jane Bannerman is one of only a handful of people to know Bannerman Island's glorious past first-hand. She knows that the castle's only hope is the Bannerman Castle Trust, which is working with the Taconic Park Commission in formulating a master plan for the buildings' stabilization.
Every winter brings more destruction.
Do not attempt to visit Bannerman Island. At this point it is a very treacherous combination of buried hazards and dangerous wall conditions. To see Bannerman Island, take a Pride of the Hudson cruise. Historic photos of the Castle are on board, and the cruise is narrated by Bannerman Castle Trust's Thom Johnson or Neil Caplan. All boats leave Newburgh Landing.