One Tank Adventure: Dia Museum Offers Art On The Hudson

While New York City is a favorite destination for art lovers, you may want to travel north for your next art fix. One upstate museum offers impressive art installations in an innovative space, plus a panoramic view of the Hudson River.

Dia Beacon, which opened in 2003 at 3 Beekman Street in Beacon, is located on the river in a former box-printing factory. The museum was one of the first to convert industrial buildings and repurpose the site as a museum or gallery. The spacious 160,000-square-foot building allows the museum to display large-scale exhibitions and events. The mueum has a history of single-artist, site-related presentations. Each gallery was designed to focus on one artist’s work.

The museum is a five-minute walk from the Metro North train station and close to Beacon’s many shops and restaurants. There is a shuttle bus available from the station except on Sundays and holiday Mondays. Reduced admission and discounted Metro North train fare is available with One-Day Getaway.

Museum hours change with the seasons. In November the museum is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The bookshop and café are open from 10:30 a.m. to closing.

Guided tours are available at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tours are free with admission. Reservations are not requited but can be made at the admissions desk.

The price of admission is $15, $12 for students and seniors, free for Dia members and children under 12. Admission is free on Saturdays and Sundays for Beacon residents and free for Columbia, Duchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester County residents on Community Free Days.

The café serves soups, salads, and sandwiches as well as desserts.

In keeping with Dia’s history of single-artist, site-related presentations, each gallery was designed specifically for the presentation of one artist’s work. For more information on the museum, call 845 440-0100 or click here.

Photo: Courtesy of Wiki Commons