With the Beacon Falls tumbling just beyond its windows, The Roundhouse makes a rather romantic setting for a Hudson Valley getaway. The former industrial building pairs exposed brick and contemporary design with rooms overlooking the rushing water. At the restaurant, nab a window-side table and save room for the homemade bread.

School’s out, and the old Beacon High School has found a rather more creative second life. KuBe (short for Kunsthalle Beacon) houses contemporary local art exhibitions, experimental project spaces, artist studios and performance venues across its sprawling former classrooms and corridors.  Check ahead for opening hours and current exhibitions.

Known as Bannerman Island, this tiny Hudson River outcrop comes with a wonderfully curious past. In the early 1900s, arms dealer Francis Bannerman built a castle-like arsenal here to store his vast collection of military surplus, creating a Scottish-inspired folly against the rugged Hudson Highlands. Today, its weathered towers and crumbling walls rise above the water like the set of a gothic film. Boat tours from Beacon offer a closer look at the ruins and the island’s overgrown gardens.