10 Castles In Upstate NY to Explore

There are quite a few amazing castles in Upstate NY worth exploring. Some of them are more historical, museum and ruins type attractions while others are awesome restaurants you can visit. In this post I want to share 10 of the most popular ones I’ve found on my trips outside NYC, their locations and other important info to help you plan incredible trips there.

Beardslee Castle:

Location: Little Falls NY
Distance from NYC (by car): 4 hours
Type of castle: Dining/restaurant

Beardslee Castle is located in Little Falls, New York, and is known for its fine dining. The menu changes seasonally but emphasizes wood grilled meats, fresh seafood, and creative vegetarian dishes drawing from regional American, Island, Mediterranean, and Asian influences. The castle has a 300-bottle wine list featuring American boutique wineries and the largest selection of New York State wines in Central NY.

In addition to dining, Beardslee Castle is a popular venue for weddings and special events, providing a fairy tale setting with its beautiful grounds and spacious, airy banquet room. The Dungeon, a cozy bar and grill located downstairs, offers a casual menu during dinner hours and a wide selection of beers. There are also rumors that this castle is haunted.

Belhurst Castle:

Location: Seneca Lake NY
Distance from NYC (by car): 5 hours
Type of castle: Dining/restaurant/hotel/winery

Belhurst Castle is also a historic site that combines Romanesque architectural beauty with modern amenities. It was built in the late 1800s. Today it serves as a resort offering accommodations through three lodging options, dining in two restaurants, a spa, and a winery, making it a sought-after destination for weddings, dining, and wine enthusiasts.

Boldt Castle:

Location: 1,000 Islands NY
Distance from NYC (by car): 6 hours
Type of castle: Museum

Boldt Castle is a major tourist attraction that you can find in the 1,000 Islands of upstate NY. It is only accessible by ferry or tour boat. The estate, now partially restored, includes furnished rooms on the first and second floors, a gift shop, and a theater showcasing a documentary about George Boldt and the castle’s history. It is the most popular historic castle in the entire 1,000 Islands region and a place I had a chance to see, but unfortunately not be able to visit when I was exploring the area (tours were closed).

Singer Castle:

Location: Dark Island NY (1,000 Islands)
Distance from NYC (by car): 6 hours
Type of castle: Museum

Singer Castle is also a very popular castle located not far from Boldt Castle. This castle is an amazing place to explore as it offers passageways, wineries, libraries and other amazing attractions within it. For anyone who enjoys exploring castles from a “Indiana Jones” type perspective, this is a must visit if you ask me! As with Boldt Castle, this place is only accessible by ferry or tour boat.

Lyndhurst Mansion:

Location: Tarrytown, New York
Distance from NYC (by car): 1 hour
Type of castle: Museum

Lyndhurst Mansion (aka the Jay Gould estate), is a notable example of Gothic Revival architecture. It’s located within a 60+ acre park beside the Hudson River. It is accessible to tourists and features a lot of museum/historical attractions.

Bannerman Castle:

Location: Near Hudson Highlands State Park New York
Distance from NYC (by car): 2 hours
Type of castle: Museum/tourist attraction

Bannerman Castle is one of the most popular castles to explore on the Hudson River. To get there you will need to either grab a ferry or pay for a private tour (via kayak/boat). The castle is on a small islands but has many historical elements and some of the most amazing views of the Hudson River you’ll ever find. It’s also a great tie in adventure to explore alongside the hikes and trails nearby in the Hudson Highlands State Park area.

Castle Rock:

Location: Castle Rock Park New York
Distance from NYC (by car): 2 hours
Type of castle: Museum/hiking area

This is the easiest castle to miss on the list because it isn’t heavily advertised. It’s located about 30 minutes south of Bannerman Castle and is actually not open to the public. But you can hike around the area and see it in the distance.

Elda Castle:

Location: Weschester NY
Distance from NYC (by car): 30 minutes
Type of castle: Hike/ruins/tourist attraction

Elda Castle is one of the only “ruins” type castle attractions on this list and though it’s technically not located in Upstate NY, it’s still a pretty cool place to visit if you enjoy hiking. The castle is completely abandoned, and unfortunately has been vandalized over many decades. If you enjoy hikes mixed with ruins and historical stuff, then this is another castle to add to your list.

Mohonk Mountain House:

Location: Mohonk Preserve NY
Distance from NYC (by car): 2 hours
Type of castle: Hotel/restaurant/outdoors

In my opinion this is one of the coolest looking castles I have ever seen (and that applies to this list). It’s located inside the Mohonk Preserve region of Upstate NY and can only be accessed 2 ways:

You can stay inside the hotel which grants you access to drive up there.
You can park your car by the Mohonk Mountain House Gate and hike 1.5 miles to reach it (which is how I’ve always explored it).

When you reach the Mountain House, I highly recommend exploring it and the areas surrounding it including the amazing Laybrinth hiking trail. This is also located not far from Lake Minnewaska State Park which I also strongly recommend visiting for great day hikes and other outdoor activities.

Highlands Castle:

Location: Bolton NY (near Lake George)
Distance from NYC (by car): 4 hours
Type of castle: Hotel/restaurant

The Highlands Castle is one of the most amazing sights you’ll find in the Lake George area of NY. It is available for stay but the rooms are extremely expensive. However even if you can’t stay there, just seeing this castle and the sights around it is an awesome treat in my opinion.