Dutchess County's city of Beacon inherited its name from beacon fires lit in nearby mountains by Revolutionary War troops. The 1800s celebrated it as "The Hat Making Capital of the US". Today, still a "beacon" of light --now on the arts--its 1990s cultural renovation made it home to one of the world's largest contemporary art museums, Dia: Beacon. The artistic rebirth of Main Street offers Hudson Beach Glass, River Winds Gallery, and the Howland Cultural Center housing artifacts from the Historical Society. Riverfront Park and Dennings Point Park provide breathtaking coastline views of the Hudson River as well as water sports and camping. COMPRISED OF: A city incorporated in 1913 from the amalgamation of the Villages of Matteawan and Fishkill Landing and a small portion of Fishkill's hamlet of Glenham.
