Dia: Beacon and Storm King
It's hard to decide what's more spectacular: the lush surroundings of the Dia Foundation's art museum in Beacon, N.Y., or the world-class artwork inside. Perched on the bank of the Hudson River, 52 miles north of the city, the huge museum opened in 2003 in a former Nabisco box-making factory. It's home to large-scale works by Joseph Beuys, Andy Warhol, Louse Bourgeois, Dan Flavin, Gerhard Richter, Donald Judd...you get the idea. The top draw might be Richard Serra's monumental trio of Torqued Ellipses. Best of all, there's no need for a car: The museum is a five-minute stroll from the Beacon train station on the Metro North line, a scenic 80-minute ride from Grand Central Terminal.
If you do have a car, you might consider making it a fine-art twofer by making a pit stop at the Storm King Art Center in Mountainville, N.Y., 14 miles southwest of Beacon. The seasonal (April–November) sculpture park is set on 500 acres and includes work by Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, Nam June Paik, and a 2,728-foot earthwork by Andy Goldsworthy. Both Dia and Storm King let you have your art and nature too.