Welcome to Amsterdam Castle

 

Built in 1894 by the state of New York for the National Guard, Amsterdam Castle is a 36,000 square foot private residence listed on the National Register of Historic Places   New York originally built 100 of these armories, of which nearly 50 are still in use by the National Guard.  Other “sister” armories uses include a military museum (Saratoga), art gallery (Manhattan East Side), and a concert hall (Albany).  This armory was decommissioned in 1995 and is the only armory converted into a home. 

 

This magnificent building has 50 rooms, including a 10,000 sq ft gymnasium, a rifle range, a fallout shelter and billiard room.   The Phemister family bought the building in 2005 and embarked on an extensive renovation and redecoration that was featured on HGTV’s  ‘ReZoned”.    In addition to returning the building to its lush Victorian decor, the renovation featured environmentally friendly building materials such as low VOC paints and repurposed wood.  The castle has Wi-Fi, cable TV and high speed internet, onsite parking for 40 and ample street parking.    The gymnasium can hold 1000+ (and 500 seated), making us the largest event and reception facility in the county.  The 18” brick walls hold the temperature at a surprisingly ambient level, making it pleasant in summer and heat-effective in winter. 

 

Located in scenic and historic Amsterdam, NY, the castle is 3 hours from New York City and  30 miles from Albany, capital of New York State, with convenient access to Albany International Airport and Amtrak's Amsterdam Station.  Beautiful Saratoga Springs and Cooperstown, NY are both a convenient 35 minute drive.   Other nearby attractions are the Adirondack Mountains, Saratoga Springs, Howe Caverns, the Great Sacadanga Lake and skiing.  Don’t forget to come check out the gorgeous fall foliage, pick apples, and revel in upstate New York beauty.    We have two guest wings available for bed and breakfast accomodation.    We are as eco-friendly as possible, using green cleaning products and organic, locally grown food for our guest breakfasts. 

 

This year we’ve hosted a cheerleading camp and a dodge ball tournament, plus fundraisers, corporate board meetings, summer overnight guests and ABC’s Wife Swap.  Historian Nancy Todd wrote a book on New York’s historic armories and we were nominated for a county tourism award. HGTV taped an episode of their show Rezoned.  Independent filmmaker Dawn Westlake wrapped God's Good Pleasure.  Talon Films has filmed 'American General' in the area and in the castle for PBS.   Welcome!

 

Susan and Manfred Phemister