Dia Beacon Rehangs Its Building One Opening at a Time This Winter, and Beacon Residents Get In Free for Every One

In the two central galleries at Dia Beacon, 576 white-lacquered rods are about to go back on the floor. They are arranged in 64 groups, each one set according to a hexagram from the I Ching. The work is Walter De Maria's 360˚ I Ching / 64 Sculptures from 1981. It returns on November 14, 2026. Dia says it was last installed in that same space about six years ago.

De Maria is the second of four openings. A new commission by Haegue Yang came first, on October 10. Frédéric Bruly Bouabré follows on December 19, and Howardena Pindell on January 30, 2027. Dia's visitor page lists one admission benefit that fits this schedule well. City of Beacon and Newburgh residents receive free admission every day. An out-of-town adult pays $25 a visit. A Beacon resident can go back once a month from now through the end of January and pay nothing at the door each time.

Four openings, about three months apart end to end

The 2026 schedule Dia announced in November 2025 put De Maria in October, Bouabré in November and Pindell in December. Each date has since moved back by about a month. The dates below come from Dia's current exhibition listing.

1. October 10, 2026: Haegue Yang, Through. A commission that spans both levels of the building and runs through June 12, 2028.
2. November 14, 2026: Walter De Maria, 360˚ I Ching / 64 Sculptures. The 1981 rod piece, back in the two central galleries.
3. December 19, 2026: Frédéric Bruly Bouabré. Drawings from his lifelong series Connaissance du Monde.
4. January 30, 2027: Howardena Pindell. Large-scale paintings from the mid-to-late 1970s.

A changeover is also happening right now. Dia lists Renée Green: The Equator Has Moved as closing today, October 12. Yang's commission alone is scheduled to stay through June 2028.

Yang is already open, on both floors

Chronogram's fall 2026 exhibition guide describes Through as four installations on two floors, built from blinds, bells, lights and sculptural forms. According to Dia's announcement, Tidal Field, Fallen Field and Sonic Field are on the upper level. Axial Flow, a work of louvers and light, is on the lower level.

Yang's piece runs until June 2028, so there's no rush to catch it before it closes. It is the newest thing in the building for the next five weeks, until De Maria's rods return. Dia also has a family program built around it. A Play Sets session on November 28 will focus on Yang's work and is recommended for children five and up.

Yang's opening adds to a summer of long-term installations. In August, The Highlands Current covered three that opened earlier this year: Alighiero Boetti, Bridget Riley and John Chamberlain. The Chamberlain show includes his large steel sculptures and nine foam Stuffed Dog works. So a visit this month already covers a building that looks quite different from a year ago, before De Maria arrives.

November 14 is the busiest day on the calendar

Several things land on the De Maria opening day. It's a Saturday. Dia's Saturday Studio family program runs that morning from 10:30 a.m. to noon. It is also the second Saturday of November. That is the monthly evening when Beacon's galleries, restaurants and businesses stay open for Second Saturday, though some gallery openings fall on other Saturdays.

The De Maria piece is the reason to go back early. Its 576 rods fill both of what Dia calls its "two vast central galleries." Dia's director, Jessica Morgan, pointed to the work's return in the 2026 schedule announcement: "I am thrilled that works by artists such as Walter De Maria and Agnes Martin are returning once again to our galleries."

The two quieter openings

The December and January shows are built at a smaller scale than the De Maria.

Bouabré's drawings are postcard-sized. Dia describes the series as an open-ended project of knowledge that covers nature, liberty, cosmology and forms of everyday Bété life. The museum bought this work for its collection, the first time it has acquired Bouabré. It is also only the second time Dia has shown his work. The first was a joint exhibition with Alighiero e Boetti in 1994–95. The Boetti link means a single visit after December 19 puts the two artists back in the same building. Boetti's current long-term presentation is the one the Current reported in August.

Pindell's paintings, which open January 30, include unstretched canvases built up from punched paper chads, paint, powder and other materials. Dia hasn't said which galleries the Bouabré or Pindell shows will occupy.

When the doors are open, and when they are not

Dia Beacon's posted hours are Friday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last entry at 4:30 p.m. It is closed Tuesday through Thursday. The page says hours change seasonally, so it's best to check the visitor page close to a winter visit.

The holiday closures hit differently this year. Dia closes on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve fall on Thursdays in 2026, when the museum is closed anyway. Christmas Day and New Year's Day both fall on a Friday, so the museum is open only Saturday through Monday on those two weekends.

Here is how the free days and openings line up from now through January:

City of Beacon and Newburgh residents get in free on every date in that table. The Hudson Valley Free Day on the last Sunday of each month covers relatives and friends from nearby counties. Dia's list includes Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Ulster, Westchester, Rockland and Sullivan, along with counties farther north such as Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady and Washington. Weekends from Cornwall or Fishkill line up well with November 29 and December 27.

The small print on free tickets

Dia suggests reserving ahead but doesn't require it. Residents and Free Day visitors who want to book free tickets in advance use its free admission request form. The ticketing FAQ says every visitor needs a ticket, including children who get in free. Some local libraries also lend a Dia membership pass. Dia's library page and visitor page list different guest allowances, so check with your branch before you bring a group.

Some extras come with admission, which means they are also free for residents. Public tours run every Saturday and Sunday at 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., and no reservation is needed. Morning walk-throughs start at 9:30 a.m. on open days, before the galleries fill up. One covers Michael Heizer's North, East, South, West and is limited to guests 18 and older. The other covers Lawrence Weiner's outdoor piece and depends on the weather. Each walk-through takes up to 10 guests. You can reserve by emailing [email protected].

The café is run by Mountain Provisions and is open from 9:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on museum days. On busy weekends, extra parking may be available at the Beacon train station. The Studio Zewde landscape project, which will open eight more acres of the 32-acre campus as the South Garden, is not part of this winter. The visitor page now gives a 2027 opening. On Sundays, the Beacon Farmers' Market runs year-round at 223 Main St. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in case you want to stop by on the way to a Free Day.

When friends or family visit this winter and ask what's open on Beekman Street, the dates above cover it through January. If those conversations lead to bigger questions about the Hudson Valley, The Live Upstate Team is glad to help with the details, from one free Sunday to the next. Schedule a Free Consultation whenever the timing feels right.