Sometimes the best respite from New York City is just one day away. In an ironic twist, the MTA — an organization that contributes mightily to the frustrations of living here — can help. From amusement parks to animal kingdoms, from outlet shopping to museum tours, Metro-North Railroad offers several One-Day Getaway packages that combine discount travel fares and admission. More than 20 cultural destinations just off the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines from Grand Central Terminal or the 125th Street station in East Harlem participate in the program, which allows visitors to save money and avoid parking, tolls, and traffic.

Below is a look at what’s coming up at three popular destinations: Dia:Beacon, the Rockefeller Estate (Kykuit), and the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum. For a full list of exhibitions and programming, visit mta.info/mnr/html/outbound.html. All purchases made through WebTicket, an online ticketing service accessible on the MTA’s Web site, will be discounted by an additional 5%.

DIA:BEACON

Dia:Beacon, also known as the Riggio Galleries, occupies a 300,000-square-foot printing factory. The permanent collection, which focuses on works from the 1960s to the present, includes artists such as Max Neuhaus, Robert Irwin, Sol LeWitt, Dan Flavin, Louise Bourgeois, and Andy Warhol. Opening on September 21 is the museum’s central show, “You see I am here after all,” an exhibition of work by American-born photographer and installation artist Zoe Leonard. Also currently on view are pieces from the permanent collection by Sol LeWitt and Imi Knoebel. Agnes Martin’s show “Trajectories” will be on view until December 8.

MTA One-Day Getaway Package

Train Tickets and Admission: Take the Hudson Line to the Beacon stop. $27.75 general, $25.75 children ages 12 to 18 and students with ID, $21.50 seniors, $1.50 children ages 5 to 11, free for children under age 5.

Time: Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday), 11 a.m.-6 p.m., 3 Beekman St., Beacon, N.Y., 845-440-0100.

THE ROCKEFELLER ESTATE (KYKUIT)

In 1909, John D. Rockefeller created a magnificent family home that would become one of America’s most famous and exquisite private residences. Also known as Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate has been home to four generations of the pre-eminent family, including a governor of New York and a vice-president of America.

A day spent here is a day filled with art, architecture, gardens, and history. Several tailored tours are available. The Classic Tour takes you on a visit through the six-floor, 40-room stone house, including the art galleries (containing work by Pablo Picasso and Alexander Calder), the gardens, and the Coach Barn with its collections of classic automobiles and horse-drawn carriages.

MTA One-Day Getaway Package

Train Tickets and Admission: Take the Hudson Line to the Tarrytown station. $34.75 general, $30 seniors, $21.50 children ages 5-11, $13 children under age 5.

Time: Open through Sunday, November 2, Monday and Wednesday through Sunday (closed Tuesdays), 9 a.m.-3 p.m., 381 N. Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., 914-632-8200.

THE MID-HUDSON CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

The exhibits and programs at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum engage the little ones with creative and educational projects. Children can learn how much energy it takes to propel a miniature electric train — by pedaling a bike. They can live as a red blood cell navigating its way through the heart and lungs by climbing through the Heart Play Space. And conveniently, it’s all just steps away from the Poughkeepsie train station. The museum is also home to a 12,000-year-old mastodon, first discovered in a backyard pond in 1999 in the nearby town of Hyde Park.

MTA One-Day Getaway Package

Train Tickets and Admission: Take the Hudson Line to the Poughkeepsie station. $32.25 general, $23 seniors, $7 children ages 5 to 11, $5.50 children ages 1 to 4, free for children under 1.

Time: Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday, 9:30 a.m., 75 North Water St., Poughkeepsie, N.Y., 845-471-0589.