Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site — Attraction in New York

This museum, for starters is not actually the original model home that Theodore Roosevelt resided at in his childhood, as it was reconstructed in 1923 by the Roosevelt Women's Association. The original home that sat here, was initially constructed as a brownstone house in 1848 to lived in by Theodore Roosevelt Sr. and his wife, Mittie Roosevelt. In 1858, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., most remembered as the United States 26th President and a former governor of New York and Vice President. By 1873, the house would become vacant due to the family moving down towards 57 Street. The house was revitalized by a coalition after being destroyed for a department store in 1920, in the form of Edith Roosevelt, Corinne Roosevelt, and Bamie Roosevelt. In 1923, this historic site was officially reconstructed, and by 1962, the Kennedy Administration signed legislation to make this a historic monument in New York City, operating as part of the National Park Service.

During my visit, I was generally impressed that such a small, and rustic little home could tell so much about the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt. This museum specifically acts as a historic place that allows you to learn about TR and the about the childhood he had while residing in this home. The museum part was insightful and full of many artifacts in their original shape, including documents, campaign merchandise, and original items important in the life of Theodore Roosevelt. The museum also was perpetual, as it also featured major events such as the election of Theodore Roosevelt in 1898 as state governor, the childhood, his extended family, and his Progressive Party Campaign of 1912 that split his party into two. It also gave us a background of the quotes of Theodore Roosevelt, each taken from a prominent speech or letter that Roosevelt wrote in his life.

The aspect of the tour really was revolutionary, our tour guide, Nicholas, or Nicky, as he does not like being called, told us much about the life of Theodore Sr. and Mittie, and the remnants of what they resided in from 1848 to 1873. It was an interesting, and funny experience that shaped the way we, as historians had felt.

Overall, this is one hidden gem that you could find in Manhattan, and it is free. Definitely a must visit historic site for anybody interested in...

I greatly appreciated my recent visit, and I’ll definitely need a follow-up to fully explore all the materials within the gallery alone. The free-of-charge guided tour was highly engaging, informative, and entertaining. You should definitely budget time to participate, including signing up earlier in the day.

In touring the house, we all found it quite surreal to be surrounded by furniture and decorations that are original to the late 19th century, particularly the intricate work of each artifact, which demonstrates the expansive craft that went into producing it. Simply inspecting and contemplating a photo of the ornate glass panes of the dining room door (attached) still captivates me afterward. This was particularly striking when we learned that importing—and then domestically manufacturing—such glass goods was the origin of the Roosevelts’ dynastic wealth.

I believe that my visit was enhanced by some familiarity with the family as gleaned from the following two sources. You, too, may appreciate the added depth, either before or after a visit: [book] “Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt” by H. W. Brands [documentary] “Ken Burns: The Roosevelts - An Intimate History” in...

Not only the home of the 26th President of the United States from birth to about age 12, but it is also the location of the founding of the American Museum of Natural History. The museum charter was developed and signed in the front parlor of the Roosevelt home on April 8, 1869.

Your tour guide helps bring the place and it's former occupants come to life.

It has a pretty easy Junior Ranger program for the kids, which is a great introduction to TR (and the program if they haven't done them elsewhere) and the kids love the badge they get, but they need to pay attention on the tour to get most of the answers. The rest can be figured out from reading the plaques in the visitor area or asking a ranger.

Unfortunately, the museum exhibits on the lower level leave much to be desired. The only real items of interest are the shirt, eye glass case, and folded speech that TR had when shot in 1912, all showing the bullet holes. Years ago they used to have many of his own taxidermy birds from when he was a teenager, but they removed them after the renovation because they didn't have the right controlled environment for them.

But if you are in lower Manhattan and have an hour to spare to grab the 40 minute...