Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site — Attraction in Town of Hyde Park

We visited on a Friday afternoon in late June 2025. There were plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot when we arrived. There were a few that were shaded by trees but they were all taken.

First thing we did was run into the info desk to get our tour tickets. it's located to the right when you enter. We got tickets for 2:30PM. There is a short film that plays in the visitor center on every hour and half hour in the auditorium. This is straight ahead.

Directly to the left next to the doors when you come in is the NPS passport cancellation stamps. There are a few here and it's on a nice wooden table with glass top. If you continue to the left it's the gift shop (New Deal Store) and it's a pretty big one.

The bathrooms are to the right behind the information desk. Also that's where the restaurant/cafeteria is and is called Uncle Sam's Canteen.

To get to the site where the house tour begins, you walk out to the left and walk down the path pass the presidential library. and then veer off to the right to the stables or horse barn area. You meet for your tour there and our kids sat on some benches here to work on their junior range books they picked up at the info desk.

The ranger giving the tour will start here and then walk everyone over to the house where you enter through the front doors. You can look around while they are talking, which is what I did to take pictures before the masses started running around. I found the main floor to be much more interesting than the upstairs floor which is mainly bedrooms. The rangers will gather everyone up and move everyone to the next floor together. You exit from the second floor out the back where they have makeshift metal stairs put in that take you down and around the back and side of the house and throws you back out front.

Sadly we were behind schedule and didn't really have much time to explore much more of the property. We went straight back to the visitor center to turn in our junior ranger booklets and got the badges and left for Eleanor Roosevelts House at Val-Kil just down the street.

Overall it was a great place to visit. There was so much more we could've done here and explored. I think if we were ever int he area again we would visit. We only had about an hour to explore the entire site and we did not plan...

Museum itself was awesome. However if you are on the Passport Program like we are, forget about getting your Passport Stamped. They have no one there that can do it. They only have security personal on staff. I found that quite odd as we visited both the Nixon and Reagan Libraries in October 2021 and they were fully staffed. When we showed the guard our "Passports" and membership cards, he had no idea what they were.

Also make sure you purchase your tickets online and try to do it several days in advance. Unlike other libraries that are a little speedier with ticket confirmations, for some reason, it takes a day or so for you to get your tickets. I don't recall that being the case at other libraries.

As for the Museum, it was extremely informative and chock full of information on FDR's tenure during the Great Depression and World War II. I was truly amazed at everything he accomplished despite his personal health struggles. My favorite part of the museum was where he worked. This was the first of the Presidential Libraries and it was a place FDR sometimes worked while he was in office.

Unfortunately we didn't get to see his home because of a snafu on ticketing on our part. Perhaps on another visit.

It is worth...

The FDR National Historic Site offers a glimpse into the life and times of this well respected President with informative tours, a wealth of memorabilia, and well maintained grounds.

Inside the visitor center you’ll find the standard gift shop and cafe. You’ll also be able to watch a film to learn more about the history of FDR and his family. The mosaic map of the area is truly a work of art.

The FDR library and museum is well laid out and has some great exhibits that present the accomplishments and tribulations that FDR went through. One very impressive exhibit is FDR’s Private Study, which showcases his actual office, not a recreation as you see at many historical sites.

A main attraction of this historic site is the FDR Home, where he was born and lived until he passed away. It’s just a stunning home with years of history. The tour guide was informative, the furnishings are all original, and the rooms are just amazing.

Overall this site is a great experience to learn about a highly regarded president that was faced with some of the toughest challenges in American History, well worth the visit to beautiful...