Sagamore Hill National Historic Site — Attraction in Town of Oyster Bay

Sagamore Hill truly captures the personality of Theodore Roosevelt. Standing at the front door of the home waiting for your house tour it feels like he will burst through the doors any minute and greet you on the front porch with a big handshake. Tickets are needed to tour the home and group sizes are limited for each tour. Try book a tour of the home in advance though, otherwise they are issued on a first come, first served basis at the visitor center and you might need to wait a while depending on the day.

The home is a big trophy room, not just for his hunting trophies (which also serve as his collection and both a sportsman, but also as naturalist in the tradition of the 19th century). It is also very much a home where his family would all gather for dinner regularly, and a trophy room for his vast love of books and literature and where the family would often read by the fire.

The grounds are a mixture of natural beauty with open fields, wooded hiking trails, and a section of beach on Cold Spring Harbor that you can still hike down to. With home to plenty of wildlife for suburban NY. Touring the grounds at your leisure is a great way to spend an afternoon or to kill time while waiting for your house tour.

A great tour guide will help bring the home to life with plenty of little stories about life in the home. For instance, the reason they added a second telephone to the home was because the original phone was put in the pantry. Edith Roosevelt kept the pantry locked and held the keys to keep Theodore out of the cookies. One day while he was in his Presidency a phone call came and his wife was not home so he couldn't get to the phone.

The Junior Ranger program here is good and helps guide kids through the museum exhibits to understand the life and contributions T.R. made. They also have a Junior Ranger program for both nature and wildlife at sagamore hill. Complete both booklets and the kids get a very cool patch in addition to the badge! Check with the visitor center for the booklet when you arrive and before you head down to the museum or go on the tour of the home. There are also several programs for Boy and Girl Scouts, again check with the...

Visit Date: December 10, 2022

I came here with my dad and my son for a tour of Sagamore Hill. I lost a husband by filing for divorce, dated a few losers after the fact, now I'm single again and I gained my dad and a grandpa to go out with my son and I on my Saturdays that I have him and am off work. Sagamore Hill is great, I love it but I have to give 4 stars for tour service. You need to book a tour online that was easy for me but the morning of the tour I was running late for the 10 AM tour we were scheduled for. I tried calling to say I would be late and the phone service to try to let them know of any type of event like running late or having an emergency is awful no one answers. Luckily when we got there we were able to take the 11 AM tour instead of the 10 AM one but when we tried to knock on the main house door we got no one answering. My dad had to go back to a previous entrance we tried and talk to the guy who turned us away and told us to wait at the main door only to find out we should wait and see if we could be put on the 11 AM tour. So even though this is a really beautiful historic site and so great the service and finding out things and reaching someone by telephone warrants the 4 stars instead of 5.

I made it halfway through the tour before my son decided to misbehave a little bit. He wasn't terrible but when we had to go upstairs he just wouldn't go. So I left the tour but my dad stayed to finish it because he loves history and I wanted him to be able to finish the tour even if it meant my son and I went back to the car to wait for him.

The house is so beautiful so taking the tour is worth it if you can book it ahead of time.

I've also hiked the trail here and want to hike it again. The trail was beautiful as well and when I got to the beach part of the trail I marveled in the fact that I was on the same beach Teddy Roosevelt and his family were on so many years ago.

This is a great place for nature hiking and history and besides the iffy service I would...

I recently visited Sagamore Hill and was thoroughly impressed it’s a perfect blend of history, nature, and peaceful reflection. Here’s what stood out: I loved touring the home of Theodore Roosevelt is a unique experience. The house is beautifully preserved and gives you a real sense of how Roosevelt worked and lived.

I also enjoyed the nature trail which lead tit he water. It made me think of what our guide mentioned about how Rosevelt would take the children out on a walk midday as a break. I’m sure he would have walked this trial with them. It’s a short loop through oak-tulip forest, salt-marsh, and beach offers quiet beauty and wildlife sightings (deer, birds, etc.). 

Parking was easy and there was plenty of space; the area doesn’t feel over-crowded, which allowed for a calm, enjoyable visit. 

I appreciated how the site balances natural scenery with a rich meaningful history.

Oh and don’t forget the museum, it’s full of great information and engaging. Loved it.

Tips: Bring a snack or lunch: the picnic area is nice, but the on-site options are limited.  Wear comfortable shoes for the easy trail. 

Reserve the guided house tours and plan your time accordingly. We didn’t have a reservation so we waiting for no shows. It was risky, but we were able to see the home thanks for a rainy day.

One more tip, sit in the rockers in the porch and just let some time pass, it’s so peaceful.

Sagamore Hill is a fantastic place to visit, It feels thoughtful, peaceful, and well maintained. I’d highly...