Franklin D. Roosevelt Library

I am on a quest to see all of the presidential libraries. As a California kid, I’ve seen Reagan and Nixon’s, but obviously that’s all we’ve got (so far) in California for presidents. I was coming to New York, and I’m fortunate a cousin lives in the area with his girlfriend.
Looking at, walking around, and standing in history was better than reading it in a history book. To read his original laminated copy of his first inaugural address, to see personal effects and photos from the President’s time at Harvard, and even the exhibits dedicated to Eleanor gave me chills. As I sat down and listened to his fireside chats, I shuddered. I was massively aware that day of where I was sitting and the history and legacy of the man and his wife in whose library I was standing in. The ghosts bounced off the walls, and I could hear FDR’s determination and leadership, and even his great mistakes as President (Exec. Order 9066) fill the building. Finally, I stood at his and the First Lady’s graves, and I thought, «What a beautiful place and memorial to these people who led this nation fearlessly.»

This is definitely a don’t miss item. You need a ticket from the visitor center, The Library is an incredible ride through the life and times of our arguably finest president who brought us through the depression and WWII preparation. Without his foresight, we might have become a German or Japanese Nation. The times were incredible and it is humbling to consider what was done to get us here as a nation.
Thank You FDR

First let make an obvious point that a lot of the reviews and pictures for this Unilocal listing are in the wrong spot. The FDR Presidential Library is not the Springwood house tour. While it’s true that you can get tickets for both places at the same visitor center, there is an appropriate Unilocal listing for both spots yet few seem to use them.
The first thing you will notice when you come here is that this place is 100% packed with stuff to see. If you’re one of those intellectual slobs who hates to read, explore or learn you should probably skip coming here because you’ll hate it. But for the other non-​mutants this place is truly amazing in every way.
We had a very non-​traditional experience in that as soon as we walked in the door and showed the employee/​guard our ticket we were met by Pat the docent who right away proceeded to take us through most of the displays while giving us a brief overview of what was in each room. I should point out that if you see Pat ask her questions and pick her brain as she is fantastic! Why is she fantastic? It’s because Pat is of an age that she heard a few of FDR’s fireside chats the first time when they were being given while she was living in London during the Nazi bombings.
It’s the truest form of honest to God living-​breathing history when the person telling you about the fireside chats actually heard them when she was a little girl and she first hand heard the air raid sirens and walked thru the post-​bombing rubble. That alone is worth ten times the admission price.
After about half an hour with Pat we explored on our own the many different displays on the two levels.
In the basement you can see FDR’s car that he drove around in while in Hyde Park trying to sometimes successfully ditch his Secret Service detail, some family artwork, although not open to the public you can see into a room where a few of his model ships are from his large collection and a large section about Eleanor including a copy of her FBI file which is the largest in the history of the agency.
On the top floor there are numerous displays regarding FDR’s childhood, some family photos along with huge sections on WWII, The New Deal, The Depression, his four Presidential Campaigns, The Holocaust, his White House Desk and his declining health.
I’m sure that I’m forgetting many things but be prepared to spend a few hours at minimum just here if you really plan to take everything in and give it the time that it truly deserves.
This library in itself is significant as it was the first Presidential Library ever built and the only one that was built and opened while that President was still in office. FDR designed it, picked out where it would go and worked to get the necessary private donations lined up to finish it.
If you go:
Museum hours are 9 – 5 November through March, 9 – 6 April through October and closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
The admission price for adults to just the library/​museum is $ 9.00 and children fifteen and under are free but at least the tickets are good for two consecutive days of admission. If you just want to come to walk around and enjoy the grounds that’s free and there is a lot of parking although according to Pat the library like Springwood next door are still feeling the effects of the PBS documentary, meaning that their are still very busy compared to their visitation numbers prior to the documentary.
(Brief fun fact about FDR, while he won a never to be repeated four Presidential elections, he never once won the vote in either Hyde Park or in Dutchess County.)

This place is great. I wish I had more time to spend here but I was going to make myself late for a wedding. The museum takes you back chronologically through a critical time in our history. Super interesting. I’m looking forward to going back.

Amazing spot.
1) The Library and Museum is a self guided tour.
2) The ticket for the tour of the FDR Mansion will get you into the Library and Museum.
3) Make some time before coming here. There is lots to see.

Located in Hyde Park New York, this was the 3^rd Presidential Library that we have visited. This one was as nice as the first two (Reagan & Nixon in California) and provided overview and highlights of FDR’s presidential terms. The museum is quite sizable and houses many historical documents, exhibits and belongings of the President Roosevelt. There was plenty of parking and you can tour the FDR residence next door as well as the Vanderbilt Mansion just up the road a mile or so.

The FDR Library and Museum is a fortunate two-​fer: on-​site is not only the library and museum containing artifacts of FDR’s presidency and an exhaustive exhibit of everything he accomplished (and the less publicized, but very real gaffes he made– see Japanese Internment Camps), but also, his childhood home and adult retreat, Springwood. There’s really no better way to begin exploring the life of FDR than discovering the home where he spent his formative years and then returned to for much-​needed respite from his very busy adult life.
The details at Springwood are what got me– the light-​bulb shaped fire extinguishers by the door to assuage his lifelong fear of fire, the telephone by his bed that was used to send coded calls, and the «Harvard Crimson» banner in his childhood bedroom.
In order to see the home, you must go on a guided tour (and pay an additional $ 9 more than admission to just the museum), but what you’ll learn from the tour guide– ours was very knowledgeable– is well worth it. You’ll also have access to the family’s beautiful old stable and rose garden where Eleanor and Franklin are both buried. And, it goes without saying that the rolling, tree-​scattered grounds of the home and museum are breathtakingly beautiful. The house is perched above the Hudson Valley, with a view of not only the river, but the Catskills to the west.
The museum itself is impossibly comprehensive. I honestly think you’d have to spend an entire day here to even begin to take in the dozen or more rooms of information, all beautifully presented. Of course, the must-​sees are the typed, hand-​marked copies of speeches: his inaugural speech (‘the only thing we have to fear is fear itself) and the 12÷8÷41 speech («a date which will live in infamy»).
This is a must-​visit if you’re in the upstate area, or even just want a quick day-​long escape from NYC. I’m thankful that FDR had the foresight to establish this, the first presidential library.

Well worth the visit. Some areas in the house were not available to tour but nonetheless, a meaningful tour. The library/​museum has a vast amount of exhibits. It is not practical for a truly interested person to take in in a single day’s visit. This is especially true if you bring younger children. Overall an excellent experience.

Continuing my quest to visit all 13 Presidential Libraries, I took advantage of Memorial Day weekend to travel to New York and visit the Roosevelt Presidential Library. The first official Presidential Library, it is situated on their old estate grounds. The President and Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt are also buried here. Located in a small sleepy town of Hyde Park along the Hudson River, it is very picturesque. Going along on a tour by one of the park rangers, we learned a lot of details and trivia then if we went by ourselves. The museum itself is nicely organized chronogically and details the life of President Roosevelt well. But I am glad that I managed to watch the Ken Burns mini-​series before visiting! Looking through their house, you can imagine the enormous challenges he faced just simply navigating with a wheel chair from room to room. The cherry on top of everything was that there was milltary WWI & WWII reenactors holding a demonstration of equipment, uniforms, and weapons outside on the library grounds! Very enjoyable visit, and one I recommend to anyone interested in learning more about one of our great Presidents!

Very interesting exhibits and one of the better Presidential Libraries. Staff was friendly, knowledgable and helpful. Folks with mobility issues may find it challenging since it is a big complex, but the library has elevators so you can avoid the steps!

There are many sites dedicated to Franklin D. Roosevelt, but this was his estate and home. Nothing cements the importance of this place more than the fact tat you are visiting the home in which former president Franklin D. Roosevelt lived and worked, and now is buried too on site next to his wife, Eleanor. This is also the site of the first presidential library. Begin your day by stopping in the visitor center. You will receive a map of the area, a brochure, and advice from the rangers on how best to see the area. I suggest beginning by viewing the video to learn more about Franklin D. Roosevelt and his connection to this site. Next, visit exhibits of the library. You can take a tour of the estate visiting the home, library, garden.

This was a great place to visit. I’m a fan of presidential libraries, and this is my fourth. This has a good mix of the old, what with the facility having been opened by FDR himself in the 1940s, along with modern looking exhibits that put the Roosevelt era in great historical context. The grounds are wonderfully maintained and the guides and docents are quite knowledgeable. This place is great for all ages. They’re getting a bump in attendance thanks to the Ken Burns documentary, and it’s great to see.

The library and museum is a self guided tour of FDR’s political life. The layout of the museum is chronological, so it makes for greater understanding of the historical events, especially for families with children. We all enjoyed this museum and library, even my 6 year old daughter left with some understanding of the life and work of FDR. I plan on returning again in the Spring.

We came here on a whim, and unfortunately didn’t have much time to take advantage of both the library and museum. We did the 12:30 tour of the house (which took an hour), saw the grounds, and peeked quickly inside the museum. We left around 2:30, and wished we had maybe an hour or 2 more.
I’d recommend this place to visit, even if you’re not a huge history fan. Not really for kids under 10.

We’re on a mission to visit all the Presidential Libraries, this was #4 (of 13) and could be the best so far. It was actually the first Presidential Library too. It’s situated on the grounds of FDR’s childhood home which you can also tour, as well as walk around the grounds on your own. Very informative visit about the man and his times. I think we spent about 3 – 4 hours there, and it would be difficult to see it all and take it in with less time. If you’re into history or learning about FDR, it’s well worth the stop and the time.

Alert Alert to all who watched the latest Ken Burns documentary to become Roosevelt fanboys, you have to visit this excellent historic site!
It was a good place to visit previously, it is great now. The library exhibits are very well done and the house tour is definitely worth seeing (yes the Roosevelts are buried in the garden behind the library).
One area that has not changed at all was the office where the «fireside chats» were hosted.
Of course any time you can visit the Hudson Valley is a great time, make time for this historic attraction.

A national treasure— a must see for every American. Disappointed that the WPA-​FEDERAL WRITERS PROJECT omitted any reference to the BORN IN SLAVERY project. That hurt my heart. I will write the parks dept to redress this. I could spend weeks here!!!

This museum and home was quite impressive. Excellent displays very well laid out and presented. Workers and volunteers were friendly and helpful. Excellent network of trails here and well maintained geocaches available. A bit out of the way but if you are headed this way worth a stop. Check out Eveready diner in town that has been featured on a few shows. Review shows prior to going to see what was featured since our uninformed visit there was less than spectacular. Also check out CIA for a fantastic lunch or dinner at a few different restaurant options. Higher price but an experience to remember with excellent fresh dishes and rotating menu depending on time of year. Make reservations ahead of time but if you didn’t call to see if you can get in, we lucked out for dinner the day of our visit.

Let’s start with a trivia question: Which was the first presidential library constructed and the only one used by a sitting president?
Made a day trip to visit the FDR house, library, and museum, followed by lunch at one of the four restaurants at the Culinary Institute of America. We got to the museum around 9:00 and hopped on the 9:15 guided tour. The plan was to finish with FDR by 12:15, catch our lunch reservation by 12:30, then head over to Eleanor Roosevelt’s cottage at Val-​Kill before it closed. At least that was the plan. Unfortunately, we never made a tour at Val-​Kill because of how quickly they fill up. But this review isn’t for Val-​Kill. It’s for FDR! So on to FDR …
Our tour group consisted of about 25 people. The guide was excellent. Unlike a lot of other tour guides, this one kept everyone’s attention for the duration of the tour, including mine. His knowledge of FDR and the Roosevelt family was profound, or at least he did a good job pretending. He was very engaging and had answers to all of our questions.
The tour of the house lasted about 1:30. Because our guide was so thorough, we had to rush through the museum/​library in order to make our lunch reservation. (We got caught up reading the history on the first floor and didn’t realize until about 11:45 that that museum/​library had 2 floors)! Both the house and library are enormous, so do yourself a favor: get here early and plan on spending at least a half day. And for a $ 14 admission for adults (no discounts), you might as well get your money’s worth!

There are tours daily at 2:30 and 4:00.
You get to see that 35-​room mansion outfitted to hide his wheelchair from guests, such as the Queen of England. He was born in the house, which was originally 17? rooms, and then later expanded it, with approval from his dear, dowager mum.
In the summer, you can also see the cabin that Eleanor lived in, which has been described by someone I know as a «trailer» in Valkill, just down the road.
The property was once 1600 acres but is now about half that, if I remember correctly. On the tour, you walk past the cemetary, where both Franklin and Eleanor were buried.
I would try to plan your trip to go after May 2013, since the library is under construction – you don’t want to miss the ability to see where he gave his fireside chats for 16 years! Also, the views must be gorgeous in the summer.
There are no discounts for students, but I think there is now something for seniors.