Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum

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The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum is closed for renovation and plans to reopen in the summer of 2026.

The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum first opened in West Branch, Iowa, in August 1962, a little over two years before Hoover’s death in October 1964. Hoover had been building an archive of his papers at Stanford University (he was a member of its first graduating class in 1895), so it took some convincing by President Harry Truman, with whom Hoover had become friends, and the people of Iowa to establish an official presidential library in West Branch. When Hoover finally agreed, it was for a museum only, not a library.

Entrance foyer of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum

During construction of the building, Hoover agreed to move some of his writings from Stanford to West Branch. He didn’t always get along with Stanford management, but he didn’t want to move everything. In fact, so little was moved to West Branch that the original building plans were not altered much. The final result was a 7,000-square-foot museum that was mainly filled with his awards. It has since been expanded four times to its current 47,000 square feet, and it is scheduled to close for all of 2025 and most of 2026 for another 2,200-square-foot renovation. When done, the entire library, inside and out, will look different.

The Hoover Presidential Library is operated by the Office of Presidential Libraries, part of the National Archives and Records Administration, not the National Park Service. It is on the property of Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, but it is a separate entity otherwise. Because of this, fees are charged for entry, and National Park Service passes are not valid. For the current fee, as well as the current operating schedule (typically 9 AM to 5 PM daily), check the official Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum Plan Your Visit web page.

Because the library and museum are not part of the National Park system, I am only providing a brief rundown of the facility, not an in-depth review as I do for museums that are part of the park system. The museum features a 22-minute film about Hoover—a different film than the one shown in the park’s Visitor Center—so be sure to watch it. Other than that, the museum is exactly what you’d expect from a presidential museum—a complete accounting of Hoover’s life, minus any mention of Hoovervilles.

Exhibit in the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum

The exhibits are divided into different eras of his life, such as the Years of Adventure that cover his childhood in West Branch, college, and his times exploring the world as a geologist working for mining companies.

Years of Adventure gallery at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum

Lou Hoover gallery at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum

Exhibit in the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum

Towards the end of the museum is a recreation of Hoover’s residence in the Waldorf Towers on Park Avenue in New York where he lived from 1940 until his death.

Replica of Hoover’s Waldorf Towers residence at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum

There are plenty of Hoover personal items, dioramas, video presentations, and information panels to occupy a Hoover-phile for five hours or more. Most people, however, should allow one to two hours for a visit.

Video presentation in the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum

Exhibit on Hoover’s time in the White House at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum

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