Springwood Mansion at Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

PARK OVERVIEW

Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site in Hyde Park, New York, preserves the Springwood estate where Franklin Roosevelt was born and raised. Even though the estate legally belonged to his mother, Sara, until her death in 1941 (his father, James, died in 1900), Franklin considered it his true home. He was born at Springwood in 1882, and he lived there during his youth except when he was away at school. When he married Eleanor in 1905, the couple lived at Springwood, and they raised their five children in the house. Upon Franklin’s death in 1945, he was buried in the rose garden on the estate. Eleanor joined him when she died in 1962.

Visitors to the park can see the interior of the Springwood Mansion on a Ranger-guided tour that is held multiple times each day. Seasonal tours are given of his rural retreat a few miles to the east, Top Cottage. This is where Franklin went to get away from the hordes of visitors to Springwood. It is most famous as the place where he treated England’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to a typical American picnic on June 11, 1939. There are also a few hiking trails in the park, including the 2-mile Roosevelt Farm Lane that connects Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site to Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site.

Also on the park grounds is the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, the first official presidential library established in the United States. The Roosevelt library and all other presidential libraries are managed by the National Archives and Records Administration.

OPERATING HOURS

Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site is open daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The park grounds typically open at 7 AM. Closing times depend on the season. The earliest the grounds close is 6 PM, and they are open until 8 PM during the spring and summer.

The Henry A. Wallace Visitor Center is open from 9 AM to 5 PM.

Tours of Springwood are held throughout the day whenever the park is open. Top Cottage tours are held seasonally.

From April through October, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is open from 9 AM to 6 PM. The facility closes at 5 PM the rest of the year.

Keep in mind that times can always change, so be sure to get the latest schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the park. For the Presidential Library, visit the library’s Hours, Admissions, and Tickets web page.

FEES

There is a fee for tours of Roosevelt’s Springwood Mansion. Tickets are sold at the Visitor Center on a first come, first served basis on the day of the tour. No cash is accepted. See the National Park Service’s official Fees and Passes web page for the latest prices.

Top Cottage tickets are available in advance online at Recreation.gov or on the day of the tour at the Visitor Center, assuming there are any tickets left after online sales.

While the National Park Service does not operate the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, tickets are sold at the Visitor Center. See the library’s Hours, Admissions, and Tickets web page for the latest prices.

Annual National Park passes are valid for Springwood Mansion and Top Cottage tours, but not for tickets to the presidential libary.

SCHEDULING YOUR VISIT

Henry A. Wallace Visitor Center
allow 30 minutes

Springwood Tour
allow 45 to 60 minutes

Top Cottage Tour
allow 1.5 hours

Grounds Tour
allow 30 minutes to an hour for a self-guided tour

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
allow at least one hour and up to five hours, depending on your interest in Franklin Roosevelt

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