Franklin Roosevelt’s Springwood Mansion in Hyde Park, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

The only way to get inside Franklin Roosevelt’s Springwood home where he was born and raised is on a guided tour. The schedule varies depending on the season, but tours are given multiple times each day. See the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the current schedule.

Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis on the day of the tour at the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site Visitor Center. There is a fee (currently $15), and only credit and debit cards are accepted. If you have one of the various National Park annual passes, there is no charge. Annual passes are also available for those who visit the three parks in the area—FDR Home, Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, and Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site.

Tours of Springwood begin at the Coach House, which is a short walk from the Visitor Center along a paved sidewalk that traverses level ground. When you exit from the Visitor Center’s west entrance where the main parking lot is located, take a left. The large building you first see is not Springwood, but the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. Take the sidewalk that runs past the library and keep walking until you get to Springwood and the Coach House. The smaller building next to the Coach House started out as a stable before being converted into an automobile garage by the Roosevelts. The building burned down in 1971 and was rebuilt by the National Park Service. It now serves as a restroom facility.

Coach House and Garage at FDR’s Springwood Estate, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

It would seem to reason that a house lived in by a rich and famous man in a wheelchair would be very wheelchair accessible, but Roosevelt didn’t contract polio until 1921 when he was 39 years old. The house was built, renovated, and expanded long before then and is therefore not as wheelchair accessible as one might imagine. Roosevelt did not want an electric elevator in the house because he was afraid he would get stuck if there was a fire, so he installed a manually-operated trunk elevator. This required him to raise and lower himself and the elevator by using a rope and counterweight system. A modern lift is now installed, so wheelchair-bound visitors to the house today don’t have of hoist themselves up to the second floor. However, some of the hallways are narrow and may be difficult to turn around in for those in large wheelchairs, especially when other people are also in the hallways.

The house known as Springwood started out as a two-story wood frame house built sometime between 1790 and 1805 (the center section of today’s house). A subsequent owner, Josiah Wheeler, added a three-story tower to the southern end and a two-story servants’ wing to the northern end. Wheeler and his family resided at the house from 1854 until 1867, at which time he sold the property to James Roosevelt and his first wife, Rebecca Howland. The couple had one son, James Roosevelt Roosevelt, otherwise known as Rosy (1854-1927). And that’s not a typo. James’s middle name was also Roosevelt.

Rebecca died in 1876 of a heart attack, and James remarried to Sara Delano in 1880. When he died in 1900, the bulk of the Springwood Estate went to Sara. By then, Rosy was on his own and living at another Hyde Park estate, not to mention that his first wife was Helen Astor of the wealthy and famous Astor Family, and she had her own fortune. Needless to say, Rosy remained a “man of leisure” for his entire life.

Franklin Roosevelt was born in 1882 at Springwood, and he lived there full time other than when attending school, which included the private Groton School starting at age 14 and Harvard in 1900. He married Eleanor in 1905, and the couple had six children between then and 1916, all at Springwood (one child died). However, while the couple and their children lived at Springwood, Sara owned it, and she lived there as well up until her death in 1941.

James Roosevelt made a few renovations to the house while he was alive, but the bulk of what stands today is the result of a major expansion by Franklin and Sara that began in 1915. The south tower was lowered, and a matching one was added to the northern side of the house; a third floor was added to the main house; and new wings made of stone were added onto both ends. When completed in 1916, Springwood had 35 rooms and nine bathrooms. Eight of the rooms were for the servants.

Franklin had prearranged for Springwood and all furnishings to go to the National Park Service upon his death, so everything in the house is original. The house first open for public tours in 1946.

The tour of Springwood begins in the Entrance Hall. Here you will find a bronze sculpture of Roosevelt by Paul Troubetzkoy that commemorates his election to the New York Senate in 1911. Behind it is a collection of birds he mounted as a boy. Naval prints that he collected adorn the walls. Roosevelt was an avid collector of many things.

Entrance Hall of Springwood, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

Sculpture of Roosevelt in the Entrance Hall of Springwood, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

The hallways are a little too narrow for the tour guide to lead the entire group from room to room, so after giving a brief talk in the Entrance Hall about Roosevelt and the house history, everyone is allowed to wander about the first floor and look into the various rooms from the doorways and observation areas. Other than the Entrance Hall, visitors cannot enter the rooms.

First floor plan of Springwood

DINING ROOM

The dining room was used for family meals as well as for meals with various guests who visited Springwood. Sara Roosevelt always sat at the head of the table. She filled the bowl at its center with fresh flowers every day, and supposedly the National Park Service continues this tradition.

Dining Room of Springwood, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

DRESDEN ROOM (aka MUSIC ROOM)

The Dresden Room is also known as the Music Room. While it typically was not used for entertaining guests, it was used for such purposes during a visit by England’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in early June 1939. Pictures on the piano are of the many important people who visited Springwood. The room gets its name from the Dresden porcelain chandelier, clock, and candelabra. Dresden is the name of porcelain first manufactured in 1872 by the Saxon Porcelain Manufactory in Dresden, Germany. The company is commonly called Dresden Porcelain. It is highly collectible today. The chandelier is seen in both photos below and the candelabra (on the mantle) in the second.

Dresden Room in FDR’s Springwood Mansion, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

Dresden Room in FDR’s Springwood Mansion, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

SARA’S SNUGGERY

The Snuggery is the name given to a room that Sara Roosevelt used for her office and personal space. The television in the corner is an RCA TRK-12, one of four models introduced during the 1939 World’s Fair. It was part of the first commercial TV line made by RCA, and the one in the Snuggery is the 35th produced. The set cost $600, which was more than many cars of its day. It is hardly recognizable as a TV, for the screen points towards the ceiling, and the picture must be viewed in a mirror. The reason for this is that the picture tube is nearly three feet long. If the set were mounted horizontally instead of vertically, it would stick out at least three feet from the wall.

The Snuggery at Springwood with an RCA TRK-12 TV in the corner, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

Sara Roosevelt’s Snuggery room at Springwood, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

LIBRARY

The largest room on the lower floor is Franklin Roosevelt’s Library (not to be confused with the Presidential Library). If you are outside the house, the library is on the bottom level of the stone wing at the southern end of Springwood (left if facing the front entrance). In addition to housing nearly 3,000 books on the shelves and many of Roosevelt’s collections (stamps, prints, manuscripts, etc.), the Library features a portrait of Isaac Roosevelt over the fireplace. Isaac was an American Revolution-era politician and militiaman who was Franklin’s great-great-great grandfather. On the left side along the wall is one of four known existing wheelchairs that belonged to Roosevelt.

FDR’s Library in the Springwood Mansion, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

FDR’s Library in the Springwood Mansion, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

The portrait of Roosevelt on display in the Library was painted by Ellen Emmet Rand and is the first portrait done when he was elected president in 1932. He did not like it, so Rand did another one that was eventually hung in the White House. In 1939, Sara tracked down the original and purchased it for Springwood.

Portrait of FDR in the Library of Springwood, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

The tour continues on the second floor where most of the bedrooms are located. Again, the hallways are narrow so visitors are allowed to see the rooms on their own. The Ranger remains on the floor to answer any questions. When done, exit the house via an exterior stairway. Depending on how long you linger upstairs talking with the Ranger, the Springwood tour will take you anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.

Second floor plan of Springwood

After the 1915-16 expansion project at Springwood, Franklin, Eleanor, and Sara moved into rooms on the second floor above the Library. All rooms have fantastic views of the Hudson River Valley, which is why the three main people in the Roosevelt Family occupied this area after the expansion. In the photo below of the house’s southern wing, the upper floor windows are the bedrooms of (left to right) Franklin, Eleanor, and Sara. While Eleanor’s room had no window, it did have the only door to the balcony.

South-facing wing of Springwood, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

FRANKLIN’S ROOM

What became Franklin’s private room was originally his and Eleanor’s room. After he contracted polio in 1921, Eleanor moved into her own room due to his valets having to constantly help him at night.

FDR’s Bedroom after the 1915 expansion of Springwood, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

FDR’s Bedroom after the 1915 expansion of Springwood, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

ELEANOR’S ROOM

Eleanor’s Room was intended to be a morning room connecting the two larger bedrooms on either side, and indeed it was before Franklin contracted polio. While smaller, the room did have a door for accessing the upper level balcony.

Eleanor Roosevelt’s bedroom at Springwood starting in 1921, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

SARA’S ROOM

Sara Roosevelt’s bedroom after the 1915 expansion of Springwood, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

BLUE ROOM

Franklin was born in what is called the Blue Room, the room of his parents, Sara and James. When James died in 1900, Sara continued living here until moving to a new room when the 1915-16 renovation was completed. From that time up until 1941, the Blue Room was used for guests. However, per Sara’s wish, after her death in 1941 the original furniture that was in the room when Franklin was born was returned, and the Blue Room was never again used as a guest room. Why it is called the Blue Room is anyone’s guess, as there is nothing blue about it.

Blue Room at Springwood where FDR was born in 1882, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

Interior of the Blue Room at Springwood where FDR was born in 1882, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

CHINTZ ROOM

The Chintz Room is most noted as the room where Queen Elizabeth (aka The Queen Mother) stayed when she and King Edward VI visited Springwood in early June 1939. It was also used by other prominent guests including Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Prior to the 1915-16 renovation, this was the room of Franklin and Eleanor.

Chintz Room where Queen Elizabeth stayed when visiting Springwood, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

GUEST ROOM

The Guest Room at Springwood was originally an extension of James and Sara’s master bedroom. After the renovation, the room was used as a guest room for the more frequent visitors, such as Franklin’s advisors and secretaries.

Guest Room at Springwood, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

PINK ROOM

The Pink Room was originally the bedroom of James and his first wife Rebecca when they moved into Springwood in 1867. The furniture is some of the oldest in the house and is believed to have been purchased specifically for the house. When Anna Roosevelt, the youngest daughter of Franklin and Eleanor, lived at Springwood, this was her room. Later, it was a guest room for more distinguished visitors such as King George VI and Winston Churchill.

Pink Room where King George VI stayed when visiting Springwood, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

FRANKLIN’S BOYHOOD ROOM

Franklin lived in this room when he was a boy, and the furniture in it is what was there at the time. Other decor such as the art and prints on the wall were added over the years. Later, this became the designated room for the eldest son of Franklin and Eleanor who happened to be living in the house.

FDR’s boyhood room at Springwood, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

The lift for those in wheelchairs, which is accessed from the back of the house, comes up across the hall from the Blue Room. This is also how all guests exit the house after exploring the second floor (there is a staircase). Once stepping outside, visitors are greeted to a view of the Hudson River Valley that is similar to the view Franklin, Eleanor, and Sara had from their new rooms in the south wing of Springwood. The Hudson River is actually down below only a half mile away, and it could still be seen during Franklin’s time. Today trees block the view, and ironically, most of them were planted by Roosevelt (he had over 200,000 trees planted on his property). Since his death in 1945, the National Park Service in conjunction with Scenic Hudson has managed to buy up nearly 1,000 acres along both sides of the river to keep the land from being developed and the view intact.

View of the Hudson River Valley from the southern end of Springwood, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

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