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Trip Planner: USA / New York State / Hyde Park / Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park

4.8

Must see · Historic Site · Library

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The first presidential library built in the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum was conceived when Franklin D. Roosevelt decided that a separate property was needed to house his large collection of historical documents, books, and papers. The library's research facilities and traditional study were converted to a high-tech interactive exhibit space in the 21st century, but Roosevelt's personal study has remained unchanged. Roosevelt spent many hours in the study organizing important documents, and even delivered his radio fireside chats from the room. This library set the precedent for the Presidential Libraries Act in 1955, stating that each president's papers and documents should be stored in one place for public access. Consider purchasing a reduced-price combined ticket to the library and the FDR house in nearby Hyde Park. Plan your Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum visit and explore what else you can see and do in Hyde Park using our Hyde Park trip itinerary website.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating

1,557 reviews

Google

4.7

By coachee1313

Anyone with an interest in US history will find this National Monument just fantastic. The model boat collection itself is worth the trip alone. The grounds will be amazing in the warm weather. A...

Anyone with an interest in US history will find this National Monument just fantastic. The model boat collection itself is worth the trip alone. The grounds will be amazing in the warm weather. A... more »
By Meowy

The FDR museum and library is truly brilliant. I went with family members who are not fans of historical sites and they loved it as well. You could easily spend hours browsing all the exhibits...

The FDR museum and library is truly brilliant. I went with family members who are not fans of historical sites and they loved it as well. You could easily spend hours browsing all the exhibits... more »
By ACS14850

the mansion is very interesting, the museum extraordinary. We actually spent 2 half-days at the museum, and felt we had had a chance to see all the amazing exhibits.

the mansion is very interesting, the museum extraordinary. We actually spent 2 half-days at the museum, and felt we had had a chance to see all the amazing exhibits. more »

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By Andrew Yin

Visited in April 2022. Didn't take the house tour but visited the library and museum on a self-guided tour. The exhibits are quite extensive and well-laid out. The route was also logical and easy to follow. The basement with the ship models and car was quite cool. Allow yourself one hour to take in the museum. The grounds were also beautiful to explore! The cherry blossoms were blooming when I visited.

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By Michael Miller

If you love history, you'll love this first ever presidential library, completed during FDR's third term. There is entrance to the library, which is the main thing to see. There is also entrance to the home, which is called a tour, but is not like a typical home tour. That is, a docent talks about an entire floor and then allows guests a few minutes to look at the rooms from the doorway. Not quite as extensive as I was hoping for, but I'm glad I saw it once. If you have to choose, opt for the museum. There's much more to see. Allow 1.5 hours for the museum and 40 minutes for the home.

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By Judy

Such a wonderful facility for everyone interested in American history to visit. Our mistake was not allowing enough time to explore not only the museum, but all the beautiful grounds, gardens and FDR’s home. This is also Roosevelts burial site and memorial. Be prepared to spend several hours here.

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By Tim Millaway

We just toured the grounds and did not by an admission to the house or Library. We found the grounds, the story given at the visitor center and especially the garden to be very interesting. We loved how they incorporated new ideas that FDR would have embraced into the exhibition.

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By Nicole Gaddie

All I can say is wow, this museum is outstanding. I came into the experience with minimal knowledge of FDR and I was immersed for three hours. The museum requires a lot of reading but if you follow the chronological path that the arrows on the floor lead you in, you’ll learn the story of FDR and the history that ensued during his life. Not a museum for kids, but there is a movie theater in the main visitor center that kids might enjoy, the grounds were a nice walk after the museum.

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