September 10, 2021 FDR home “Springwood”

After visiting Elenor’s retreat it was time to go see FDR’s birthplace, Visitor Center and Presidential Library/Museum.  

First, the Visitor Center was “open” meaning you could walk inside but most of it was closed to the public. The theatre showing movies was closed, the gallery was closed so basically you could walk in get a map and ask the ranger where to go.  There was a very cool mosaic map of the grounds built into the floor that you could see. 

As for his home, you need timed tickets to enter. We were unable to get tickets because they were totally sold out three weeks before we arrived.  You can walk around the grounds which are lovely.  The home sits on a bluff high above the Hudson River.  It is a serene spot as is the garden where FDR and Eleanor are buried. 

We were lucky to get tickets to visit FDR’s library/museum.  The Presidential Libraries are controlled by the US Department of Archives - NOT the Department of Interior (Park Service).  This is the ONLY Presidential  Library/museum that has actually been open. Archives was much slower to reopen after Covid. Johnson’s, Clinton’s, Hoover’s we’re all closed when we visited theirs. Lincoln’s is run by the state of Illinois and only allows those doing research.  Lincoln’s does have a theatre which shows an amazing holographic presentation that is a must see.  

FDR’s museum is a great place to visit. It has great installations and a well done presentation of his accomplishments as well as some of his failures and failings. It has an entire wall covered with a sampling of letters that were sent to him and Elenor while he was in office. It also has some interesting exterior art work as well as his actual home office.  This is true because construction on his museum started half way through his presidency. The land was purchased and donated by the Roosevelt’s expecting FDR to only have two terms in office when he was re-elected and he was in Hyde Park, he used the office he had built in his Library/Museum.  So here it still sits. Untouched since he last used it.