fdr mansion tour

Fdr Home Group Tour

Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site Tours

Springwood, FDR’s lifelong home, served as his primary residence from his birth in 1882 until his death in 1945. The home opened to the public a year later and today visitors can see it as it was during FDR’s final days. 

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Need to Know

• Advance reservations are available ONLY for groups of 10 or more people . 
• Anyone booked on a group tour arriving with less than ten in their group will be accomodated on the next AVAILABLE general public tour or may not be accommodated at all.
• Admission into the FDR Museum is available anytime during operational hours.
• Weather closures are common, please check website and social media for more information.
• Tour times are subject to change.
• A mix of guided and self guided tours are provided, depending on attendance levels and available staffing.  
• Tour guides & bus drivers must be counted in the group in order to enter.
• Maximum of 50 people per group.
• Every person requires a ticket.
• If you arrive late, your tour is forfeited. We may be able to provide access for your group later in the day depending on visitation. 
• Refunds are available, minus the reservation fee, until 24 hours before the tour. No exceptions.

Yes, this tour involves a .25 mile walk to the home and back. 

The tour takes places indoors and outdoors. Please dress according to the weather. Tours operate during high tempertatures, low tempatures, snow and rain.

Access to the home is by tour only. When unexpected high visitation occurs, the guided tours may switch to self guided tours.

No flash photography.

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Virtual Tour of the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

"all that is within me cries out to go back to my home on the hudson river" - fdr.

By Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

“My heart has always been here. It always will be.” With these few words President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) captured his feelings for his home in Hyde Park as he addressed friends and neighbors gathered in front of the house on election night in 1940. His love of the place where he was born and raised prompted him to begin the process in 1943 of deeding his home to the National Park Service, ensuring that it would be available to future generations.

Franklin’s father, James Roosevelt, purchased the 110-acre estate in 1867 for $40,000. The property included a house overlooking the Hudson River and a working farm. FDR was born in this house on January 30, 1882, the only child of Sara and James Roosevelt. Growing up with a view of the majestic Hudson River, he developed a love of the river and the valley through which it flowed. By age eight, he was sailing the Hudson. As a young adult, racing his ice yacht “Hawk” was a favorite winter pastime.

Franklin accompanied his father on daily horseback rides. During these times he became immersed in the land, its history, and particularly the trees. In later years, he expanded his parents’ land holdings to nearly 1,500 acres and planted over half a million trees. His interest in tree farming translated into a New Deal program, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC provided jobs to unemployed men age 17-28. Over 10 years, enrollees planted over three billion trees and built over 800 parks nationwide.

Surrounded by the rich agricultural heritage of the Hudson Valley all his life, FDR felt a strong affinity with farmers. One of the first New Deal programs instituted during the Great Depression, the Agricultural Adjustment Act, was designed to help farmers retain their land. His subsistence homestead projects relocated poverty-stricken families into government subsidized rural communities that provided decent housing, cooperative work and farming, and schools.

When Franklin Roosevelt married Eleanor Roosevelt in 1905, they resided in both the house at Hyde Park and their New York townhouse. Franklin and Eleanor had six children, one died in infancy. FDR supervised the expansion and redesign of the house to accommodate his growing family and his political ambitions, ensuring it reflected the Dutch Colonial architecture of the Hudson Valley.

FDR contracted polio in 1921 and was paralyzed from the waist down. He held out hope for a cure, but was never able to walk again unaided. The multi-level home was adapted to his needs with ramps along short steps. The trunk lift, installed years before the onset of FDR’s polio, became his transportation to the second floor.

In 1932 FDR was elected to the first of an unprecedented four terms as President of the United States. His presidency redefined the role of government in America, establishing programs designed to improve the lives of all Americans. These programs included Social Security, the Federal Deposit and Insurance Corporation, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the establishment of minimum wage, and unemployment insurance.

During his 12 years as President, FDR led the nation through an economic crisis of enormous proportions and the Second World War. He continually returned to this home he loved, seeking strength and relaxation. He entertained foreign dignitaries here, including British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. In the small study, FDR and Churchill initialed a document known as the “Hyde Park Aide Memoire,” that outlined possible future uses of the atomic bomb.

On the afternoon of April 12, 1945, FDR died from a cerebral hemorrhage in Warm Springs, Georgia. He was laid to rest on April 15 in the rose garden here. One year after his death, on April 12, 1946, the home opened to the public. At the dedication Eleanor Roosevelt said, “I think Franklin realized that . . . people . . . would understand the rest and peace and strength which he had gained here and perhaps . . . go away with some sense of healing and courage themselves.”

Portraits in the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt

Home of franklin d. roosevelt national historic site.

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Please call the individual sites directly to inquire about the events listed on our  event calendars  and to inquire about hours.

The Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area does not own or operate any of the sites listed below. They are owned and managed by the organizations listed in the site descriptions. Please call ahead for special accommodation needs or with any questions about their sites.

Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

• Freedom & Dignity

• 4097 Albany Post Rd. Hyde Park, NY
• 845-229-5320
• Dutchess County
• Dutchess County Tourism Website
• Show on Map
• Follow us on Facebook
• Grounds open daily Home closed until further notice
• Handicap Accessible

The lifelong home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, America’s 32nd President. Purchased by Roosevelt’s father in 1867, the home was a large but simple Italianate farmhouse. By 1915, Franklin and his mother, Sara, had completed extensive renovations that included the stucco and fieldstone exterior, the addition of two large wings, and a columned portico. Interior decorations reflect the lifestyle favored by this “old money” family. Inherited by FDR upon his mother’s death in 1941, the house and much of the estate were transferred to the federal government in 1945 at the President’s request. Its interior remains as it was during Roosevelt’s lifetime. The grounds feature flower gardens, outbuildings, and miles of walking trails. The Rose Garden contains the graves of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. 

Amenities: Passport Stamp , Family Friendly, Greenway Trail Access, Restrooms

Nearby Destinations

• Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum 0.2 miles
• Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, Val-Kill 1.3 miles
• Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site 2.2 miles
• Top Cottage (FDR's Retreat) 2.3 miles
• John Burroughs' Slabsides and Nature Sanctuary 2.5 miles
• Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, Val-Kill
• Martin Van Buren National Historic Site
• Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum

Tourism Information

Restaurants.

Home of Franklin D Roosevelt

Hudson Valley

Rangers lead interesting hour-long tours around Springwood, the home of Franklin D Roosevelt (FDR) who won a record four presidential elections and led America from the Great Depression through WWII. Considering his family wealth, it's a modest abode, but can be unpleasantly crowded in summer. Intimate details have been preserved, including his desk – left as it was the day before he died – and the hand-pulled elevator he used to hoist his polio-stricken body to the 2nd floor.

The home is part of a 1520-acre estate, formerly a working farm, which also includes the simple marble tomb where FDR and Eleanor (and their dog Fala) were interred, various walking trails and the FDR Presidential Library and Museum , which details important achievements in FDR's presidency. Admission tickets last two days and include the Springwood tour and the presidential library.

Note that Springwood will be closed for several months, from April through October 2020, for a series of repair projects.

4097 Albany Post Rd

Get In Touch

845-229-5320

https://​www​.nps​.gov​/hofr

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Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

The home of America’s only 4-term president, known as “Springwood”, as well as the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum. There are guided tour of the home, and 300 acres with gardens and trails to explore.

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Take a look inside Franklin D. Roosevelt's 21,000-square-foot mansion where he entertained royals and world leaders

• President Franklin D. Roosevelt maintained a lifelong connection with Springwood, his family home.
• He was raised at the property in Hyde Park, New York, and hosted dignitaries there as president.
• Measuring about 21,000 square feet, Springwood has 49 rooms and eight bathrooms.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's estate in Hyde Park, New York, is the only place in the US where a president was born, maintained a connection throughout his life, and is buried, according to the National Park Service .

Widely regarded as one of the most influential US presidents , Roosevelt was elected in 1932 and led the country through the Great Depression and World War II. Known for expansive government programs such as the New Deal , he died in office while serving an unprecedented fourth term in 1945.

Roosevelt's 21,000-square-foot family home, an Italianate-style villa known as Springwood, is open to the public as part of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park. Everything inside is original to the home.

Take a look inside the historic site.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's home, known as Springwood, is in Hyde Park, New York.

The Vanderbilt family's 45,000-square-foot Gilded Age mansion is also in Hyde Park, which is about 95 miles from New York City.

It's located on the grounds of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

The National Park Service operates both the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum and the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, while the National Archives manages the library's collections.

The National Park Service offers 40-minute guided tours of Springwood from May through October. Tickets cost $15 each and are sold in person on a first-come, first-serve basis.

As I began my walk to Springwood, I passed bronze statues of Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt.

The statues were modeled after a 1933 photograph of the Roosevelts at their Hyde Park home.

A park ranger told me to follow the sign for the stables to reach Roosevelt's home.

Further along the path, I began to see signs for Springwood, which is located next to the stables.

The stables still featured the names of the Roosevelt family's horses.

Roosevelt was an avid equestrian and continued riding even after his legs became paralyzed due to polio.

The tour started outside Springwood as a park ranger spoke about the history of the home and the Roosevelt family.

Roosevelt's father, James Roosevelt, was a Harvard-educated lawyer who earned his fortune as a businessman for various railroad and coal companies. He purchased the original farmhouse on the property in 1867 and named it "Springwood."

In 1915, Roosevelt and Eleanor added two stone wings and most of the third floor to make more room for their six children.

The guide also pointed out a front portico that resembled the South Portico of the White House.

"Perhaps a little political foreshadowing?" he said.

The Entrance Hall was decorated with prints from Roosevelt's naval collection and editorial cartoons from the 18th century.

Roosevelt served as assistant secretary of the Navy under President Woodrow Wilson. His fondness for Navy ships was evident in the decor throughout Springwood.

The Entrance Hall also featured Roosevelt's boyhood bird collection and a bronze statue of him at age 29.

As a child, Roosevelt collected birds and had them stuffed in order to study them up close.

The bronze statue depicts Roosevelt in 1911 when he was serving his first term in the New York State Senate.

In the Dining Room, Roosevelt sat at the head of the table in the seat pulled out on the left.

The small round table in the back of the room was the kids' table.

After dinner, guests would move to the Dresden Room, which functioned as a sitting room.

The room is named for the Dresden chandelier and sconces that Roosevelt's father brought back from Dresden, Germany.

A foldable ramp made the stairs leading into the Library accessible for Roosevelt's wheelchair.

At 39 years old, Roosevelt was diagnosed with polio and became paralyzed from the waist down. He didn't want people to know that he used a wheelchair, so the ramp could be folded up and hidden away when guests were present.

When Roosevelt took business meetings at Springwood, his aides positioned him in an armchair and put a stack of papers in his lap to give him a plausible reason not to stand when his guests arrived.

In the Library, Roosevelt met with world leaders and dignitaries.

Roosevelt's famous guests included King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), Prince Frederik and Princess Ingrid of Denmark, Prince Olav and Princess Martha of Norway, and Winston Churchill.

The room also featured a portrait of Roosevelt painted by Ellen Emmet Rand.

Roosevelt sat for the portrait after he was elected to his first term as president in 1932.

The tour continued upstairs with the Pink Room, which functioned as a guest room.

King George VI and Winston Churchill slept in this room during their visits to Hyde Park.

Another guest room was used by his political advisors.

Louis Howe and Harry Hopkins, two of Roosevelt's close political advisors, stayed in this room.

The Chintz Room was also used as a guest room for important visitors.

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Russian pianist Madam Knavage, and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, stayed in the Chintz Room during their time at Springwood.

Roosevelt was born in the Blue Room on January 30, 1882.

His father, James Roosevelt, wrote in his diary on the night of Roosevelt's birth that he was a "splendid, large baby boy" who weighed 10 pounds. Everything in the Blue Room is original, including the mattress Roosevelt was born on.

James and his wife, Sara Roosevelt, slept in the Blue Room. After James' death, Sara moved into another room down the hall when the home was renovated in 1915, bringing her furniture with her. The Blue Room was then redecorated and repurposed as a guest room.

Sara requested that the original furniture be moved back into the Blue Room after her death to restore it to the way it looked when Roosevelt was born.

Growing up, Roosevelt slept in this bedroom until he married Eleanor in 1905.

When the Roosevelts had children of their own, the oldest son living at home slept here.

The hallway leading to the primary bedrooms included a unique piece of decor: a mirror mounted on a 45-degree angle.

The Secret Service used the mirror to monitor activity down the hall and around the front of the house.

Roosevelt's mother, Sara Roosevelt, slept in a bedroom at the end of the hall.

Roosevelt's father, James, died in 1900, while Sara lived for another 41 years. She moved from the Blue Room into this room after the home's 1915 renovation.

Eleanor moved into a smaller bedroom connected to Roosevelt's room after he became sick with polio.

The space was originally intended to be a morning room.

After Roosevelt's death in 1945, Eleanor moved to Val-Kill, a cottage she built with friends Nancy Cook and Marion Dickerman. Located around 2.5 miles from Springwood, the property is now known as the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site.

Roosevelt's bedroom windows featured views of the Hudson River.

Roosevelt would often spend early mornings in his room reading the paper or meeting with one of his secretaries.

Beside his bed, a designated phone provided a direct, secure line to the White House.

Having direct communication with Washington was state-of-the-art technology at the time, and proved crucial as his health began to fail towards the end of his life.

Our tour guide ended his presentation with a surprising detail: the clothes hanging in Roosevelt's bedroom closet.

"The clothes that are in that room on display, FDR handpicked for you to see," our guide said. "He knew you were coming."

Eleanor turned Springwood over to the National Park Service in 1945, shortly after Roosevelt's death, and spoke at its dedication as a national historic site in 1946.

"I think Franklin realized that the historic library, the house, and the peaceful resting place behind the high hedge with flowers blooming around it would perhaps mean something to the people of the United States," she said at the event, author Olin Dows wrote in his 1949 book, "Franklin Roosevelt at Hyde Park," according to the National Park Service. "They would understand the rest and peace and strength which he had gained here and perhaps learn to come, and go away with some sense of healing and courage themselves."

As I exited Springwood through the south lawn, I was greeted by stunning views of the Hudson Valley.

Roosevelt planted many of the trees on the property as part of his forestry experiments and conservation efforts.

Visitors could also pay their respects at the Roosevelts' burial site in Springwood's rose garden.

Roosevelt wrote that he wanted to be buried where the sundial stood in the rose garden on his Hyde Park estate, according to the National Park Service .

Roosevelt's legacy lives on in his presidential library and museum, the construction of which he oversaw himself.

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum was dedicated in 1941.

He was the first US president to establish a library to house papers and artifacts from his political career, a model that every president since has followed.

When I visited my first presidential library , the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, I bought a passport to fill with stamps from all 15 presidential libraries nationwide. I was delighted to find a desk with stamps to add to my booklet just outside the gift shop.

Springwood remains a meaningful historical site memorializing one of America's most prominent presidents.

Nearly 10,000 people visited Springwood on the first day it was open to the public in 1946, and they haven't stopped visiting since.

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Group Reservations for the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site  

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Last updated: May 22, 2024

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4097 Albany Post Rd Hyde Park, NY 12538

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