Franklin Roosevelt Home and Library

Despite the high price of gas, I was looking to get out in the car this Memorial Day weekend. There are some places of interest I haven't been to, even though they aren't a tremendous distance away. One of those is the Franklin Roosevelt home, presidential library and museum, which is located in Hyde Park, New York, about two and a half hours from where I live.

It was perfect weather for a visit to a very pretty part of the country, right on the Hudson River. The Roosevelts had lived in the house they called Spring Wood since 1867, when FDR's father James bought it. In 1882 Franklin was born to James and his second wife, Sarah Delano. It was always his main home, the place that meant the most to him over the years, and it was his idea to open a library on the grounds to the public, which started a tradition that continues today.

The library and museum, perhaps because it was the first one, is on a relatively modest scale, considering that FDR was president for twelve years. Most of the artifacts from his youth, including a bassinet and baby clothes. There are lots of photos, and it's immediately apparent that FDR greatly resembled his father. Once he's president you can zip right through, with a few exhibits on the depression and World War II (including an interactive screen asking you what to do about aiding Great Britain during the blitz). Also, the exhibits are very frank about his disability, as well as mentioning two of the blackest marks on his presidency: the court-packing plan and the interment of Japanese citizens during the war.

The home, Spring Wood, is done by guided tour, and you hear the story of the Roosevelts. Franklin and Eleanor (and Fala the Scottish Terrier) are buried in the rose garden. Out back of the house is a beautiful view of the Hudson Valley.

After leaving there I drove the two miles to Val-Kill Cottage, which was Eleanor Roosevelt's home after FDR died. She never felt comfortable at Spring Wood, perhaps because she was under the thumb of her mother-in-law while she was there (Sarah died in 1941) so after his death, she and the children decided to give it to the government, and she moved to Val-Kill. When I got there wasn't going to be a tour for over an hour, so I decided to move on and save the eight dollar admission fee.

Sometime later this summer I hope to visit another presidential site that I've never gotten to--the Theodore Roosevelt home in Oyster Bay, New York.