The country’s first presidential library documents the life and works of the revered leader who served as the 32nd U.S. president.
Visit the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, his birthplace. The library contains papers and personal items from one of the nation’s most highly acclaimed presidents. An avid historian, Roosevelt took office in 1933 and signed legislature creating the U.S. National Archives in 1934. He subsequently envisioned a place specifically for presidential papers and other original source material that he felt should be preserved and made available for public access. Tour the first presidential library, opened in 1941, which has served as a model for other presidents.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt is much admired for his prompt and effective actions to bring the country out of the Great Depression in the 1930s with his New Deal programs that improved the economy. Learn about his actions in the foreign policy arena including his well-known “Day of Infamy” speech committing the U.S. to participation and leadership in World War II after the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack.
Explore the library’s four major areas: archives, museum, education and public programs. The archives include more than 17 million pages, including documents and recordings from Roosevelt’s presidential inductions for an unprecedented four times. Other artifacts show how the first lady supported an African-American flying unit, well before the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s outlawed racial discrimination.
The museum holds the Roosevelts’ personal collections of stamps, rare books, prints, coins and drawings. Peruse an exceptional collection of naval art and Hudson River Valley art collected by the president. In the education section find various programs about the Roosevelt era for students, teachers, parents and others. The public programs section hosts special events, including a Memorial Day weekend bivouac and USO show, a children’s book festival and a December holiday open house.
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is just north of Poughkeepsie, New York. The library is open daily except select holidays. Purchase a 2-day ticket for a self-guided library tour and a ranger-led tour of Roosevelt’s childhood home.
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