| State: | New York |
|---|---|
| Address: | 106 Valkill Park Rd, Hyde Park, NY 12538, USA |
| Postal code: | 12538 |
| Phone: | (845) 229-9422 |
| Website: | http://www.nps.gov/elro |
| Monday: | 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Tuesday: | 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Wednesday: | 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Thursday: | 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Friday: | 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Saturday: | 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Sunday: | 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Definitely worth a visit during operating hours for the tour, but even worth a visit on days the house isn’t open — for the really great trails! We learned so much and highly recommend others visit to learn more about Eleanor Roosevelt.
We visited on a late Friday afternoon in late June 2025. We arrived right around 5PM so everything had just closed and we missed doing the tour and the exhibits in the visitor center etc. We did see folks leaving from the last tour.
There were about 15 spaces in the parking lot and majority of the spots were filled. The parking lot is a bit of a walk to the visitor center. You have to walk over a bridge to actually get to the property.
There were a couple of outdoor exhibits that we looked at and also read the kiosk signs and walk around the property in general. We were sad we didn't make it in time for the last tour at 4PM. We were delayed from the house tour at Franklin D. Roosevelts House just up the road.
We were able to walk around and take a bunch of pictures. The lighting at the time of day was just getting good. We walked through the gardens and you could see through some of the windows of the houses.
The bathrooms were still open when we visited after the visitor center was closed. It looks like they converted the garage into public restrooms.
I think I heard one of the rangers saying that there is no gift shop here and it is all located at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Historic Site. Luckily for us we had already bought everything we wanted while we were there.
Overall it was a nice property and I wish we had arrived sooner to walk through the visitor center and look at the houses.
Great chance to get a glimpse into the life of Eleanor Roosevelt beyond what she is generally known for, which is being FDR's wife. She led such a full life and did so many things for so many people, it's great that this historic site exists so you can learn about it. It's even better that it's free! Plus, if you spend some time there, you will realize why Eleanor found this to be her happy place where she found peace and contentment.
Eleanor Roosevelt's home is an amazing place. The ranger doing the tour was so very informative! I had no idea how well liked Eleanor was and that she was a civil rights leader. I will do more research to learn more about that amazing first lady!
Val-Kill is packed with history. I enjoyed opening the drawers in the museum. There's a lot of them. The gardens were very impressive. While there is handicap parking, don't think you're going to get out of a long walk.