Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site Tours and Tickets

The Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic site is a special place that serves as a window into former First Lady’s public and private life. The site is home to two cottages: Val-Kill Cottage and Stone Cottage. Vall-Kill is an L-shaped stucco building, reflecting the patchwork construction of its former life as a factory. Stone Cottage is a fieldstone building designed in the Dutch Colonial Revival style. On the first floor, the living room has with a ceiling open to the rafters and a massive fieldstone fireplace. There’s also a dining room, kitchen, den, bedroom, bath, and laundry. Upstairs are three more bedrooms and a bath. The “Dollhouse” is also on the grounds of the Historic Site, as Eleanor had it moved from its original location near the main house for her grandchildren to play with.

As First Lady, Eleanor was encouraged by her husband to develop this property about two miles from the “big house” at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Hyde Park. At the large Vall-Kill Cottage she could develop her ideas, entertain whoever she wanted, stay up late reading, and spend time alone. After FDR’s death, Val-Kill became Eleanor’s permanent home and was declared a Historic Site in 1977. The only residence Eleanor personally owned, the unpretentious cottage is noted for its understated beauty and its natural setting.