eleanor roosevelt national historic site

Was worth the visit - add it to your FDR Presidential Library visit & Estate. Spend the day going back in history.

The National Park Service does a terrific job presenting Mrs. Roosevelt's place in history as a First Lady & advocate for the poor, women, minorities and disenfranchised & world figure.

Eleanor lived with her friend in the stone cottage. They lived simply but did great work in civil rights and helping children and the poor. I never realized how independent this first lady was and her influence on future first ladies. Andrew did an excellent job as our tour guide here and at Val-Kill

Amazing place of history. The rangers were knowledgeable and friendly. We loved the tour and the grounds. There is no snack bar so bring snacks and water with you. Restrooms are available and are clean.

Behind every great man is a greater woman. I believe this is how Eleanor Roosevelt played her role in the life of FDR. She was a working first lady. Her historic site inside the FDR Museum shows her life best.

Serene setting, I can understand why this spot was chosen. Orientation film is followed by a guided tour. The interpreter is National Park Service and man, are they trained. Very well worth it - Mrs. Roosevelt entertained world leaders here but the place will surprise you with its simplicity. Wouldn't miss this for the world.

A very nice little area in which two cottages are contained. Nice little gift shop. Did not have time to tour the cottage. Ranger was very friendly.

Don't miss going to Val Kill to visit Eleanor Roosevelt's home. It was such a wonderful education to visit all the Roosevelt properties to learn so much about Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. In addition to seeing Eleanor's house you will visit a second home that was occupied by Eleanor's two best friends. Eleanor spent much of life in the main house in Hyde Park which was owned by Franklin's mother, Sara. When Franklin died, Eleanor moved to Val Kill full time where she continued to write and do her humanitarian work.

Like a lot of this area there are a lot of hiking trails in and around the historic sites. I'm jealous of those who live here with the easy access to all the walking trails. Her home is really cute and set on a pond and stream. For how near it is to NYC it is peaceful and rural. Highly recommend. Free to explore if not doing a tour of the inside.

While the nearby FDR home, library and museum is much more extensive and elaborate, this was the small and quiet private home and getaway for Eleanor (FDR's wife). It's a charming home, filled with memories and history. The tour takes you through the house, explaining everything in the context of the time. Most furnishings are original. It was a relaxing way to end a day touring "all things Roosevelt" in Hyde Park.

We couldn't get tickets for house tour of Val-Kill (even though I tried to get tickets a week in advance), so we walked through the Stone Cottage. I asked the park ranger a question and she pointed me to a display that did not answer my question. Perhaps it was the end of a long and busy day. I have to say, I just didn't get it; there is no need to have an attitude; the rangers are supposed to be there to answer questions. Maybe if we had been able to have a decent tour that would have changed my impression of this place. Reservations can be made online through a link at the ERNHS website. If you are planning a visit to the Hyde Park NH Sites in November 2014, you may want to seriously consider getting reservations well in advance.If I were in the area again, I would visit again to try to get on a house tour.

I think the park service should do more to improve the landscape of the site. The inside reflected Eleanor's eclectic taste.

We were lucky to have a terrific Park Service guide. She really knew and beautifully represented Eleanor, with all her complexity and feistiness. Because her story is less-often told, the experience is fresher and more exciting than the more well known history of the FDR property two miles away. Make the effort to give Eleanor equal time.

Of the 4 Roosevelt homes in Hyde Park, this is by far the most interesting and the one that really let's you feel like you know something about the person. Eleanor Roosevelt was an amazing person who did amazing things, but was a real human being. I was surprised at how casual her living here at Val-Kill was. She was a very unpretentious person who, like Hillary Clinton had to put up with far too much media gossip and speculation,. He cottage, which is a converted factory that she created to help Hudson Valley farmers in the depression develop additional sources of income, is so homey and comfortable. The furniture looks just like that as if you were visiting your grandmother in the mid-west. The videos show how informal her life was and how much fun guests had who visited her. I loved the fact that her china was the type that they gave away at gas stations to get you to buy gasoline back when gasoline was almost cheaper than water! The interpretive center here really gives you an idea of the kind of person Eleanor was and it makes you kind of sad to know that her closest relatives, even her husband, did not really appreciate her. That must have been really tough to take, but she made the best of it and changed not only the US by her influence on FDR, but the world. An amazing woman and a great living shrine to her gumption and vision of a world that is better and kinder and more caring than that which we know.

Our guide, Doris Mack, made this experience very, very special. Ms. Mack actually knew Eleanor Roosevelt, so she was able to share personal stories of this amazing woman. Doris possesses such enthusiasm and knowledge about the Roosevelt family and this site. A very memorable tour.