Park Units 93, 94, 95: Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt NHS, Eleanor Roosevelt NHS, Vanderbilt Mansion NHS

3/30/2018. Catherine and I took advantage of a day off on Good Friday to visit the Hyde Park, NY historic parks.

We set out at 6 am to beat the traffic through the metropolitan area and we got to Hyde Park by 8:30 am. After a nice breakfast at Starbucks, we headed up to the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site. We purchased new annual passes and got tickets for the 9:30 tour. The tour explained the background of the park grounds and the history of the Roosevelt family at the visitor center. Then we walked to FDR's grave site, past the coach house and stable, and stopped at Springwood, the family home.

The ranger giving the tour shared a lot of information about the house and the way FDR and the family lived. The house is well-kept in the state it was when the family lived there. Next we went upstairs, seeing the large dumbwaiter that FDR used to haul himself upstairs. He didn't want an electric elevator because he was afraid the electricity might go out and he'd be stuck on the elevator.

The house is more modest that one would expect given the wealth and social standing of the family. The tour gave us a lot of time to explore the house on our own, which I appreciated. The view from the grounds of the Hudson River was beautiful and the highlight of the house.

After the tour, we walked to the FDR presidential library, which was very impressive. Similar to the Ronald Reagan library (the only other one I've been to), the exhibits were hands-on, interactive, and very well designed. We especially enjoyed the radio broadcasts in mock up rooms. There is a great deal to see, learn about, read, and examine. We spent about an hour and wished we could have stayed longer.

Next we drove a couple miles to the Vanderbilt Mansion and got tickets for the 1:00 tour.

According to the national park service, "Vanderbilt Mansion NHS, in terms of architecture, interiors, mechanical systems, road systems and landscape, is a remarkably complete example of a gilded-age country place, illustrating the political, economic, social, cultural, and demographic changes that occurred as America industrialized in the years after the Civil War."

We began the tour in the pavilion, which was a men's gathering place not far from the main house. This housed the bookstore and park stamp. Next we moved to the main house. The tour guide gave us lots of interesting information and let us explore on our own on the main floor, the upstairs bedrooms, and best of all, the servants quarters in the lower level. Our overall impression of the mansion was of people who were trying too hard to impress the rich elite.

Finally, we ended the day at Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site.

Waiting for our 3:00 tour, we explored the stone cottage and learned about the history of Val-Kil. We watched a video about Eleanor Roosevelt and Val-Kil. According to the national park service, "In the 1920s, Eleanor Roosevelt joined a group of independent-minded women dedicated to shaping politics and policy. New expectations ignited a stirring friendship with the activists Nancy Cook and Marion Dickerman. Together they created jobs, influenced party politics, and advanced social reforms. Val-Kill embodies their pioneering spirit." We got to explore the building that was once used for furniture making, and after Val-Kil was dissolved became Eleanor's private residence. This park site gives a good sense of who Eleanor was and what she accomplished. You could feel her spirit here.

We learned a lot today and got a good sense of the history of these important people and their impact on the history of the country. We love the National Historic Sites as a way to make history more understandable and real.