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Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace
National Historic Site
28 East 20th Street
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 260-1616
Fax: (212) 677-3587
The East 20th Street home in which Theodore Roosevelt was born had been a wedding gift from his grandfather to his father. The house next door, a mirror image of young Roosevelt's house, had been a gift from his grandfather to his uncle. Theodore Roosevelt lived in the house until he was 14; it was demolished in 1916. After Roosevelt's death in 1919, Edith Roosevelt wanted to recreate the original house as a memorial to her husband. This was accomplished in 1923 by using the house next door as a model.
Today, the two houses open into one another, one a faithful reproduction of Roosevelt's boyhood home, the other a library and museum.
The rooms are furnished with period pieces and decorative items, many from the Roosevelt family, effectively recreating the environment of Roosevelt's boyhood. Here visitors can learn about the exercise equipment that helped young Roosevelt overcome his debilitating asthma and the memorabilia of his passion for nature and animals. The museum displays many objects associated with his adult life, including his political leadership on city, state and national levels.
The site is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Guided tours of the period rooms are given on the hour, with the last tour at 4 p.m. At 2 p.m. on Saturdays, American Landmark Festival concerts are included in admission to the house. The site is closed on all federal holidays.
Admission is $2 for adults. Children 16 and under are admitted free of charge. For more information and group and school tours, call (212) 260-1616.
