Visiting Val-Kill: Eleanor Roosevelt's Home in Hyde Park
The patio area of Val-Kill’s Stone Cottage. All photos by John O’Boyle / The Empty Nest Explorers
Val-Kill is Eleanor Roosevelt's home in the Hudson Valley. There she and her husband President Franklin Roosevelt entertained guests ranging from world leaders to local children.
Eleanor and Franklin used the laid back nature of the rustic estate to build friendships. Picture FDR swimming in the pool with King George VI while Eleanor charmed the Queen Mother on the modest patio. Not long after, that same pool hosted Winston Churchill. The friendships built at this modest home mattered months later, when both the United Kingdom and the United States entered World War 2.
Eleanor is the only First Lady with a home run by the National Park Service. Even after Franklin passed away, she stayed active in politics and used Val-Kill to help get things done. JFK visited Val-Kill and sat with her in the living room for hours while he sought her support for his run at the presidency.
Years after both their husbands had died, the Queen Mother came back to Val-Kill to visit Eleanor. Two of their era's most influential women, catching up on an old friendship in a familiar place.
For more on the visiting the nearby FDR Library, see our post on visiting the Home of FDR and the Presidential Library.
The pool outside Val-Kill’s Stone Cottage.
| Address | 54 Valkill Park Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538 |
| Admission | Free. No entrance pass needed. |
| Cottage Tour | Free, but a ticket is required. First come, first served at the Stone Cottage Visitor Center. No advance booking for individuals. |
| Tour Length | About 45 minutes for the guided cottage tour. The intro film at the visitor center is separate, watch it anytime. |
| Hours | Change by season. Check nps.gov/elro before you go. |
| Grounds | Free, open daily sunrise to sunset. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. |
| Nearby | FDR Presidential Library and Museum, about a 5 to 7 minute drive away |
| Tip | Visit the FDR Library first, then Val–Kill. Grab your cottage ticket as soon as you arrive. |
Getting to Val-Kill
Driving down the long entrance road and passing the pond, it's easy to see why Eleanor loved this spot. The smell of juniper trees and the sound of red winged blackbirds greet you as you walk toward the Stone Cottage, which serves as the visitor center today. It feels like you're deep in the woods, even though you're only a few miles from town.
Debbie and I would suggest visiting the FDR Presidential Library and Museum first. It's about a 5 to 7 minute drive between the two sites, and you can easily fit both into one day.
If you want a more active visit, Val-Kill also has hiking trails through the grounds.
The exterior of Val-Kill Cottage.
Touring Val-Kill Cottage
Guided tours leave from the Stone Cottage Visitor Center throughout the day. Tickets are free but limited, so grab yours as soon as you arrive. We visited on a quiet Thursday morning in July, and our group was about a dozen people.
The guided tour itself runs about 45 minutes. There's also a short introductory film, but it's separate from the tour, so you can watch it anytime, before or after.
Our ranger did a wonderful job painting a picture of Eleanor and her complicated, unusual relationship with Franklin. He was clearly knowledgeable and made the time fly by. We stayed after the tour ended just to keep chatting with him. Nobody rushed us out.
The tour covers three rooms in Val-Kill Cottage, Eleanor's actual home: her office, the dining room, and the living room. The style is mid-century modern, and the dining room displays mementos from her mother's side of the family, the Livingstons.
The whole complex is gorgeous, but the houses themselves are far from fancy. They're comfortable, almost plain. The walls at Val-Kill are the same knotty pine paneling that was in my childhood bedroom, which somehow made me feel right at home in a First Lady's cottage.
A Complex With Two Building
Val-Kill actually has two main buildings,the Stone Cottage and Val-Kill Cottage. The Stone Cottage was built first, in 1925, as a home to Eleanor's friends and business partners, Nancy Cook and Marion Dickerman. Today it holds a small museum and serves as the visitor center. It's air conditioned, which we appreciated on a warm July morning.
The pool is outside the Stone Cottage. FDR used the pool to exercise his legs.
Val-Kill Cottage started out as the workshop for Val-Kill Industries, a furniture business Eleanor ran with Cook and Dickerman. When the business closed during the Depression, Eleanor converted the building into her own home. It's the cottage you see on the guided tour.
Franklin had his own separate retreat nearby too, called Top Cottage.
The Val-Kill living room where Eleanor met with JFK in the nook at the rear of the room.
Planning Your Visit to Val-Kill
While Amtrak and Metro-North serve the Hudson Valley many of the attractions in the area really require a car. Val Kill is a perfect example of this. The FDR Library is conveniently located right on Route 9, Val Kill is only 6 minutes away by car but it is much more isolated. The isolation is fantastic for privacy but you really do need a car you get there.
Debbie and I suggest visiting Springwood, FDR's main home and library first since that’s the busiest spot. Give the FDR Library a good chunk of time, it’s fascinating.
When arriving at Val Kill proceed to the visitor center first to get tickets for the next tour. We just missed a tour and walked around the grounds for 45 minutes until the next tour.
Between the two sites, plan on the better part of a day.
Eleanor's own writing, a newspaper column called "My Day," is available to read online if you want to hear her voice in her own words before or after your visit.
Val-Kill Frequently Asked Questions
Is Val-Kill free to visit?
Yes. There's no entrance fee and no pass required. The cottage tour is free too, but you need a ticket from the visitor center.
Do I need to book a Val-Kill tour in advance?
No, not as an individual. Tickets are handed out first come, first served at the Stone Cottage Visitor Center the day of your visit. Groups of 20 or more do need a reservation through recreation.gov.
How long does the Val-Kill tour take?
The guided tour of the cottage runs about 45 minutes. The introductory film is separate, and you can watch it anytime.
Can I visit Val-Kill and the FDR Library in one day?
Yes. They're about a 5 to 7 minute drive apart, and most visitors combine both.
Are pets allowed at Val-Kill?
Yes, on the grounds and trails. Pets aren't permitted inside the buildings.
What's the best time of year to visit Val-Kill?
Fall is hard to beat for the foliage around the pond. Summer gives you the fullest hours and the most going on. Winter is quietest, but building access is more limited, so check ahead.
About the Authors
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John and Debbie O'Boyle are the team behind The Empty Nest Explorers. John is a professional photographer whose work has been published by The New York Times, NBC News, and Getty Images. He is a member of the American Society of Media Photographers, has been part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team, and has received two New York Emmy nominations. Debbie is a writer with 30+ years of professional photography experience, formerly with The Star-Ledger and NJ.com. Together, they create in-depth travel guides for couples and empty-nest travelers who want to make the most of every destination. |
Other travel blog posts:
We toured Eleanor Roosevelt's home at Val-Kill on a quiet July morning, from the ranger led cottage tour to the pool where FDR once swam with a king.
Here's what to know before you go, plus how to pair it with the FDR Library nearby.