NPS Website.
WHAT IS IT?Reconstruction of the birthplace and childhood home of Theodore Roosevelt. The original building was sold, used commercially then torn down before Teddy’s wife and sisters reacquired the Gramercy Park site. The rooms are renovated to look as they would have in Teddy’s childhood based on the recollections of Roosevelt’s sisters.
BEAUTY (3/10)
The exterior of the row house is nondescript save the brown National Parks sign.
HISTORICAL INTEREST (6/10)
As we had hoped, this site does offer more of a window into the personality of this vibrant American President. It houses the largest collection of Theodore Roosevelt’s personal items even though most of his writings have been transferred to Harvard University.
Thanks to Theodore’s father, a prominent philanthropist, the charter for the Museum of Natural History was signed and finalized at this site.
CROWDS (6/10)
We got there at opening time, 10:00am sharp, and had a personal tour of the house. Having the Ranger’s undivided attention was welcome departure from the packed tour of TR’s house, Sagamore Hill. A few more people arrived after our tour concluded.
EASE OF USE/ACCESS (2/5)
You will be asked to leave all large bags including large purses behind the Ranger’s desk.
CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (3/5)
Small but meaty. They may need to restock soon. A Ranger recommended and sold their final copy of Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough to another visitor while we were there. The bookstore carried other popular titles on the President, Teddy Bears and a very tempting stuffed Teddy Roosevelt doll, dressed in safari gear, wearing little glasses and holding an even smaller teddy bear.
COSTS (3/5)
$2 will get you a ranger-led tour and access to the impressive collections of memorabilia on the first and second floor galleries. Add at least $2 per person for a metrocard and additional funds for parking, lodging, etc. Any way you cut it, NYC is pricey.
RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (4/5)
There were three Rangers on site. We never were left wanting for help or explanation.
TOURS/CLASSES (9/10)
Unlike other house tours, visitors are able to walk into and through the rooms and are given time to explore the surroundings at their own pace and ask questions of the Ranger. Our Ranger was knowledgeable, helpful and interested in hearing about our trip. After the house tour, the Ranger directed us to the accompanying museum where the displays were more exhaustive, better done, and had more original Teddy stuff than the displays at Sagamore Hill. TR comes alive here in the Manhattan museum.
In addition, the museum had 10 documentaries of 30 minutes or more on Teddy’s life for our viewing. If we had wanted, we could have watched the 4-hour PBS series. We figured that the hour and a half we had already in the smallish museum was enough.
FUN (7/10)
We had a lot of fun, but we are great admirers of Teddy Roosevelt.
WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (6/10)
Yes, more so than Sagamore Hill. One feels welcome at the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace. So far, this is the best Teddy site. At the same time, if a non-TR fanatic had a limited time in New York City this would not be among the top set of museums where he would flock.
TOTAL 49/80
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