val-kill cottage

There isn't too much to the tour, just a few rooms (though apparently if you are in a small enough group you get to go upstairs; we didn't), and they feel like 1950 (so not terribly interesting). However, the film was very interesting and I left with a new respect for who ER was and what she did with her life. The cottage is very homey, not meant to impress. Tour guide Kevin was very knowledgeable and interested in the subject at hand.

Val-Kill is part of the National Park Service's Hyde Park consortium that includes the FDR home and library as well as the Vanderbilt Mansion (both of which are highly recommended for a visit), and it is the most special of them all, as relatively humble as it is. For anyone who cares about the Roosevelts and Eleanor in particular, this is a terrific treat, and the tour guide we had made it even more so with his mention of so many little details, such as the fact that at least one world-famous mover and shaker liked to recline on the living room floor during the guests' after-dinner gathering!Eleanor Roosevelt established this home-away-from-home partly because of her formidable mother-in-law (whose bedroom at Springwood, the 'big' house, was adjoining her son's!) and partly to have a room of her own. Val-Kill is utterly charming and gives off a real sense of the woman herself.Here's the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site website: http://www.nps.gov/elro/index.htm

What an excellent surprise - a treasure of history not to be missed. Worth the visit. An excellent addition to visiting FDR library.

Starting with a short film in the "play house" was a great introduction to the history of Val-Kill. Starting as a factory to help farmers during the depression learn furniture making and then becoming the home of Eleanor was exciting. We saw where she entertained many heads of state and even JFK.

Our family of two adults and our 11 year old daughter traveled to Hyde Park at our daughter's request. She is a loves First Lady history and wanted to see Val-Kil. It did not disappoint. There is so much history there from before Eleanor Roosevelt became First Lady, during the White House years and after. The rangers are very knowledgeable and do a wonderful job with the tour. Plan ahead and make reservations in advance since tickets tend to sell out.

The Val-Kill estate, Eleanor Roosevelt's home away from home, shows Mrs. Roosevelt to be an unpretentious person of power who used that power to create a better world for the under represented in the USA and thru-out the world. The factory, which she also supervised the building of, was turned into her home later in life See where JFK sat and asked Mrs. Roosevelt for her endorsement. Also, her former "home," where she sought retreat with two of her closest friends, is beautiful simplicity, itself. It now contains a museum of artisan tools used in the various products once made there as well as correspondence with regard to the home and the factory. National Park service guides really do an excellent job of returning you to the 1940's thru 1960's; one expects Mrs. Roosevelt to walk in any minute.

We enjoyed visiting here. The tour was informative and interesting.The grounds were lovely in the autumn,

A wonderful tour of the house used by Eleanor Roosevelt from the time of FDR's death to her death in 1962. Many of the items in the house are original, and the guide was excellent in giving us the history of this amazing woman. We had the great fortune of being on the tour with a woman who actually lived in the house in the 1970s when it was sold and turned into apartments, before being bought back and preserved as a National Historical Site.

Again, National Park Service does a wonderful job in helping us learn more about Eleanor Roosevelt, her daily routine here, whom she entertained here, and her influence on national and international policy. Fun fun fun. The tour begins with a brief film and then onto her cottage, you go. Amazing the number of world leaders who visited her in her modest cottage.

Thoroughly enjoyable tour. Our guide seemed to be well-informed and well-spoken. We loved seeing the comfortable, homey place that Mrs. Roosevelt called home. Am sure the visiting dignitaries were surprised at the simplicity of the place.

Eleanor's cottage is charming. The park service folks are very happy to tell you all about the house and the furniture factory.

Val Kill reflects how unpretentious Eleanor Roosevelt was. Small, but packed with history. If you are lucky and catch a morning tour (ours wasn't scheduled, just lucked out) you might be able to tour the upstairs, consisting of bedrooms. Pretty neat to be in Mrs Roosevelt's bedroom . Pretty plain, small bed, but loads of memorable photos. Too bad FDR didn't appreciate her as much as history has.

Since she spent her entire married life in her Mother-in-law's home, it was interesting to see this cottage that was all Eleanor's. Her very modest and open nature is readily apparent in this cottage and you can get a real feel for who Eleanor, the very approachable and down to earth woman, was.

I've been to the other FDR sites several times, but this was my first visit to Eleanor's home which was so revealing of her generous, down-to-earth, compassionate life. It shows a simplicity that highlights people not ornaments.

Loved this little cottage - fascinating that she had to build her own house to get away from her mother-in-law. Great staff - lots of parking and tons f history. We learned a lot, and even the kids were interested (ie - tour wasn't too long).