Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
IA
Park Alerts (1)
About Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
Orphaned at age nine, Herbert Hoover left West Branch never to live here again. In later years, he returned to his humble birthplace to celebrate his long career of public service. A memorial landscape remains to tell his story: how community, hard work, honesty, and usefulness to others opened a world of opportunity— and the presidency of the United States— to a child of simple beginnings.
Things To Do
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Be a Junior Ranger at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
The Junior Ranger program helps kids get involved and learn more about Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. Anyone can become a Junior Ranger by completing activities during a visit to the park!
Picnic Where the President Picnicked
Picnic where the President picnicked! Herbert Hoover celebrated his 80th birthday in 1954 at a picnic shelter built by Boy Scouts in his honor. Herbert Hoover National Historic Site has two picnic shelters.
Get Started at the Visitor Center
Start your visit at the Visitor Center, where park rangers are available to answer questions and help you get oriented. Allow yourself up to 30 minutes in the Visitor Center, which is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.
Walk the Nature Trails
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site offers over two miles of trails through the tallgrass prairie and along Hoover Creek for hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and nature study. Trail maps are available from the visitor center. In the winter the snow-covered trails are not groomed for skis.
Tour the Presidential Library & Museum
The Presidential Library and Museum is independently operated and maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), a federal agency. Permanent galleries exhibiting artifacts of President Hoover's life take you from his boyhood in Iowa, through his public service career, and final years in New York.
Visit Downtown West Branch
The West Branch Commercial Historic District is just outside the historic site along Downey and Main streets. It is a national historic district which preserves fifteen downtown buildings built from 1875 through 1929. The buildings house shops and restaurants.
Available Activities
Weather
Spring and fall are mild with moderate temperatures. Average high temperatures in the spring and fall are between 50° and 60° F, with lows from 40° F to 50° F. Summer is hot and humid with average highs around 85° F.
Winter can be cold, windy, and snowy with highs averaging 30° F or lower. Rain and thunderstorms are most frequent in the spring and summer.
Getting There
Take exit 254 off Interstate 80 to West Branch, Iowa. The Visitor Center is 0.3 mile north of Interstate 80.
Plan Your Visit
Let Roamze help you plan the perfect trip to Herbert Hoover National Historic Site with AI-powered itineraries.
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Operating Hours
From April 1 - October 31, historic buildings and the visitor center are open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. From November 1 - March 31, historic buildings are open 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the visitor center is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The grounds of the historic site are open 24 hours. Overnight parking is not allowed in the park.
