Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site is a national historic site run by the National Park Service in Iowa.

In the park service’s words

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.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Things to do

• 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!
• Get Started at the Visitor Center (30 to 60 Minutes): 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.
• Take a Self-guided Tour (30 to 60 Minutes): The grounds of the historic site are open 24 hours a day. Pick up a map at the Visitor Center or download the NPS App to your phone. Then visit the Birthplace Cottage, Blacksmith Shop, Schoolhouse, Friends Meetinghouse, Statue of Isis, Gravesite, and other historic features of 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.
• Walk the Nature Trails (30 to 60 Minutes): 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 (1 to 3 Hours): 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 (30 to 60 Minutes): 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.
• Explore Herbert Hoover's Hometown With the NPS App: Use the NPS App on your visit to West Branch, Iowa, and discover the places and people that shaped the early life of the 31st President.

Fees and hours

Entrance fee: No entrance fee.

Hours: Daily, 9:00AM - 5:00PM. 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.

Getting there

Take exit 254 off Interstate 80 to West Branch, Iowa. The Visitor Center is 0.3 mile north of Interstate 80.

Drive times run from the airport to Zion Canyon Visitor Center, estimated with OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap roads at normal speeds; allow extra for traffic, stops and construction.

Miles are straight-line distances.

Visitor centers

• Visitor Center: Daily, 9:00AM - 5:00PM. The loop road from the Presidential Library and Museum to the Gravesite and picnic shelters, and the Village Green Parking Lot (on Parkside Drive across from the Visitor Center) are closed to vehicles and parking from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. The grounds are open 24 hours. The historic buildings have reduced hours of operation throughout the winter.

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.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Know before you go

Drones are banned at almost every park site, and you may not take rocks, plants or artifacts. Pets must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet where they are allowed. Bring no firewood from home.

Nearby

The nearest national park is Gateway Arch, about 219 miles away in a straight line.

Sources

• National Park Service Data API: Herbert Hoover National Historic Site (public domain)
• Official website

Last checked 1 November 2026.