Roosevelt's Little White House State Historic Site

Franklin Delano Roosevelt built the Little White House in 1932 while governor of New York, prior to being inaugurated as president in 1933. He first came to Warm Springs in 1924 hoping to find a cure for the infantile paralysis (polio) that had struck him in 1921. Swimming in the warm, buoyant spring waters brought him no miracle cure, but it did bring improvement. During FDR's presidency and the Great Depression, he developed many New Deal Programs (such as the Rural Electrification Administration) based upon his experiences in this small town.

While posing for a portrait on April 12, 1945, FDR suffered a stroke and died a short while later. Today, the unfinished portrait is featured in a new museum that showcases many exhibits, including FDR's 1938 Ford convertible with hand controls, his Fireside Chats playing over a 1930s radio, his stagecoach and a theater. Visitors can tour FDR's home, which has been carefully preserved very much as he left it. A two-hour guided tour will be offered to groups of 15 to 20 people.