Sagamore Hill was the home of Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States, from 1886 until his death on January 6, 1919. Used as the "Summer White House" from 1902 to 1908, it was the focus of national attention during his presidency. At other times, it was simply the home of a rather amazing fellow.

According to Pulitzer Prize winning biographer, Edmund Morris and other accounts, Roosevelt was a family-centered father of six children who ended his workday at 4 PM so he could go play with the kids, America's first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, diplomat, internationalist, naval historian, naval strategist, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, historian, biographer, essayist, editor, columnist, critic, paleontologist, taxidermist, ornithologist, field naturalist, conservationist, big game hunter, world-class expert on big-game animals, country squire, horseman, socialite, patron of the arts, colonel of the cavalry, combat commander, civil service reformer, New York City police commissioner, third place finisher in a race for New York City mayor, North Dakota deputy sheriff, Governor of New York and Vice-President of the United States.

Today, his Sagamore Hill home is furnished as it was during his busy lifetime.

• The grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk.
• The the site is open daily except for Thanksgiving, December 25 and January 1.
• The Visitor Center/Bookstore is open from 9 AM to 4:30 PM.
• The Theodore Roosevelt Museum at the Old Orchard House is open from 9 AM to 4:45 PM.
• The Theodore Roosevelt home is open daily for tours throughout the summer from 9:30 AM to 4 PM.

Check the current weather. New York's LaGuardia Airport (30 miles west) via Intellicast.com or  Farmingdale, New York (10 miles to southeast) via Weather.com.

Sagamore Hill is about one city block wide and three city blocks long. Walking is the primary means of transportation.

Admission to the Theodore Roosevelt home is by guided tour only. Tours cost $5 for those age 17 and older. Children age 16 and under are free. Federal Recreation Fee passports (Golden Age, Golden Access, Golden Eagle), are honored and sold at the visitor center.

Exhibits
The Old Orchard Museum is a Georgian-styled home built by President Roosevelt's eldest son, General Ted Roosevelt, Jr. in 1938. Now the park's museum, Old Orchard has exhibits and films on President Roosevelt's political career, his family life at Sagamore Hill and the lives of his six children.

Theodore Roosevelt Home Constructed in 1884-1885, Theodore Roosevelt envisioned a large, sturdy, rambling three story, Queen Anne-style home. Placed on a hilltop, the house had wide porches to catch the breezes and views of Long Island Sound and Oyster Bay.

Programs & Activities
Guided tours of the Theodore Roosevelt home during the winter season are conducted every 30 minutes from 9:30 AM to 4 PM daily, Wednesday - Sunday. Starting Memorial Day, the home is open for tours daily. Free 45 minute grounds walks are typically offered on weekend afternoons. A tentative schedule of special events is provided on our web page: "Happenings," or call (516) 922-4788 for more information.

Trails, Roadways
Paved pedestrian paths lead from a central parking lot to the Old Orchard Museum, Visitor Center/Bookstore and along the grounds of the Roosevelt's home. A moderately steep and minimally improved loop trail follows along the old carriage road to the old family tennis court. Cycling is limited to the entrance road and parking lot.

Lodging and Camping Facilities
None are present at the site. Lodging is available in East Norwich (4 miles southwest at State Routes 106 and 25A), Syosset/Woodbury (6 miles south along State Route 25-Jericho Turnpike) or Cold Spring Harbor (5 miles east along State Route 25A). Check http://www.island-metro.com/lodging in eastern Nassau or western Suffolk Counties for additional information. Camping facilities are open seasonally and very limited in the immediate area.

Food, Supplies
Local restaurants and grocery stores are located in and around the Oyster Bay Village business district, 3 miles / 10 minutes west of the park. Other than soft drink machines, there is no food service available at the site.

Accessibility
Access to all facilities from the parking lot is by asphalt paved sidewalks. A wheelchair is available for loan (a photo ID held as deposit) at the visitor center.

Parking for the Roosevelt home is available within 100 yards. Only the first floor of the Theodore Roosevelt home is accessible. Park staff erects a portable ramp at the front porch as needed. Please inform park staff of special needs as you obtain tour tickets of the Roosevelt home

Parking at Old Orchard is within 150 yards or closer parking or drop-off at the door is available, ask visitor center staff. The Old Orchard Museum has a set of three low steps that require assistance or ground level entry is by a rear door.

The visitor center/bookstore and restrooms are accessible by ramps at the back of the building.

Group Tour Information
Reservations are required for groups of 12 to 60 people to tour the Theodore Roosevelt home. Advance arrangements are required at least two weeks to one year prior to the planned visit. Availability of group tours is very limited during periods of high visitation. Educational groups are typically scheduled for the morning at 10 AM and often booked many months in advance.

Commercial tour groups are scheduled on a space available basis in the afternoons at 2 PM and 10 AM in the summer season. Reservations are typically canceled for groups failing to arrive at their appointed time. Call the group reservations coordinator at (516) 922-4788 for more information.

• Admission to the Theodore Roosevelt home is with a ticket for a guided tour ONLY. Self-guided tours are not available.

• Tickets are offered on a first-come-first serve basis ONLY on the day of the tour.

• No advance reservations are accepted, but the savvy traveler can pick up, tickets early in the morning for a later afternoon tour to allow shopping or sightseeing on Long Island (Example: pick up tour tickets at 9 AM for a 4 PM tour).

• Tours are conducted every 30 minutes, last about 45 minutes long and are limited to 12 people per tour. During the course of a busy day, only 300-350 people will be able to tour the Roosevelt home.
  
• Tours often sell out by early afternoon (1-2 PM) during periods of high visitation , so pick up tour tickets at the Visitor Center when you first arrive at the site.

High visitation to Sagamore Hill occurs during:

• Summer vacation season with every day in August being very busy.

• Weekend afternoons spring through fall, especially during good weather.

• School holidays (Thanksgiving Weekend, Winter Break - the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, Spring Breaks - including the weeks of Passover and Easter).

• Any Federal Holiday.

For those who do get tickets in the afternoon on busy days, a wait of 1.5 to 2 hours to see the home is not uncommon. The wait often provides time to visit the museum at Old Orchard, stroll the grounds or visit Theodore Roosevelt's grave at Youngs Memorial Cemetery, 1.5 miles away.

The best times to tour the Theodore Roosevelt home:

• Weekdays - Afternoons during the school year. Mornings during the summer vacation season or school holidays.
  
• Weekends and Holidays - Mornings before until 12 Noon.
  

The Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery currently has a traveling exhibit, Theodore Roosevelt: Icon of the American Century.