About the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum opened to the public on August 10, 1962, the 31st president's 88th birthday, with former President Harry Truman in attendance. It is one of 16 presidential libraries run by the National Archives and Records Administration under the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955, which means it is an archive and museum rather than a lending library. The original building was just over 4,000 square feet; additions followed in 1964, 1971, 1974, and 1992, when the museum grew from 32,000 to 44,500 square feet and was rededicated on August 8, 1992, by former President Ronald Reagan.
The library stands on the grounds of the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in West Branch, the Quaker town where Hoover was born in 1874. The park unit around it preserves his birthplace cottage, a blacksmith shop like the one his father ran, a one-room schoolhouse, and the Friends meetinghouse, and Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover are buried on a rise overlooking the library. The permanent galleries trace Hoover's fifty years of public service, from mining engineer and wartime relief organizer to president and elder statesman, and a large temporary gallery hosts changing exhibits. The complex also includes a 180-seat auditorium, a multi-purpose room, and a conference room. The permanent galleries have been undergoing a complete renovation planned to conclude in summer 2026; confirm their status before a trip.
Collections and Research Services
The archives hold the personal papers of Herbert Hoover and First Lady Lou Henry Hoover, copies of selected National Archives records from federal agencies and national conferences tied to Hoover, and roughly 300 additional collections from people who worked with him or shared his interests. Subjects run well beyond the presidency: atomic energy, aviation, international relief, journalism, agricultural economics, non-interventionism before World War II, mid-century conservative thought, and the papers of author Laura Ingalls Wilder. Audiovisual holdings include about 30,000 photographs, 700 video recordings, and 390 audio recordings, and the Research Room has a reference book collection and microfilm.
The Research Room is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 4:15 p.m., except federal holidays. Researchers complete a Research Application Form and show photo ID; an appointment is strongly encouraged so archivists can gauge how much material exists on your topic and pull it ahead of time. Remote questions can be emailed to hoover.library@nara.gov, and museum artifact collections are viewable by appointment only. The Hoover Presidential Foundation funds a travel grant for graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and independent researchers. Finding aids for many collections are also in the National Archives online catalog. For tracing your own family rather than the Hoovers, see our guide to free family history research.
Planning Your Visit
The library and museum is at 210 Parkside Drive, West Branch, Iowa 52358, a quarter mile north of Interstate 80 at Exit 254, 10 miles east of Iowa City and 50 miles west of the Quad Cities. It is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission is $12 for adults 19 to 61, $10 for seniors 62 and over, active or retired military, and college students with ID, $5 for ages 6 to 18, and free for children 5 and under and Hoover Presidential Foundation members; tickets can be bought in advance online. Self-guided group tours are scheduled by calling 319-259-8331. Accessible parking is next to the Visitor Center, wheelchairs are free on a first-come basis, scooters are allowed, and videos are closed-captioned. No food is sold on site, but West Branch has restaurants. A free exhibit app offers orientation videos and scavenger hunts. Details are at hoover.archives.gov. Also in Iowa, the State Historical Society of Iowa keeps the state archives and Living History Farms in Urbandale recreates three centuries of Iowa farming.
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