Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum

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Great historical museum and park. Birthplace of President Hoover. Many of the old buildings which were present during Hoover’s life in West Branch are still present. Demonstrations such as the blacksmith. Staff dress for the period (long dresses). HUGE museum filled with artifacts from Hoover and the depression era. Excellent tours. Gravesite for Hoover and his wife Lou Henry Hoover (founder of Girl Scouts!). more

One of the best things you could visit is the Hoover Birthday Celebration. It is the first weekend in August every year. Former President Hoover's birthday is August 10th. The fireworks display on Saturday night is fantastic. The local symphony plays music. There are many different activities going on in town for the three-day celebration. more

If you have been there, you need to visit at least once. They have a rotating exhibit, so you may want to call first to see what the main exhibit is in the library. There are also other buildings to visit as well. Quaker Meeting house, blacksmith shop (sometimes there is a blacksmith working), birthplace cottage, gravesite, prairie land and schoolhouse. There is a statue of Isis on display outside. There are boardwalks around the buildings. There is no charge for school groups. You only pay entry fee to the library museum. It is free to walk around the park. Be sure to visit the park service building connected to the post office. There is a ranger program for kids. There is a booklet for the kids to answer questions. When they are done they get a ranger badge and can stamp their booklets with a special stamp. A great way to get the kids involved in the tour. Here is a great site for students to use when doing research: http://www.ecommcode.com/hoover/hooveronline/ more