The office of the President of the United States has been a revered position since its inception. Most presidents have lived in the White House during their time in office, except for George Washington who oversaw the construction of the White House. However, the National Park Service and other historic landmark societies have kept the presidents’ birthplaces, vacation homes, as well as homes lived in before and after their terms in good condition. These presidential homes make for great stops along the way for history buffs and casual travelers in the city of choice. Here are six presidential homes around the United States to visit.

General Ulysses S. Grant’s Cottage State Historic Site

General Ulysses S. Grant passed away from throat cancer on July 23, 1885, in Joseph W. Drexel’s Adirondack cabin. On June 16, 1885, President Grant arrived at the cottage with a large group of relatives, friends, servants, and doctors to finish writing his memoirs. Four days after his final proofreading, he passed away.

The Grant family stayed in the cottage for six weeks in 1885, and it is still practically the same now. Visitors visiting the cottage can explore the roomy porch, look around the four rooms, and see the flower arrangements that were left over from Grant’s funeral on August 4.

The Adirondacks in the north, the Green Mountains of Vermont in the east, and the Catskills in the south command a magnificent view of the Hudson Valley from the Eastern Outlook, which is accessible via a short route. The State of New York established the Grant Cottage State Historic site in 1957, and it is their property. The Friends of the Ulysses S. Grant Cottage run its operations.

In 2021, Grant Cottage State Historic Site was designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Cottage Porch Chats are held Wednesdays at noon periodically throughout the season. Please check out the Friend’s website for details.

John Quincy Adams’ Peacefield

Adams National Historical Park was designated as part of the National Park Service in 1946 to commemorate the distinguished men and women of the Adams family who dedicated their lives to the development and service of the United States. The thirteen-acre park is comprised of the Birthplaces of John Adams and John Quincy Adams; the Old House at Peace field, home to four generations of the Adams family; and the Stone Library. The park Visitor Center is located in Quincy Center and sits halfway between the birthplace homes and the Old House at Peace field. Park Rangers will meet you at each historic home for the tour. Full park tours will start at the Presidential Birthplaces located at 141 Franklin St. Quincy, MA 02169. With Recreation.gov confirmation email in hand, visitors can proceed directly to the home sites for their tour times.Trolley transportation is currently unavailable. We recommend planning on 2 1/2 to 3 hours to tour the park.

The Saxton-McKinley House

The Saxton-McKinley House is not only a stunning example of Victorian architecture, but it is also the final dwelling directly related to Ida and William McKinley in their Ohio hometown of Canton. The house was owned by Ida Saxton McKinley’s family from the time of her birth until 1919. Furthermore, throughout William McKinley’s tenure in the US House of Representatives, from 1878 to 1891, the house was Mr. and Mrs. McKinley’s principal home.

Similar to numerous other historic homes, the Saxton-McKinley House was built in phases. The home’s back was constructed in 1841 by Ida’s maternal grandpa, George Dewalt. Later on, George would leave the house to Katherine Dewalt and John Saxton, Ida’s parents. To accommodate his big family, which included Katherine, Ida and her two siblings, and their grandfather Dewalt, John constructed the front section of the house in 1870.

Lincoln Home National Historic Site

Springfield, Illinois’s Lincoln residence has been brought back to resemble it did in the 1860s. Take a tour of the home, go around the neighborhood, and live like Lincoln did.

“My friends No one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything.”

A sentimental On February 11, 1861, Abraham Lincoln began his farewell speech to the people of Springfield, Illinois, with these lines. Lincoln was leaving the house he and his family had occupied for seventeen years, as well as his friends and neighbors of twenty-four years, to take office as president of a country that was about to enter the Civil War.

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello (1801–1809)

Our third president was Thomas Jefferson, a fellow Founding Father and primary drafter of the Declaration of Independence. At the age of 26, he acquired Monticello,meaning “little mountain,” which is named for the 850-foot hilltop in Charlottesville, Virginia. While serving as Minister to France, he enhanced the neoclassical plantation house by adding French characteristics that were well ahead of their time. Along with his vacation residence, Poplar Forest near Forest, Virginia, Monticello showcased his architectural genius and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Historic Landmark.

George Washington’s Mt. Vernon (1789–1797)

George Washington, the legendary general who guided his nation to victory in the American Revolution, was our nation’s first president. Situated in Virginia, approximately 13 miles south of Washington, D.C., Mt. Vernon, his historic home and estate, is now recognized as a National Historic Landmark. The land had been in the family since 1674; his father had constructed the first house in 1754, and in the 1770s, Washington added a storey and a half. Although the house is a classic southern plantation, I spent several minutes in a state of pleasure sitting on the spacious patio in back and gazing over the expansive, historic Potomac River.