97 Taneytown Rd, Gettysburg, PA 17325-2804
Phone: 717-338-9114 or 717-334-1124
Fax: 717-338-0821
Open All Year
Overview. Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, and his wife, Mamie, bought this 189-acre estate in 1951. It was the only home the couple ever owned. During Eisenhower's presidential term, the farm served as a "temporary White House." Here the Eisenhowers hosted world leaders including Khrushchev, De Gaulle, Adenauer, Nehru, and Churchill. Eisenhower lived here until his death in 1969; two years earlier, he and his wife had deeded the property to the National Park Service. Mamie continued to live at the estate until her death in 1979. The property was opened to the public in 1980.When the Eisenhowers first acquired the estate in the 1950s, they built a two-story, Georgian-style house with the help of architect Milton Osborne of Penn State University. The surrounding grounds were also expanded and extensively landscaped. The decor Mamie chose for the house is all 1950s, with a blend of informal and formal styles. Outside in the yard is a putting green, which was donated by the Professional Golfer's Association of America. What to see and do. You can take a guided tour of the farm and a self-guided tour of the house; tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and may be purchased at the visitor center. If you have a large group, you may want to schedule your tour ten days or more in advance, because tours fill up quickly and are especially crowded during the summer months. Rangers offer interpretive talks out on the lawn during the summer months. You can also take a half-mile, self-guided tour around the grounds and other farm buildings such as the barns where Eisenhower raised his Angus cattle. Eisenhower's original farm equipment is on display. Stop in at the visitor center to pick up a full-color brochure. Special events and activities include a military weekend the third weekend in September and a Christmas with the Eisenhowers festival in December. The site also offers educational programs for school-age children, including a Junior Secret Service Agent program available April through October for children aged 7 to 12 traveling with their family. Living history interpretive programs are presented Memorial Day through mid-October. The site is located near the Gettysburg National Military Park off PA 134. No parking is available. The site is accessible only by a shuttle bus from the National Park Service Visitor Center. Except for major holidays, the estate is open daily from April to October, and Wednesdays through Sundays from November to March.
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