Is there an entrance fee?

NPS lists Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site as a fee-free park with no entrance fee.

Are the Val-Kill Cottage tours free?

NPS says tour tickets are free, but spaces are limited and given out in person first come, first served.

When is the site closed for the winter?

NPS lists a winter and early spring closure for Val-Kill Cottage tours from 2026-11-01 to 2027-05-21.

NPS lists pets as permitted on Top Cottage Trail, Eleanor's Walk and Farm Lane Trail. Where pets are allowed, they must be crated, caged or on a leash no longer than six feet.

All parks › Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site

Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site: fees, hours, camping and when to visit

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on National Park Service data. Published by Humblebee.

Entrance fee: None^[1]
Busiest month (2025): September^[2]
Recreation visits, 2025: 13,586^[3]
Visitor centers: 1^[4]

Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in New York^[5]. NPS lists it as a fee-free park with no entrance fee^[1].

Entrance fees and passes

The National Park Service lists no entrance fee for Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site^[1]. Some tours, campgrounds or permits inside a park can still have their own fees.

When to visit and hours

NPS says Val-Kill Cottage can be seen only on a guided tour, offered in summer and fall^[6]. Tour start times listed by NPS run from 9:30 AM for the first tour to 4:00 PM for the last^[6]. NPS lists a winter and early spring closure from 2026-11-01 to 2027-05-21^[6]. NPS lists the grounds as open every day apart from three holidays, which are New Years Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas^[7]. In 2025 the busiest month was September with 3,838 recreation visits^[2]. NPS describes peak leaf season as mid-October^[8].

Recreation visits counted by the National Park Service in each month of 2025. The busiest month, September, is highlighted^[2].

Show visits by month

Month, 2025	Recreation visits
January	269
February	124
March	465
April	468
May	886
June	2,263
July	2,263
August	2,542
September	3,838
October	98
November	218
December	152

Show visits by year

Year	Recreation visits
2021^[3]	12,414
2022^[3]	19,076
2023^[3]	17,190
2024^[3]	23,699
2025^[3]	13,586

Pets and dogs

The national NPS pet rule says pets must be crated, caged or on a leash no longer than six feet where they are allowed, and they are not allowed in public buildings^[9]. NPS lists pets as permitted on 3 of the 8 things to do: Top Cottage Trail, Eleanor's Walk and Farm Lane Trail^[10].

Before you go

Tour tickets are listed as free, and spaces are limited and handed out in person first come, first served^[6].
Tours start at the Stone Cottage Visitor Center^[6].
NPS notes that tour times can vary and differ from general park hours^[6]^[7].
Hours and rules change, so confirm on the official NPS park page before a trip^[7].

Questions people ask

Is there an entrance fee?: NPS lists Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site as a fee-free park with no entrance fee^[1].
Are the Val-Kill Cottage tours free?: NPS says tour tickets are free, but spaces are limited and given out in person first come, first served^[6].
When is the site closed for the winter?: NPS lists a winter and early spring closure for Val-Kill Cottage tours from 2026-11-01 to 2027-05-21^[6].
Are dogs allowed?: NPS lists pets as permitted on Top Cottage Trail, Eleanor's Walk and Farm Lane Trail^[10]. Where pets are allowed, they must be crated, caged or on a leash no longer than six feet^[9].

Facts and sources

NPS lists Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site as a fee-free park: there is no entrance fee. National Park Service
NPS recreation visits by month, 2025 (chart on this page). NPS Visitor Use Statistics
NPS recreation visits per year: 2021: 12,414, 2022: 19,076, 2023: 17,190, 2024: 23,699, 2025: 13,586. NPS Visitor Use Statistics
Visitor centers listed by NPS: 1 (Stone Cottage Visitor Center). National Park Service
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site is a unit of the U.S. National Park System (designation: National Historic Site) in New York. National Park Service
Operating hours, Val-Kill Cottage Tours: Eleanor Roosevelt's Val-Kill Cottage is open in the summer and fall months by guided tour only. Tickets for tours are FREE, but tour spaces are limited and distributed in-person on a first come, first served basis... National Park Service
Operating hours, Park Grounds, Gardens, and Trails: Park hours vary by season. The grounds are open daily, except for New Years Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Tour times of Eleanor's cottage are different than general park hours. Please look... National Park Service
NPS weather and seasons overview for Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site. National Park Service
National Park Service rule 36 CFR 2.15: where pets are allowed they must be crated, caged or on a leash no longer than six feet at all times, and pets are not allowed in public buildings, on public transportation or on designated swimming beaches (service... eCFR, 36 CFR 2.15
NPS lists 8 things to do at Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site: Tour Val-Kill Cottage, Top Cottage Trail, Stone Cottage Visitor Center, Explore the FDR Presidential Library Exhibits, View the Park Film: Rendezvous with History, Close to Home,... National Park Service

Fees and hours are what NPS lists in its data at the snapshot date. They change: tell readers to confirm on the official park page before a trip. Visits are NPS recreation visits (counted entries, not unique people). Use them only for this park's own months and years, never to rank parks. Campground list and site counts come from NPS and Recreation.gov records. Count fields can differ slightly between the two. The pet rule is the national baseline (36 CFR 2.15). The park may close more areas to pets. Do not claim specific trails allow dogs unless a fact says so.