Accessibility

The National Park Service is committed to making facilities and programs at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site accessible. Please contact us with your accessibility questions or concerns.

 

Getting There and Around

An automobile or bicycle are needed to get to Herbert Hoover National Historic Site from out of town, but the park's most-visited features are all within a half-mile walk from each parking lot. When you arrive, get a free park map and guide at the Visitor Center. Get directions »

Parking

Designated parking spaces for persons with disabilities are available in all parking lots. Those spaces are reserved for vehicles which are properly marked with a disability parking permit, such as a license plate or government-issued hang-tag.

Walkways

The historic nature of the site may make visiting difficult for people with disabilities. Most of the ground around the historic buildings is level. The wooden boardwalks may be slippery when wet, so please watch your step. If you plan to tour the historic buildings, it is advised to bring someone to assist you.

Service animals

Service animals, such as seeing-eye dogs, are allowed in buildings while performing their work. About pets »

 

Services

Visitors with Hearing Impairments

Adventure and Great Undertakings, the 12-minute film shown at the Visitor Center is captioned. Assistive listening devices are available from the front desk.

Texts of the self-guided audio tour scripts are available at the Visitor Center.

Visitors may borrow hearing aid adapters for listening devices, also from the Visitor Center.

Teletypewriter for the Deaf (TTY) may be called at [phone]. Requests for information may also be e-mailed or faxed to [phone].

Visitors with Sight Impairments

Dial 1-888-244-4178 and enter the stop number to listen to the self-guided audio tour from your personal phone as you tour the park, or borrow a listening wand from the Visitor Center.

Assistive listening devices with audio description are available from the front desk for the 12-minute film Adventure and Great Undertakings.

Visitors with Mobility Impairments

Hard-surfaced walkways and ramps lead to the publicly accessible buildings, Gravesite, and picnic shelters. The visitor center and Presidential Library and Museum each have switch-operated automatic doors and wheelchairs available for loan.

 

Facilities

Visitor Center

The Visitor Center and its restrooms are wheelchair accessible. Visitors may borrow a wheelchair, texts of the audio tour scripts, listening wands with hearing aid adapters for the audio tour, and a photo album of the Birthplace Cottage. The 12-minute film Adventure and Great Undertakings is captioned. Assistive listening devices provide audio description and hearing assist.

Birthplace Cottage

There are three entrance steps to the front door of the Birthplace Cottage. A wheelchair ramp allows visitors access to the back porch and through the back door. The Birthplace Cottage is a stop on the audio tour.

From November through March, the Birthplace Cottage may be entered only through the front door. The back porch but not the interior will accessible by a ramp. A photo album of the interior is available at the Visitor Center.

Blacksmith Shop

A wooden boardwalk and a ramp lead into the Blacksmith Shop. The Blacksmith Shop is a stop on the audio tour.

Schoolhouse

A ramp leads to the entrance of the Schoolhouse. You must pass over a low threshold to get through the door. The Schoolhouse is a stop on the audio tour.

Friends Meetinghouse

The front entrance to the Friends Meetinghouse is wheelchair accessible, though the doorways may be too narrow for some wheelchairs. The back porch and inside walking surfaces may be slippery when wet. The Friends Meetinghouse is a stop on the audio tour.

Statue of Isis

The Statue of Isis is along a paved walkway between the historic core area and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. The Statue of Isis is a stop on the audio tour.

House of the Maples

The site of the House of the Maples is not wheelchair accessible, but may be approached on the gravel trace of Downey Street. The interpretive marker is on a grass lawn. The House of the Maples is a stop on the audio tour.

Presidential Library and Museum

The Presidential Library and Museum has no steps. The museum galleries, gift shop, water fountain, and restrooms are all wheelchair accessible. The movie is captioned and wheelchair seating is available in the back row. Portions of the permanent exhibits are available on captioned video.

Tallgrass Prairie

The Tallgrass Prairie trails are mowed grass over rolling hills. Paved walkways from the Presidential Library and Museum and Gravesite parking lot lead to the prairie trailheads. Some prairie plants grow along the sidewalk approaching the Gravesite. The prairie may be viewed from a wheelchair-accessible observation deck along the wheelchair-accessible trail to the Gravesite, which passes through part of the prairie.

A prairie garden in front of the Visitor Center displays some common grasses and wildflowers found in tallgrass prairies.

The Tallgrass Prairie is a stop on the audio tour.

Isaac Miles Farmstead

Access to the Isaac Miles Farmstead is by the Tallgrass Prairie trails, which are mowed grass. The buildings of the farmstead are not open to the public. The Isaac Miles Farmstead is a stop on the audio tour.

Gravesite

A wheelchair accessible paved walkway leads to the Gravesite of President and Mrs. Hoover from the Gravesite parking lot. The Gravesite is a stop on the audio tour.

Picnic Shelters

Two picnic shelters are on the north side of Hoover Creek. Parking for persons with disabilities is on the south side of the creek. Visitors can get to the shelters from the parking area by crossing the foot bridge over the creek.

Both picnic shelters are accessible by paved trails. A comfort station by the West Picnic Shelter has one wheelchair accessible restroom stall. A one-inch threshold must be crossed to enter.

Hoover Creek

Hoover Creek may be viewed from the foot bridges near the Birthplace Cottage and the picnic shelters, both of which are wheelchair accessible. Hoover Creek is a stop on the audio tour.

The creek bank areas below ground level, including the areas beneath all bridges are closed to public use. Except for official activities, walking and climbing on the creek banks is prohibited.

Village Green

The parking lot adjacent to the Village Green has handicapped parking spaces. A paved sidewalk leads to a drinking fountain and some picnic tables.