2014 Remembrance of John F. Kennedy

Wreath placed at John F. Kennedy's birthplace to mark the 50th anniversary of his death.

NPS

News Release Date: November 7, 2014

Contact: Jim Roberts, 617-566-7937

John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site (NHS) will open for a special commemorative weekend on Saturday, November 22 & Sunday, November 23. The site will be open both days from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM. Self-guided tours of JFK's birthplace will be available throughout the day on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, November 22 at 2:00 PM, the site will conduct a brief memorial ceremony to honor the legacy of President Kennedy. The ceremony will be held in front of the birthplace on Beals Street. For more information or specific questions, please call 617-566-7937.

In 1963, the town of Brookline paid "Final Tribute To Its Most Eminent Son" with a large memorial service in front of the president's birthplace at 83 Beals Street in Brookline, Massachusetts. Town officials, church leaders, Brookline High School students, and citizens gathered at 83 Beals Street to pay their respects. The house, a private residence at that time, was repurchased by the Kennedy family in 1966 and gifted to the National Park Service in 1969.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy NHS preserves the birthplace and early boyhood home of the 35th President of the United States. The modest house was the first home shared by the president's parents, Joseph P. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. John F. Kennedy, the second of nine children, spent his formative years in Brookline as his family began its rise to national prominence.In 1967, Mrs. Kennedy returned to 83 Beals Street to commemorate her son's life, recreating his birthplace to her recollection of its 1917 appearance.

Except for the special November 22 & 23 opening, the site is closed for the winter and reopens to the public in May 2015. For information on touring the home during the winter, please click here.