COOL STUFF Teddy’s got a brand new bag: The Roosevelt Inaugural Site enters the 21st century By Elizabeth Licata; photos by kc kratt Look but don’t touch was pretty much all you had to remember about the venerable mansion on Delaware where Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as our president after the unfortunate Pan-Am-buzz-killing McKinley assassination. There was a series of period rooms, kept pretty much exactly as they were when the stunned vice president hastened to his friend Ansley Wilcox’s house from his summer retreat in the Adirondacks. Visitors could look at the rooms and imagine the events. It was a typical historic house experience. A Theodore Roosevelt National Inaugural Site’s new multimedia educational display. The rooms are still there, but the mansion has been augmented by a reconstructed carriage house that serves as a visitors’ center and gift shop. The former entry hall of the original mansion is now a handsome and professional multimedia educational area where visitors can watch videos, have fun with period-themed “games,” and—in a separate room—watch a somber and compelling orientation that unfolds, through voiceover, still imagery, and objects, the historic context for Roosevelt’s ascendency to the presidency. From there, docents lead a tour through the rooms of the mansion, most of which have added hands-on activities to the period displays. Sophistication and high production values are evident throughout the interactive displays and the narratives, enough to enthrall adults as well as school children; it’s perfect for a family visit. After some research, museum staff decided on five pressing issues that would have been at the top of Roosevelt’s mind as he contemplated becoming president: the continuing progress of industry and technology in the U.S., the conservation of natural resources, the ongoing problem of racism and discrimination, poverty, and the exploitation of mineworkers and other labor-related problems. With some tweaks, it’s accurate to say all of these problems are still with us, which only increases the relevance and importance of the Site’s new educational focus. They are unfolded through a creative use of sound, light, still photos and objects in a semi-circular gallery, the last stop before visitors move on to the original period rooms. A Theodore Roosevelt National Inaugural Site’s new multimedia educational display. Upstairs in the renovated mansion, visitors can learn more about what Roosevelt did after he became president, as well as visit a resource room and gallery. Air conditioning and—for the first time—elevators—make the complex completely accessible to a whole new audience. From an often-passed-by curiosity, the Theodore Roosevelt National Inaugural Site has evolved to become a vital, exciting cultural/historic institution. Check it out. Visit www.nps.gov/thri or call 884-0095. All visits are conducted via guided tours, which take place on the half-hour. Elizabeth Licata is editor of Buffalo Spree. SUBSCRIBE NOW Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top