The building is very beautiful. Interesting place. You'll learn a lot about our country's first ladies. If you're in town, this place is worth stopping by. read more

See all

What a wonderful little jam this place is. Was in town for a 24hr class and looked for things to do, this place popped up and they had my all time favorite Jackie O exhibit. I was pleasantly surprised it was so well organized and presented. No cover charge but they take donations. It is located inside a townhouse building and has two floors to explore. Downstairs they have a small movie theater that shows movies about our First Ladies past and present. Also beautiful collection of clothing, and china display from White House. If you have couple hours to kill check them out! read more

See all

This is a great day trip. Would be great for multigenerational Mother's Day activity. They have memorabilia from many First Ladies and a fantastic film highlighting the amazing achievements of these often unrecognized women. You can also take a tour of the Saxton House where Ida McKinley lived with her president husband. It's almost right next door. Parking is very convenient and the First Ladies site is free. read more

See all

We really enjoyed the third Thursday's event on Jackie Kennedy. Beautiful building, interesting lecture and worth the time. Parking is beside the building read more

See all

Finally this site has reopened both for entry into the museum itself and for guided tours of the former house of McKinley. The museum itself was very informative especially of the Canton area history and of the lives of both the former president and, most importantly to the mission of this park, his wife Ida Saxton. He had quite a long political career, cut short by his assassination. Ida was also quite a well-read woman for her time. This park, and the presidency and feminist viewpoints it shows reminded me very much of the home and museum just up north dedicated to President Garfield and his wife. The similarities are almost unnerving. That all said, the house tour was the gem of this site. In the museum the dresses of former first ladies were great to see. Downstairs is a video room with a four episode series on infinite loop with a history on first ladies. I was honestly a bit put off by the lack of a men's restroom. They have only women's and unisex. I get it, why they've done this. I guess. But what's the point? I never realized equality was so one-sided. A final few notes: staff was welcoming and the tour guide was great. Tours have time slots and you can only sign up on site. If you have an annual park pass you'll get a discount and pay only $4 for the tour. read more

See all

This is right up my alley and I really loved visiting. Visitors start at the former bank building, which is currently housing an exhibit dedicated to Nancy Regan on most of the ground floor, and when you go to the lower floor there is a video which is dedicated to the fashion of First Ladies in a small beautiful theater, which was likely once the bank vault. Park Rangers staff the historic site, and there are a handful of tours a day to the Ida Saxton McKinley home, which is just a block or so away. The museum is free, but tours are a very reasonable $7 (and even less if you are a national park pass holder). The best bargain in town! Our tour guide was super knowledgeable and entering the Saxton home, I was awestruck. Much of the house is the restored original architecture and furnishings, although some of it has been restored. It was set up to be demolished at one point in the 80s, as it had housed several storefronts, and had become an eyesore. Thankfully historic preservation took over, and this beautiful home became beautiful once again. Some highlights that stood out to me: - The black walnut....I don't know a whole lot about architecture or carpentry, but I do know this is the most expensive and most durable type of wood. - The lamp in the first floor foyer....someone found it at a flea market in Florida, recognized it from old historic photos of the Saxton house, and brought it back home! - The music box (that still works!) Ida and her sister Mary brought back from Geneva on a trip to Europe when they were young - The displays of slippers that Ida knit when she was facing some health issues. People regarded her as an old sick lady in the corner knitting, but she was actually listening to EVERYTHING that her husband discussed as the President of the United States. After guests or dignitaries would leave their home, she and William would have a conversation about everything that was discussed and he really respected and valued her opinions. William took everything she had observed and that they had discussed into consideration when he made important decisions. - They had two very young children die, and then Ida lost her husband at the Panama Exposition and World's Fair in Buffalo. This woman's life was filled with grief. Makes me sad every time I think about it. - The staff doesn't find either building to be haunted, but I am determined to find out more about this. The buildings are so old, and have had so much trauma. Great place to visit. This is a very well-done museum. I will say that if you are expecting to learn more about First Ladies in general, you may be disappointed, so go in not expecting it to be a tribute to all First Ladies. Instead, go in knowing you'll get a nice piece of Canton history, and you will be pleased. read more

See all

Free parking we spent about :20 walking around the down beautiful inaugural gowns. We didn't see the movie & missed the tour of the Saxton House. read more

See all

Nice museum, for the space that they have. There's certainly a LOT more to say about our nation's First Ladies than they cover in the exhibits. But they try, and admission is free for the museum. The house tour is good, especially if you're interested in the McKinleys. My only disappointment was the museum's gift shop. It's a nice little shop, but it's definitely little. I expected there to at least be more books. I would have loved to purchase a book about the house, or about Ida or William McKinley. But the store's inventory was very limited - mostly consisting of children's books and Christmas ornaments. read more

You definitely want to see this little museum and the house. It is ran by the National Parks, so bring your park pass. It focuses on the the eight First Ladies from Ohio. Fashion is a big display here--dresses, shoes, gloves, hats, jewelry and fans are the main displays. Write ups are on most items and they are very informative. A 30-minute movie tells about each First Lady and the significant role each played. They were the first for many things. Admission includes the McKinley house tour which is very nice. The McKinley house interior of woodwork and wallpaper is beautiful. This house had been used for businesses in the past. It was saved and restored, and has some of the original fixtures and furniture given by the family. The McKinley family seemed to be well liked. William had a stellar career as a politician before he was assassinated. Also visit the McKinley Monument and museum a short drive away. read more

See all

Located in Downtown Canton, Ohio and in two separate locations (walking distance of each other) We parked near the Saxton House (free) and walked over to education center. Very unique set-up with displays upstairs & downstairs, Ranger is located upstairs in a booth that also has some items for sale and most importantly the NP cancelation Stamp- LOL. This site has a special (huge) stamp but you must ask for it. There is a theater downstairs which is really nice. There are restrooms upstairs & downstairs. There are women's and unisex (no mens). The displays are well done and very informative. The high-light of the stop was the tour of the home, Ranger Becky (hope I got right) was amazing, she made me feel like I knew the family after I left. The home is really well restored and set in the correct time period as much as possible. The history of the home & Ida is well worth the visit & Ranger Becky's tour. read more

See all

Not an overtly bad experience but just not memorable or interesting enough to warrant more stars. Don't park at the park garage, there is free parking a little further down the road and there is a big NPS sign that indicates where you can park for free. After Peking you walk not even a full block to the entrance where the museum starts and then continues to the basement which is where you exit from onto the same street to entered on. It's pretty cool that they have some authentic dresses from various First Ladies, and that really about all that I found interesting. There isn't much else to see but there are lots of panels to read about "What it Means to be a Woman'" and "What is Feminism?" and so on. There is a theater in the basement and we decided to skip the movie and just head home after a long day of driving and exploring. Worth and stop but not much else. Maybe I would feel different if the Saxton House was open or there was just more to see and do. Current hours are Wednesday - Saturday, 9am - 4pm (closed Sunday, Monday & Tuesday). read more

See all

Had a wonderful tour at the McKinley house (even though that house was only ever owned by women! Very progressive bunch in the 1800's) and the National Park Ranger at the Library itself was wonderful to talk to. When you arrive, head to the library first, located past the parking garage. There you can purchase a tour ticket for the house and view some formal wear and other items worn by First Ladies. Also - check out their notable First Ladies tree ornaments. They're ornate and quite beautiful. When you tour the house, just enjoy the architecture. These people had MONEY. Curved edges on walls are expensive to create now, probably more than when the house was built and added to. The house is full of artifacts and reproductions to keep it as true to era as possible. The volunteer tour guide gave a great tour as well. read more

National First Ladies Library - Rear/side view of house - Museums Near Me - Canton, Ohio

A small museum in a historic building. I was visiting this site with my family (which includes two seven year olds) so we chose to only tour the museum and not the added guided tour of the mansion. The museum portion is fairly small but the exhibits rotate. When we visited, it focused on Nancy Regan. We learned about her programs (Just Say No being the main one) and saw her fashion (including inaugural gowns) and learned some of her history and background. We also participated in the Junior Ranger program. It was fun and thought provoking, but the kind of activity they could have been completed anywhere. I wish it would have been more tied in to the exhibits (but understand it can't be because of the changing nature of the exhibits). If you don't do the house tour, expect to spend under an hour here. Also, note that there is free parking on the side of the building. Don't park in the paid municipal Garage which is right next door. read more

7-30-19 Spent an hour here and all I seen were First Lady dresses. Luckily we were able to get our stamp at this location. The park is spread out over several buildings. We couldn't figure out what was what from the map. Couldn't get into gift shop. There was a speaker. We clicked it. It rang n rang. No one ever answered. Left disappointed. Hour wasted seeing next to nothing. read more

See all

I'm not sure how this place secured a 4+ star rating. This is a highly disappointing site that does little justice for the women who have served as "first ladies". Much has been accomplished in this role especially since Betty Ford's time in the White House. Unfortunately this site does little to nothing to share the contributions that she and the first ladies since her time have accomplished. And feel free to skip the film that features a terrible actress who fails to capture the brilliance of Mary Todd Lincoln. This is definitely not worth the drive from anywhere. So much could have been done but with other more truthful reviews like this one may be done in the future. read more

What a little gem! Lisa was the ranger on site and she was super knowledgeable and friendly. The exhibits had a lot of info on the role and the changes it has undergone over the years. Fascinating! read more

National First Ladies Library - First Lady Christmas tree! - Museums Near Me - Canton, Ohio

See all

I'm a national parks fanatic, which lead me to this place on the list of National Park Sites in Ohio. That being said, I'd probably have gone here regardless as it sounds cool! But sadly, after visiting, I have to say that America's First Ladies deserve better. The site is two parts- the "library" / museum and then the childhood (and post Presidency) home of First Lady Ida McKinley. We started off in the library which had an exhibit and video about First Ladies inaugural fashion. That's it. Fashion. As if that is all there is to our First Ladies? Not to mention the dresses are not originals - all replicas. Then we were escorted by police (?) using our provided umbrellas (!) to the home. The house tour was far more engaging. We had a lovely tour guide who was very informed on the home and stories during the McKinley's time there. It lasted about 30 minutes. If you're into historical sites and houses you'll love this - tons of original woodworking and artifacts. But again, very limited in scope to just the McKinley's. Glad I went as it was a good and informative experience, but won't be going back. read more

See all

Learned a lot about Ohio born First Ladies. There is a free self guided tour and a $7.00 guided tour of the McKinley home. I did both and got a stamp in my passport for National Parks. The free self guided tour changes so I look forward to seeing what's new next time I'm in the area. I just wish they had a permanent exhibit that represented all first ladies. They have themes and that's great because I didn't realize 7 of the First ladies were from Ohio and what influence they had on the Nation. I'm glad I checked it out and recommend this museum even if you check out the free portion. The memorabilia and film were amazing and I learned so many new things. read more

Hugely disappointing: the museum ignores how the office of the First Lady has grown and developed over time and instead focuses on dresses and tableware. I would not recommend this site to anyone. read more

The National First Ladies Library is run by a non-profit organization and is in conjunction with the National Park Service who maintains the Saxon House down the street. You can get a tour of both the Library in the old City National Bank building and the Saxon house for $7. The tour starts in the bank building where one can see many displays of different dresses and gifts to the first ladies. The tour continues to the basement for a renovated theater. The library is mostly for research and is off limits to the public except by appointment. The tour continues to the Saxon house which was owned by President McKinley's wife's sister. The tour of the house is guided by a costumed docent who is dressed as one of the First Ladies. The house is the only structure left that was tied to McKinley. He stayed with his wife's sister during recess when he was in Congress. I thought the tour of the bank building took longer than was necessary and wasn't very interesting. That part alone took almost an hour and didn't have anything very historical about it. The tour at the Saxon house took another hour and a half. The docent just described the house but didn't have a fixed script. Sometimes it was very difficult to follow what the docent was talking about. It was an interesting place, but I don't recommend going here unless you don't have anything else to do in Canton. read more

We went because we wanted to get our stamp for the passports and learn about our First Ladies. It was a cute little museum and video that really focused more on the first ladies of Ohio, than overall with them. I'd say if you're in the area, you can add this to your list of things to do. I enjoyed the house tour associated with it. I learned a lot from it, but I think there is much potential with this place for them to do more!! read more

Our tour started at the library - we began in the lower level/basement seeing some non-First Ladies related displays and waited in the little theater for another tour group to finish before we could go back upstairs. Once we moved upstairs we watched a clip about the history of the education center and a bit about the current exhibit ("Mom in Chief") talking about how the first ladies handled things like marriage, death, etc in the White House. Then it was on to wander around the glass displays of dresses and such. The second part of the tour is the Saxton house, which was far more interesting as there's more to see. It was a bit crowded with our group of 13 people, however, and can feel a bit cramped when you're all trying to fit into the narrow areas to listen to the guide explain the different rooms. read more

I enjoyed my visit to the First Ladies Library and Saxon House. The library is really a small venue, which doesn't really need a tour. It should be more of a browse venue. It would be nice if they actually had the library open for visitors to see and utilize. The Saxon house is the highlight of the tour. It is a restored Victorian style home furnished in period furniture. It contains artifacts from the McKinley family and some artifacts from other presidents wives. The tour guide was really knowledgeable and spoke about the residence, the McKinley family and other president's wives. I found the visit well worth my time. The visit was well worth the time. The venue is not suitable for small children. read more

Absolutely loved walking through here. The parking situation is a little odd but the the tour is worth it. Don't miss out.

Very disappointed that we did not get to see the museum. They have too many rules. As for making an appointment to take the tour. Showed up at the wrong building. Just too many hoops. read more