Martin Van Buren's residence, Lindenwald, is tucked away in the peaceful town of Kinderhook, New York. It's a unique window into the life of America's 8th president. I had visited the site years ago when there was a larger visitor center and an introductory video that gave a broader overview of Van Buren's presidency and personal story. Today, the visitor's center has been scaled back to a trailer, and unfortunately, there's very little introductory context provided for those less familiar with Van Buren's role in American history. One of the main displays now focuses on the history of slavery in America. While this is an important topic, its placement here felt somewhat disconnected, as Van Buren neither owned enslaved people nor lived in a slaveholding state during his time at Lindenwald. Given the limited space available, I found myself wishing more of it had been used to explore Van Buren's own political career, personal life, and legacy. They only have a few tour times a day, and the guide cited budget cuts with a roll of her eyes. We waited around a bit for the next tour, but the audio tour around the property wasn't very informative. Once our group tour began, it opened in the empty basement, where much of the discussion centered on the broader legacy of slavery and Sojourner Truth. While those subjects are historically valuable, their connection to Lindenwald itself felt tenuous and overshadowed the site's direct link to Van Buren. It appeared the tour guide had a greater interest in that topic than on the actual topic. Upstairs, the rooms were far more engaging. The main hall was particularly impressive, featuring original design elements and beautiful wallpaper. The guide shared some insight into Van Buren's later life, though key biographical details--such as the early death of his wife--were only briefly mentioned at the end. The tour concluded at a small gift shop with a nice selection of books and keepsakes. Overall, having prior knowledge of Van Buren helped me piece things together, but for first-time visitors, the lack of focus on his presidential legacy may leave them wanting more. I couldn't help but think that some of the funding loss was due to the staff losing sight of the park's primary purpose. Lindenwald remains a special site with strong potential. I hope future interpretive efforts rebalance the content to better highlight Van Buren's contributions and the historical significance of the home itself. read more

See all

An interesting historical tidbit. This historic site includes Van Buren's "gentleman's farm" and estate called Lindenwald. He bought the estate later in his life in 1839. Washington Irving (the famous author) was a notable long-term guest at Lindenwald. Fee: Free Tip: if you want to tour the historic house, budget at least 2 hours because you might show up while a tour is in progress and need to wait for the next tour. read more

See all

This place is definitely interesting. We went on a house tour. It was fun. The park ranger were very knowledgeable. You can still see some of the original furniture. Highly recommended! read more

See all

This is President Van Buren's beloved home, Lindenwald. Later Washington Irving lived here too. I was on a drive and I saw the sign for it, turned back around, to see this place. The Visitor Center is probably the tiniest and worst Visitor Center I have ever seen for a government facility. Their is a tent outside with a park ranger that has information about tours. The next tour was 45 minutes after our arrival and well decided to just walk the grounds and see the exterior of the house. It is quite a lovely home from the outside and can only imagine the inside. There are some photos outside. If you are in the area, pop in to see a piece of US history. I recommend to call to see when the tours start to get here in time to do a tour of the interior. read more

See all

The guide was very knowledgeable and informative. The facility is well kept and is willing to go the extra mile in making your experience memorable. One of the best cup secrets for history in the Albany Capital region. read more

President Martin Van Buren's Kinderhook, NY old homestead has a special spot in US history. It's a wide expanse with tall poplars and Italianate style home. History signs abound. It's free. Plenty of parking along the old road. Divine views and a superb place for a picnic at wood tables. Also: Martin Van Buren was an original pinstripe New York gangsta! Rebel review: 5 read more

See all

Driving by, I saw the sign for this national park. Stopped on a whim, since MVB was not a president that I was not too familiar with. Visited the HQ office, where their staff suggested the house tour. Also, their bathroom was super clean. The hour long tour was very informative and interactive. The guide was very informative and I learned that MVB founded the Democratic Party and started a third party (free soil), which kinda sounds good to me now in these times of political shitshow. All in all, a very good experience. Support your national parks. read more

We loved our stop at the Martin Van Buren home! We had an almost personal tour with the best Park Ranger. A lot of the original furniture left in the house for our ogling. We got to visit the bedroom that President Van Buren passed in. All in all, a must do by all who can! read more

This is a fun statue in the middle of Kinderhook that basically provides a photo opportunity. If you're walking around town, take a moment, sit down beside Bronze Martin, and snap a shot. It will be a nice memory of your visit to the village. read more

Martin Van Buren - View of Martin Van Buren Statue - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Kinderhook, New York

This was so much more fun than I thought it was going to be. Only my husband and I showed up for the tour, which was actually pretty awesome. I was so impressed with Zack the ranger. I feel like I got a real in-depth history lesson and was thoroughly entertained. read more

He was the first US President to be born as an American citizen. He remains the only President not to have spoken English as a child.. He spoke Dutch! He was America's eighth president, and was born and raised in the tiny town of Kinderhook, some 25 miles south of Albany, NY His name was used in a very funny subplot on a Seinfeld episode. This excellent statue shows an older Van Buren sitting on a bench reading a newspaper. He holds a walking stick in his left hand and is groomed with one amazing pair of mutton chop sideburns. A plaque to the side of the bench reads: Martin Van Buren 1782 - 1862 Eighth President of the United States Born, Raised and Buried in the Village of Kinderhook Gift of: Friends of Lindenwald Sculptor: Edward Hlavka Dedicated July 14, 2007 read more

See all

My first thoughts about my visit are, what an extremely knowledgeable staff! Our guide provided so much historical information and made you quickly realized how important Martin Van Buren's political career impacted not only the region, but also the state of New York and our country. Tour wise, your little ones may not make it the full hour and a half. The tour is not self guided so some of the information can be very dry and full of historical facts. The house is also not air conditioned so on a hot 90+ degree day it can get hot inside! I found the Lindenwald estate and the mansion itself to be simple, but beautiful. It isn't a lavish, ridiculously landscaped and well manicured estate, but more of a modest mansion and the grounds match the farm region and town surrounding it. MVB himself seemed like a likeable hard working character. My biggest takeaways were how his political career started with meeting Thomas Jefferson (he believed in his limited government ideals) and ended with being impressed by and supporting a young Abraham Lincoln. The fact that Andrew Jackson selected MVB as his running mate was a first and how Vice Presidents before him were voted in was interesting. MVB may be "forgettable" by some articles, but his political career is certainly intertwined with a time when our country was finding itself post 1776, enduring struggles and debates that came with a growing young nation while heading into the Civil War. All important information and to me an interesting, fact filled tour and visit. read more

It is a beautiful house and the staff is amazing. I always look forward to take our forth grade classes there for our annual field trip.

I did not realize the importance of Martin Van Buren. He was just a name I memorized as a President of the U.S. Stop here and you will learn about the man that created the political parties of today and the way we vote in elections. I love that the house was preserved as best it could be so that you get an idea of what living there was like. This isn't a quick stop so be prepared to spend a couple hours here. read more

I came here with my fiancée back in September and we loved it! The tour is very informative and was very fun. It's always wonderful to learn more about a historical person, especially a President, and you get to learn a ton about President Van Buren. Definitely stop by if you're around Albany and enjoy historical sites! read more

Martin Van Buren - Beautiful building! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Kinderhook, New York

What a fantastic site! I knew very little about Martin Van Buren before coming here; I was actually interested because the home has a connection to Washington Irving. I had intended to go for a few years, mostly just because I thought it was funny there was a whole National Park site devoted to one of the most obscure Presidents in history. I was pleasantly surprised! I took a guided tour of "Lindenwald" (as it's called) in the fall - that by itself is great, if you've never seen this part of New York in the fall. The group was a fairly large one but we had an incredible time. The Park Ranger who gave the tour was very animated and enthusiastic - even with his corny jokes, I couldn't help but be swept into the spirit of it. The house itself, especially on the outside, is gorgeous. If you love historic homes or presidential history, this is definitely worth visiting. read more

Outstanding park ranger tour led by Andrew! Extremely knowledgeable and entertaining with so many fun MVB facts. We learned so much about an often forgotten President. Support your national parks! read more

Who would have ever thought I'd be giving anything to do with Martin Van Buren 5 stars - but if you are close to Kinderhook and have 1-2 hours to spare, make the stop. We took the house tour with Andrew who was an enthusiastic Park Ranger and did a fine job taking us through the history of the house and our 8th prez and did you know he founded the Democratic Party and also brought back the 2 party system? If you have kids make sure you ask for the junior ranger booklets so your kids can complete them and earn some bragging rights with the (likely rare) MVB badges. read more

It's a very nice tour. The building has a lot of secrets and is quite interesting in its decor, and history, and in the mechanical amenities for its time. The grounds are lovely and the scenic ride up the Taconic Parkway is worth the price of admission. Dennis, our National Park Ranger, was a very nice tour guide. He often made us smile with his sense of humor. Our group was small at about 12 people, and the group before us had about eight people on it, so there is plenty of opportunity to ask questions. The tour costs $5 for adults while kids under 12 are free, and it takes under an hour to tour the whole house. There is no air conditioning so I recommend you visit on a cooler summer day or wait until spring or fall. The burial site a mile away has no parking so don't expect to vist the grave site without parking on someone's yard or driveway. There is no street parking. read more

You don't have to be a history geek to enjoy this place, but it probably helps. (Full disclosure: I have an MA in dead white males.) Even if you arrive knowing absolutely nothing about our 8th president, the knowledgeable, enthusiastic guides will bring this obscure figure to life and leave you with a grudging appreciation, at the very least. The house helps to put Van Buren in context, helps you see the world just a little bit through his eyes, rather than judging him in 20/20 hindsight. My tour helped me grasp, in a much more visceral way, the enormous stresses and uncertainties our country faced exactly midway between the Revolution and the Civil War. Given the seismic shifts that were taking place, it's no wonder that Van Buren and his successors were one-term presidents who left a relatively small footprint. Besides fleshing out the MVB political biography, the tour also touches on mid 19th century farming, architecture, design, social life and more. In other words, you'll pack a lot of information into the single hour you're allotted inside the mansion. If I had one criticism, it would be that compressed time frame: I would have loved to spend much more time browsing on my own, rather than shuffling through with a group, but I understand the security concerns and budget constraints. If the short tour leaves you wanting more, there's good information to be found in the adjoining gift shop. read more

Didn't even know that Martin VanBuren was from NY. He helped found both the Democratic and Republican Parties. Who knew? I wonder how many people even know that (I didn't) We had a small group and the building Lindenwald was interesting (ask to ring the doorbell). The Park Rangers were very friendly and knowledgeable and interesting without being boring. Worth a stop! read more

Terrific visit today, thanks to our attentive, pleasant and superbly knowledgeable NPs tour docent, John Slotter. The house, which has passed through 5 subsequent owners until being acquired by the NPS, is almost entirely unchanged from when he occupied it, with about 60% of the furnishings being Van Buren's. The house, the grounds and the history are fascinating. One piece of advice though is there is no 'self tour' to the interior of the house- there is to the grounds- but if you want to see the inside of the house you need to take one of the tours on the hour. read more

We stopped here because we were nearby and thought it isn't often you see anything on Martin Van Buren. We did not take the house tour. We saw the ten minute film which was useful: I forgot more than I expected from high school and college. We walked the grounds and read useful plaques mounted from place to place. It was not very impressive by national park standards but it taught us something. The ranger on duty was friendly and helpful. He was young but will serve well and be promoted. The gift ship had a child's book we bought for a friend's son. Definitely worth 3/4 hour. read more

It was a great experience. The staff was so friendly and knowledgable. It was a beautiful experience and beautiful grounds. Worth a visit especially in the fall. read more