President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site
4.4(454)google
Historic BuildingHistoryEducational
Overview
The President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site is located in Hope, Arkansas. Built in 1917 by H. S. Garrett, in this house the 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton, spent the first four years of his life, having been born on August 19, 1946, at Julia Chester Hospital in Hope, Arkansas. The house was owned by Clinton's maternal grandparents, Edith Grisham and James Eldridge Cassidy, and they cared for him when his mother, Virginia, was away working as an anesthetist in New Orleans.
Practical Info
Mon9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Tue9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Wed9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
ThuClosed
Fri9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Sat9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Sun9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Suggested Duration1-1.5 hours
Best TimeYear-round accessibility, featuring complimentary guided interior ranger tours. Planning your arrival between 9:00 AM and 11:30 AM is ideal; the morning sun directly lights up the front porch of this historic 1917 white frame house where President Bill Clinton spent his formative early childhood years, making it excellent for exterior photography.
Getting TherePerfectly positioned in downtown Hope at 117 S Hervey St. Driving is remarkably simple: off I-30, take Exit 30 for AR-29 S (Hervey St) and drive south straight for 2.5 miles across the rail tracks. The historic home sits highly visible on your right, featuring its own dedicated, complimentary paved passenger parking lot directly behind the visitor center.
Travel Tips
- The 1917 framing of the historic residence permits fewer than 10 visitors inside narrow upper rooms per ranger-led rotation due to structural limits. Midday walk-ups face multi-hour seating backlogs; the final formal interpretive entry shuts down completely at 04:15 PM daily.
- Operating under federal agency safety mandates, the historic core blocks personal carry items measuring over 12 x 12 inches. Monopods and rigid luggage frames are barred from home entry, and because no on-site baggage checks exist, gear must remain locked in cars.
- The immediate narrow asphalt lanes edging the historic property are designated emergency clearways. Extended RV rigs and dual-axle travel trailers parking at the curb will be instantly towed for corridor obstruction; redirect these setups to the heavy bus lot two blocks west.
Reviews
Positive
- It provides a warm and vivid look into President Clinton's early childhood home, preserving beautiful 1940s-era vintage home decor.
- NPS managed, the official guides deliver high-quality tours, weaving presidential anecdotes seamlessly with deep Southern small-town history.
- Entry is entirely free, and the visitor center lobby offers spotlessly clean restrooms and a mini photo gallery perfect for road-trippers.
- The walking grounds are lovely, featuring a historic wraparound porch and manicured gardens under excellent, quiet security management.
Heads up
- The interior rooms are extremely tiny and cramped; strict occupancy caps mean you frequently wait outside in line during peak periods.
- Without a guided tour commentary, walking through the bare historic house self-guided takes less than 15 minutes due to sparse artifacts.
- Situated in Hope's sleepy old downtown, the immediate neighborhood is economically dated, with few modern dining or coffee choices nearby.
- As an authentic 1940s frame home, the wooden stairs to the second-floor bedroom are narrow and steep, offering zero wheelchair accessibility.