ABOUT THE SITE:
1. What are your hours of operation?
The Andrew Johnson National Historic Site is normally open daily from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. In December - March the site transitions to winter hours of operation and is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The site is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day and at noon on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eves.
2. Is there an admission fee?
No. All four areas of the park are free of charge, but the President's home on Main Street is open by tour only, and you must pick up complementary tickets at the visitor center no later than 15 minutes before the time of the tour. Tickets are not available after this 15 minute cut off. The Homestead is located 2 1/2 blocks from the Visitor Center, and this limit has been initiated to give the guide and the visitors time to reach the Homestead safely, as well as to enable the guide to ready the Homestead for the tour.
3. When are the tours of the President's home?
Tours of the Andrew Johnson Homestead are normally given daily. Tour times are 10:00, 11:00, 2:00, and 3:00. The Homestead is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day and at noon on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's eves. Guided tours are available for the Homestead. On days with limited staffing, tours may be offered at 10:00 and 3:00.
Tours of the Homestead require standing, walking, and negotiating three flights of stairs. There are no public facilities at the Homestead. In the summer and winter, visitors should be advised that over half the rooms have outside porch entrances and that they should dress accordingly. Temperatures fluctuate and can be extreme during the summer and winter months. In times of excessive heat or cold, be aware that the Homestead tours may be cancelled. Check at the Visitor Center for tour availability, or call 423-638-3551.
4. Is there a limit on tour sizes?
Yes, tour sizes are limited to 10 and are on a first-come, first-served basis. Tour groups larger than 10 should call the Visitor Center (423-628-3551) to make arrangements.
5. Where is the Homestead? Can I walk there?
The Homestead is 2 1/2 blocks from the Visitor Center, and many choose to walk to the tour. Ask the Visitor Center attendant for a map. The walk does involve hilly terrain.
6. Is the wallpaper in the home original?
No. The family lived in the Andrew Johnson Home for three generations, until 1956, and they changed the wallpaper during that time. The National Park Service renovated the house for its opening in 1957, and again in 2004-2005. The wallpaper that is in the house now is of the 1869-1875 period when Andrew Johnson returned to Greeneville from Washington, D.C.
7. Are the areas of the park accessible?
The Visitor Center and Administrative Offices are accessible. A desk-copy of a braille brochure is available at the Visitor Center desk, and the orientation film can be shown in Close-Captioning upon request. The Homestead is not accessible, but the park can provide a 22-minute video tour of the home.
8. How long does the orientation film last?
The orientation film, Andrew Johnson: Defender of the Constitution, is 13 1/2 minutes long.
9. Is the Tailor Shop in its original location?
The Tailor Shop is on the spot where Andrew Johnson chose to open his business, across the street from his Early Home in Greeneville. When Andrew Johnson bought the Tailor Shop, according to family tradition, he had it moved from its original location to where it stands today. The state of Tennessee raised the shop and enclosed it in the 1920's.
10. What are the sounds in the Tailor Shop? Is the Tailor Shop haunted?
The sounds you hear in the Tailor Shop are sounds meant to give you a sense of place, an idea of what the shop would've sounded like when it was a thriving place of business.
11. What is the grey building across the street from the parking lot?
The grey building is a replica of Andrew Johnson's birthplace in Raleigh, NC.
12. Where are the restrooms?
The restrooms are located at the Visitor Center. These are the only public facilities in the park.
13. Do you provide vending machines?
No, but there are water fountains available at the Visitor Center during the Spring, Summer, and Fall.
14. How do I get to the site?
See the Directions section of the website.
ABOUT ANDREW JOHNSON:
1. Was Andrew Johnson impeached?
Yes. In 1868 Andrew Johnson became the first President to be impeached by the House of Representatives and tried by the Senate.
2. Does Impeachment mean removal from office?
No. An impeachment is an accusation of wrongdoing for which the person accused stands trial.
3. Why was Andrew Johnson impeached?
See the Impeachment section of the website for an explanation of Andrew Johnson's trial and acquittal.
AROUND TOWN:
1. Where is the Chamber of Commerce?
The Greene County Partnership building houses the Chamber of Commerce and sits on Academy Street, across the street from the Visitor Center parking lot.
2. Where can I stay/get something to eat?
The partnership page also lists area logding and eating places.
3. What is the creek that flows under the Visitor Center and through the back yard of Andrew Johnson's home?
The creek is Richland Creek, and it has its source at the Big Spring behind the library on Main Street. The town was formed around the Big Spring in 1783.
4. Where is the church with the cannonball?
The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is located in downtown Greeneville on the corner of Main and Church Streets. The church was hit with cannon fire during the Civil War.
5. How do I get to the Davy Crockett birthplace?
The David Crockett Birthplace State Park is approximately 19 miles from the Andrew Johnson NHS. If you follow 11E headed north from Greeneville, you will see a brown sign for the park in about 15 miles. Turn right and follow the signs 3 1/2 miles to the park.
