Learn About the Park

The staff at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site is planning a prescription burn in the reconstructed tallgrass prairie. Because prescribed burns are so dependent on weather conditions, we have been keeping an eye on the weather outlook over the last few weeks. Per the National Park Service Fire Management Officer (FMO) who oversees the fire program for us, next week has been identified as the best time this fall to hold a prescribed burn.

The Herbert Hoover NHS will offer several programs and performances during the 'A Christmas Past' event on December 6 - 7.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site to Host Night Hike Nature doesn’t go to sleep when the sun goes down. The park remains full of activity in the darkness as the night takes over. The staff at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site want to give visitors a chance to see the park after dark. Experience the sights, touches, sounds, and smells by joining the Herbert Hoover NHS naturalist intern for a Night Hike along the tallgrass prairie near park loop road Saturday, November 25. Meet in front of the visitor center at 110 Parkside Dr. in West Branch at 5:15pm to gather. The half-mile hike will be from 5:30-6:30 p.m. This event is free and open to all ages. This will be an evening exploration to give participants a feel for what goes on in nature during the night.  Hikers may hear coyotes howling or owls calling for their mates. You may even smell a conifer scent along the trail. The moon will be almost full and if the night is clear, it will cast pools of dappled moonglow through the trees and constellations through the sky. Folklore and other stories may be shared through the night walk. Participants should bring a small flashlight or headlamp and dress for the weather. Red lenses on flashlights are encouraged. Red cellophane will be provided with rubber bands to cover regular flashlights if needed. Programs may be canceled due to inclement weather.

Take a step back in time as you stroll through the park’s historic neighborhood decorated and illuminated in period-appropriate, festive style.

Join a park ranger at 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 11th, for a presentation about Hoover’s policies and actions involving veterans.

If you have ever wondered about the native trees of Iowa, please join Herbert Hoover NHS staff for a guided tree walk on Saturday, October 14, at 10 a.m. The walk will begin at the Park Visitor Center and will last approximately an hour and a half. Nearly three dozen different varieties of trees are found in the park, including a wide variety of native species and some unusual trees from other parts of the country. The unique history of some of the trees will also be highlighted during the tour. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes and plan on walking a full mile.

West Branch, IA – On September 23, 2023, tens of thousands of volunteers across the country will join in trail maintenance and planting projects, trash pick-ups, and other activities aimed at restoring and caring for our public lands to celebrate the 30th annual National Public Lands Day (NPLD).

A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 103,804 visitors to Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in 2022 spent $6,855,000 in communities near the park. That spending supported 101 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $9,144,000.

Herbert Hoover National Historical Site will host meetings on Wednesday, May 24th at the Coralville Public Library (Iowa City) and on Thursday, May 25th at 5:30PM at the Rummells Center (West Branch) about current and future opportunities for visitor use of the park’s tallgrass prairie(prairie).

The birthplace of Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States, will host “A Christmas Past” December 2nd and 3rd.

Part of the National Archives, the presidential library allows people to explore the legacy of Herbert Hoover's presidency. Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum opened to the public on August 10, 1962— Herbert Hoover's 88th birthday. The library's original entrance, which is the small portico at the east end of the building supported by four white pillars and topped with an earlier version of the presidential seal, is where the dedication took place.

The bronze, seven and a half foot tall statue "Isis, Goddess of Life" is the work of Belgian sculptor Auguste Puttemans. It was a gift from the people of Belgium in gratitude for Hoover's famine relief efforts on their behalf during the First World War.

Herbert Hoover grew up in a religious community that valued peace, simplicity, integrity, and service to others. The plainly furnished Friends Meetinghouse, built by the Society of Friends, or Quakers, in 1857, is the physical expression of those values. Now two blocks from its original location, the Herbert Hoover Birthplace Foundation relocated and restored this meetinghouse in 1964.

Hannah Varney built this house in 1899 shortly after divorcing her husband. The West Branch Times described the house as being of "fine appearance and finished in modern style."

Herbert Hoover recalled, "Iowa in those years was filled with days of school, and who does not remember with a glow, some gentle woman, who with infinite patience and kindness, drilled into us those foundations of all we know today."

Amanda Garvin was a single 35-year old woman when she bought this property in 1870 for $90.00. She had this cottage built by 1872. The Garvin house is a wonderful example of the Gothic Revival style with its steeply pitched roof, gingerbread bargeboard trim, and ornamental arches framing the open front porch.

Decorative patchwork quilts, along with wool bedspreads woven on family looms, kept everyone warm when the woodstove’s fire died out in the middle of the night.

Charles E. Smith was a carpenter and a Civil War veteran. In 1903, he completed his dream home for himself and his wife, Deborah, atop Cooks Hill where each spring, he would tap his maple trees to make maple syrup. The National Park Service relocated it near Herbert Hoover's birthplace in 1969.

Jesse Hoover, father of the future president, earned a living in his blacksmith shop and later opened a farm implement business.

West Branch's first schoolhouse occupied a one-acre lot here from 1853 until 1870. Nate Crook owned and operated a barber shop and restaurant in this building in 1871. By 1877 he had expanded his operation to include a hotel and livery. Over the years the building has housed several hotels and restaurants.

Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports.

Monitoring breeding bird populations helps scientists and park managers evaluate the health of the prairie ecosystem at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.

The tallgrass prairie reconstructed here offer a glimpse of an Iowa landscape that had almost vanished by the time Herbert Hoover's grandparents moved here in 1854. Tall native grasses, sprinkled with brilliantly colored wildflowers once covered these rolling hills for as far as the eye could see.

The South Downey Street Bridge extends across a tributary of the West Branch of the Wapsinonoc Creek. When Herbert Hoover was a boy, the creek was just a small stream of water trickling through marshy wetlands. Young Herbert and the neighborhood kids took their willow fishing poles about a quarter mile east to catch sunfish and catfish in the main creek.

Scientists monitor plant communities to measure changes in the tallgrass prairie at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. The studies help park managers to adapt their land management practices.

Fishes occur in Hoover Creek when the flow is stable. Visitors commonly see minnows like creek chub. Changes in water quality often affect fish species. Many species are intolerant of poor water quality so monitoring fish communities is a useful way to asses environmental conditions within a stream.

Park scientists monitor nonnative plants that threaten the native plant communities of the tallgrass prairie.

Scientists compare prescribed fire treatment with changes in plant community richness and diversity.

"In The Tallgrass" is an animated short film produced by Erin Anfinson, 2017 artist-in-residence at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.

The National Park Service monitors aquatic invertebrate species in Hoover Creek to evaluate the stream's water quality and ecological integrity.

Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports.

To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation.

Fish and aquatic invertebrate communities can tell us a lot about the health of streams. We monitor the aquatic community in Hoover Creek at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site to help managers understand the condition of the creek and how it may be changing. Most of the fish and aquatic invertebrates in Hoover Creek are tolerant or moderately tolerant of poor water quality and habitat conditions.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, Homestead National Historical Park, and Pipestone National Monument all protect tallgrass prairie communities. We monitor the plants in these parks to understand how the prairies may be changing over time. Analyzing data from all three parks together helps managers understand how similar management actions at other parks are affecting prairie maintenance. Pipestone National Monument prairies have some unique geology that makes the plant

Monitoring breeding bird populations helps scientists and park managers evaluate the health of the prairie ecosystem at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.

Sherry Leis, a plant and fire ecologist, shares her story about being a scientist and her love of prairie ecosystems.

Scientists monitor plant communities to measure changes in the tallgrass prairie at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. The studies help park managers to adapt their land management practices.

Beyond the pleasure that birds provide, they are a significant component of park ecosystems. The Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network monitors change in bird community composition and bird abundance to determine the health of bird communities. They accomplish this by surveying seasonal and year round resident birds in the park during the breeding season.

Fishes occur in Hoover Creek when the flow is stable. Visitors commonly see minnows like creek chub. Changes in water quality often affect fish species. Many species are intolerant of poor water quality so monitoring fish communities is a useful way to asses environmental conditions within a stream.

Park scientists monitor nonnative plants that threaten the native plant communities of the tallgrass prairie.

Hooverball is a strenuous team sport and a great addition to a physical education curriculum or as an extra-curricular club activity.

How did daily life of a rural community in the 1870s and 1880s compare to our own daily lives? Did events of Herbert Hoover's childhood motivate his career in public service? What did Herbert Hoover do to be recognized as a good citizen of the world? A visit to historic buildings from President Hoover's childhood helps answer these questions.

How did Herbert Hoover’s early years in 19th century West Branch influence his character? Which character traits did he learn that made him a leader? Where do we get our own skills for success? A visit to historic buildings from President Hoover's childhood helps answer these questions.

By growing and comparing plants, students discover how prairie plants differ from other plants and how prairie plants and the environment benefit from these differences.

Prepare students for a visit to the 81-acre tallgrass prairie at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. Activities strenghten skills in observation, analysis, and interpretation in the field and in the classroom. Activities are written with middle school students in mind, but may be appropriate for other ages.

Students research four questions and present their findings to each other. One class is needed for the research and one to two classes are needed for the presentations. Students can do additional research as homework, so allow a couple days between the initial research and presentations.

Students learn how to measure intensity and loudness, the difference between sound and noise, and when a sound is considered noise pollution.

Inspire students and their families to discover America's best idea: our national parks. Students research a national park and create a visitor center display with souvenir items to share with their classmates.

Students form discussion groups and study images of everyday household items found in the Herbert Hoover Birthplace Cottage.

As they tour Herbert Hoover's tiny birthplace, students make a list of the Hoover’s material possessions and compare the family’s wants and needs with their own.