Truman Home - Harry S Truman National Historic Site

Our August 2017 visit to the Harry S Truman National Historic Site continued with a guided tour of the Truman Home. Tours are limited to eight visitors and last about 30 minutes. Our tour included most of the ground floor of the house. The tour only allows a view from the doorway into several of the rooms. The house is furnished as it was during the Truman's retirement years. Photography is not allowed inside the house. The tour normally includes walking out the kitchen door onto the rear porch to view the grounds. Due to equipment in operation while a contractor was painting the exterior of the house, we had to stay inside and retrace our steps to the front door. The ranger conducting the tour was very knowledgeable of the routines of the Truman family and pointed out the few presidential artifacts the Trumans displayed in their home. Harry's hat and cane were still hung on the coat rack as if awaiting his next morning walk.

A Bicentennial Historic Marker labeled "Truman House" provides a short history of the house:

Built about 1867 by George Porterfield Gates, a mill owner. President Harry S Truman and his wife, Bess Wallace Truman, granddaughter of Gates, made this their home from the time of their marriage in 1919. The "Summer White House" from 145 to 1953.

The two houses immediately behind the Truman house were built for Bess's brothers Frank and George Wallace in 1915-1916. The 50 foot wide lots were split off from the Gates property and given to the brothers as wedding gifts. The two Wallace homes are now owned by the park service and have been preserved, but are not open for visitors.

Bess, her brother Fred, her mother, and grandmother lived in what is now the Truman house. Harry moved in after he married Bess in 1919. Bess's grandmother, Mrs. Gates, passed away in 1924. However, Mrs. Wallace lived with the Trumans in Independence and then in Washington until her death in December 1952 at age 90. After the presidency, Harry and Bess retired to their home on N Delaware Street and lived there until his death in 1972 and her death in 1982. Bess was 97.

Free parallel parking is usually available on N Delaware Street. If you are interested in American history at all, this is an excellent site and well worth your time when you are in the Kansas City area.

219 N Delaware Street

Front of house and start of tour

Stained glass windows of the parlor

Front porch wraps around the side of the house

View from Truman Road

Kitchen wing at the rear of the house and rear porch roof

Truman garage

Mr Truman's 1972 Chrysler

605 W Truman Road

601 W Truman Road

Entrance to the historic site is free. This includes the visitor center and the ground floor exhibits at the Noland Home. A guided tour is the only way to view the Truman Home. The price is $5 per person with children 15 and under admitted for free. An America the Beautiful (annual, military, volunteer, senior, access) or 4th grade pass allows the fee to be waived.

The park website is https://www.nps.gov/hstr.