Where the Former Presidents Went on Vacation

Every traveler has a different travel style and vacation preference, and the same holds true for presidents. Our country’s past leaders preferred a variety of destinations, both at home and abroad. Here’s a sneak peek at a few of their favorites.

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Franklin Roosevelt

FDR frequently got away to a resort he later bought and built on in Warm Springs, Ga. He visited his private retreat so much his vacation home became known as the Little White House, and was where he later died in 1945. You can still visit the property, which is now overseen by the Georgia parks system.

John F. Kennedy

Much like the Bush family, the Kennedy family has their own “compound” in the New England states. Located in Hyannis Port, Mass., the Kennedy Compound was the setting for JFK’s private cottage. He used the vacation home as both a base during his presidential campaign and to relax after elected to office.

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James Madison

It was James Madison, however, who really knew how to kick back. Madison is credited with taking the longest vacation in U.S. presidential history. He left Washington, D.C., for a total of four months while he was in office, to take it easy in Orange Country, Va., at Montpelier.

William Howard Taft

Taft was a golfer and often criticized for it, as the media of the day thought he spent far too much time invested in leisure activities. As it was, he loved to vacation in Beverly, Mass., where he played at the Myopia Hunt Club.

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Harry Truman

Harry Truman had a Little White House of his own, which he also happened to share with a few other presidents at one point or another. The home, built in 1890 on Key West, was used by Taft, Eisenhower and JFK, in addition to Thomas Edison, for both work and recreation. No longer a favorite with the presidential type, it’s now open to visitors.

Theodore Roosevelt

You may know Theodore Roosevelt as a mountain climbing, elephant-hunting adventure traveler, but he also enjoyed a bit of calm and quiet on occasion. When he traveled with the family, he enjoyed a peaceful spot in Oyster Bay, N.Y. These were often working vacations, however, and he frequently brought along White House staff for assistance.