Admission to the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums is approximate $10-20/person.
- Open: Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays and holidays, Noon to 5 p.m.
- Location: (Map It) Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio
- Phone: 419-332-2081
- Web: https://www.rbhayes.org/
The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums consists of two buildings, the Hayes Home and Hayes Museum/Library. Visitors can opt to tour one building or both. There is a reduced rate for both. The museum was started by the president’s second son, Col. Webb Cook Hayes, and his siblings shortly after the turn of the last century. Major additions in 1922 and 1968 increased the galleries and library to 52,640 square feet. In keeping with the museum’s mission, there are 13,000 artifacts depicting the Hayes family. As president, Hayes contended with the aftermath of Reconstruction in the South, especially as related to Black citizens and the plight of the Native Americans. He fought against the controversial Chinese Immigration Exclusion Act and promoted Civil Service Reform. The Hayes Library at the Center is impressive, offering Hayes’ 12,000-volume personal library along with material from his military and political careers. The Hayes Presidential Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays and holidays from Noon to 5 p.m. (The library is closed on Sundays.)
