Eleanor Roosevelt's Val Kill

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  Eleanor Roosevelt's Val-Kill is the only National Historic Site dedicated to a first lady

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  Through her own words Eleanor is introduced to and welcomes a new generation of visitors

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  At Val-Kill, Eleanor hosted her family, world leaders, politicians, cottage industry and students

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  "First lady to the World" she was among the first US Delegates to the United Nations

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  Eleanor championed the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights

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  "My Day" kiosks offer a searchable database of the former First Lady's daily news column

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  Phone-guided tour of grounds and supplemental web-linked content add to visitor experience

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  Color icons link the key themes of Eleanor Roosevelt's life work through varied exhibit spaces

Eleanor Roosevelt cherished Val-Kill – it was the only place she ever called home. Here, she built Stone Cottage and Val-Kill Industries, hosted rambunctious family gatherings, and convened political and diplomatic caucuses. 

Exhibits are dispersed throughout three buildings. "My Day" kiosks offer a searchable database for visitors to read Eleanor Roosevelt's news column for any specific day of the year. A theater space, presents an overview of Val-Kill and reconfigures for special events. Displays are augmented with A/V presentations, flip books, smart-phone accessible pod-casts, and web-links.

The critical challenge was to make Eleanor Roosevelt accessible to a new generation of visitors with no direct experience of her courageous and controversial contributions to world-wide human rights, American politics, and her local community. Eleanor as Journalist, Party Leader, Activist, Diplomat, Educator and Grandmother, are the major themes presented in the displays.

Along with exhibit design and graphics, Paris Design developed an iconic logo for the park. Each of the portraits in this historic site's brand, represents one of Eleanor Roosevelt's key life-roles interpreted in the exhibits.