Man I love a good road trip! And I love history, so it’s great when a trip combines the two. This summer I took a road trip with my nephew to Virginia Beach from Columbus. It was a great trip, and one place I stopped at not once, but TWICE was the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library in Staunton, Virginia. I’ve recently become more interested in visiting the homes and libraries of former U.S. presidents (like my recent Ohio road trip to the Rutherford B. Hayes home), so this was an exciting stop for me. My first visit was a little rushed, since we arrived about an hour before the museum closed, but I was able to explore the museum galleries and exhibits. A few days later, I returned to Staunton and used my original ticket to take the guided tour of Wilson’s birthplace. Between the museum and the historic house, I got to spend several hours learning about America’s 28th president, his family, and his life. Find out more about this great presidential destination!
Touring the Woodrow Wilson Museum
When my nephew and I arrived for our first visit, it was about an hour before the museum closed. While we weren’t able to tour the house, we were still able to explore the museum galleries. The exhibits cover Wilson’s presidency, World War I, and the Progressive Era. The exhibit that stayed with me the most was the recreated World War I trench. While you walk through the narrow passageway you hear recorded voices from the war speaking French. It created an emotional connection to what soldiers experienced on the Western Front. The area also has gasmasks and other mementos from the war, plus information about how Wilson was connected to the war.
The First Presidential Limo
One of the museum’s highlights was seeing the presidential limousine used during Wilson’s presidency. It was especially interesting to learn that this was the first official vehicle used by a sitting U.S. president. I love car museums, and seeing the car was a fun glimpse into what presidential travel looked like more than a century ago. Can you just picture Wilson being driven around in this during his time in office??
Wilson’s Life in Education
The museum traces Wilson’s life from his education through his rise in public service. The exhibits cover his years at Davidson College, Princeton, the University of Virginia, and Johns Hopkins, where he earned one of the first Ph.D.s in political science awarded in the United States. Fun fact: Wilson originally planned to become a lawyer, but after practicing law for only about a year, he decided that teaching and scholarship were a better fit. His academic career eventually led him back to Princeton, first as a professor and later as president of the university.
Visitors also learn about his family life with his first wife, Ellen Axson Wilson, and their three daughters, before exploring his successful tenure as president of Princeton. The museum even has a recreation of his Princeton office. This gives visitors a glimpse into the workspace where he spent his years as an educator and university president.
From Princeton to the Presidency
From there, the museum follows Wilson’s rapid political ascent. It began with his election as governor of New Jersey and culminated in his successful 1912 presidential campaign. I enjoyed seeing many of the personal mementos throughout the exhibits, including the election pins. They help tell the story of the man behind the office.
The exhibits also do an excellent job of explaining Wilson’s presidency and the important decisions made during his administration. During his eight years in office, he oversaw the creation of the Federal Reserve System, signed legislation establishing the Federal Trade Commission, and guided the United States through World War I. It was really interesting learning about his lasting impact and legacy.
Dressed for History
During my visit, there was also a special exhibit featuring women’s clothing from the Wilson family. Highlights included the wedding dress worn by Wilson’s daughter and two elegant dresses belonging to his second wife, Edith Wilson. It was an unexpected addition that I really enjoyed. It gave the museum a nice balance of fun and fashion alongside the more serious historical information throughout the rest of the museum.
Touring the Manse
I was excited to finally see the interior of this beautiful historic house. Since I had arrived so close to closing time on my first visit, I hadn’t been able to tour the birthplace. Fortunately, I had another day in Staunton—and my original ticket—so a few days later, after dropping off my nephew and beginning my drive home, I returned to the Wilson house and was able to take a guided tour.
To visit the interior of the home, you must join a guided tour. The museum offers five tours each day, and each one takes about an hour. Wilson was born in this Presbyterian manse in 1856. A manse is a home provided by a Presbyterian church for its minister. Since Wilson’s father was the pastor, the family lived here.
As we began the tour, the guide pointed out some of the details that made the home feel like a working family residence rather than simply a historic site. One interesting detail was the bedroom nearest the front door, where Wilson was born. The room was intentionally reserved for the minister. Pastors could be called upon at any hour to visit someone who was sick or dying, so having the bedroom closest to the entrance allowed them to leave quickly without disturbing the rest of the household. Above the bed, you can see portraits of Wilson’s father and mother.
Little Pieces of History
The guided tour was full of little pieces of history that made everyday life in the 1800s feel much more relatable. In the kitchen, the guide pointed out that the wood-burning stove had a row of cooler burners in the back. These burners were used to keep food warm until it was ready to serve. He explained that this is where the expression “put it on the back burner” is believed to have originated. Upstairs, we saw the family’s wash tub, where all of the children would bathe one after another in the same water. This is a practice that gave rise to the old saying, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.” Whether or not these sayings originated exactly that way, they certainly made the tour memorable and fun.
The Wilson family
During my tour, I learned that Woodrow Wilson wasn’t always called Woodrow. His first name was actually Thomas, and as a child everyone called him Tommy. It wasn’t until he attended university that he began using his middle name, Woodrow, which is how history remembers him today.
Although other Presbyterian pastors and their families lived in the manse after the Wilsons moved away when Tommy Woodrow was just two years old, the home still contains several original Wilson family pieces, including the family’s piano and a delicate tea set. These personal items help make the house feel less like a museum and more like a home.
Wilson Returns to Staunton
Although Wilson only lived in this house for his first two years, he returned to Staunton shortly after being elected president. His homecoming was a major event for the community. On the tour we were shown historic photographs which showed the enthusiastic crowds welcoming their hometown president back to Staunton. One of the artifacts connected to that visit is the very bed Wilson slept in during his return. Rather than sleeping in the downstairs bedroom where he had been born, Wilson requested that a bed be placed in his father’s former office upstairs so he could enjoy a bit more privacy during his visit.
One final piece of history I found fascinating was the home’s potential future. In 1938, Edith Wilson helped preserve her husband’s birthplace as a museum. She was fearful and didn’t want it converted into a college dormitory. Thanks to her efforts, visitors today can still step inside the house where a future president was born.
If you’re traveling along I-81 or spending time in Staunton, I highly recommend adding the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library to your itinerary. The complex, which takes up an entire block, is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $20 for adults. Seniors and military members pay $18. College students and children ages 6–17 pay $12. Children 5 and under are free.
The guided tour of the Manse is included with admission. Be sure to check the tour schedule if seeing the birthplace is important to you. Between the engaging guided tour, immersive museum exhibits, and fascinating stories hidden in the details of everyday life, this stop offers much more than a traditional presidential museum.
Visiting Staunton, Virginia
And don’t leave Staunton without spending some time exploring the town itself! The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library is just a short walk from the heart of downtown. This makes it easy to combine your museum visit with an afternoon of wandering through Staunton’s charming historic streets. The downtown is compact and incredibly picturesque. There are beautifully preserved historic buildings, colorful storefronts, locally owned shops, restaurants, cafés. I was completely charmed by it, and there was plenty of interesting architecture to admire.
Staunton has that rare combination of feeling historic without feeling stuck in the past. I loved simply walking around and seeing what I would discover. The town is absolutely worth exploring beyond the presidential museum—I’d recommend giving yourself some extra time to wander rather than making just a quick museum stop.
Final Thoughts
The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library was a fascinating stop. It combines presidential history, personal stories, and some unexpected exhibits that made the visit especially memorable. With charming downtown Staunton just a short walk away, it’s easy to turn a museum visit into a fun afternoon of exploring.
If you enjoy presidential history, be sure to check out some of my other presidential sites and history-focused adventures on the blog. And if you’re traveling through Virginia, add Staunton to your list! I’d love to hear your comments or your ideas for other road trip destinations.
-Catching Katie
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