William Jennings Bryan Boyhood Home

The William Jennings Bryan Boyhood Home is a two-story wooden frame house in Salem with straightforward architecture from the 1800s. The building contains two main rooms on the ground floor and three bedrooms upstairs.

William Jennings Bryan lived in this house from his birth in 1860 until 1866, while his father served as a judge and later as an Illinois State Senator. The place records the formative years of a man who later ran for president three times as the Democratic nominee.

The home displays furnishings and objects from the mid-1800s that show how a family lived during that era. Visitors can see how daily life looked for the household of a political figure of the time.

The house is open to visitors during regular hours and offers a look inside the preserved rooms and displays. It is helpful to check ahead about current opening times, especially before weekend visits.

Bryan gave the property to Salem city in the early 1900s as a gift so it could be used as a museum about his life. This unusual donation shows his desire to share his story with the public.

Location: Illinois

GPS coordinates: 38.62830,-88.94810

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:04