McKinley Birthplace Home and Research Center

The McKinley Birthplace Home is a reconstructed two-story house in Niles, Ohio, that documents the childhood of the 25th President. The building contains personal items, letters, and photographs from his life, along with a research area holding an extensive collection of materials.

The original wooden house where William McKinley was born in 1843 stood at this location until fire destroyed it in 1937. The building visitors see today is a precise reconstruction built in the early 2000s to preserve the president's legacy.

The museum reflects how the political ideas and decisions from around 1900 shaped daily American life. Visitors can understand what issues mattered to citizens then and how a president from modest beginnings influenced the nation.

Visitors can explore the house independently or join a guided tour to learn more about the displayed items. Comfortable shoes are recommended, as the house has several rooms across different levels.

The building houses a specialized archive with rare documents, including speeches and notes that reveal McKinley's political thinking. This material is used by historians and students to better understand the decisions made during his presidency.