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The Eisenhower home with Ike's putting green in the foreground
National Historic Site
Updated July 2026

Best Time to Visit Eisenhower National Historic Site

MayBest month to visit

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Photo: NPS PhotoPublic domain
Pennsylvania
Reviewed by WhenToVisitParks Editorial Team · Updated

Our recommendation

Visit Eisenhower in May

May offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. For comparison, September is the most crowded month (~1.7× the average month) and January is the quietest.

Annual visits

75K

2025

Busiest month

Sep

1.7× avg

Quietest month

Jan

0.1× avg

10-yr trend

rising

+29.1%

More photos of Eisenhower

The Eisenhower home in autumn
The Eisenhower home in autumnNPS Photo
The Eisenhower living room
The Eisenhower living roomNPS Photo

Photos courtesy of the National Park Service (public domain).

How crowded is Eisenhower by month?

Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 19802025.

0.1×Jan
0.2×Feb
0.4×Mar
1.1×Apr
1.3×May
1.7×Jun
1.7×Jul
1.6×Aug
1.7×Sep
1.3×Oct
0.5×Nov
0.5×Dec

Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight

MonthCrowd levelBest-time scoreAvg high / lowDaylight
JanuaryVery quiet43 Poor40°F / 21°F9.5 h
FebruaryVery quiet45 Fair43°F / 22°F10.5 h
MarchVery quiet50 Fair52°F / 30°F11.7 h
AprilAverage48 Fair64°F / 40°F13.1 h
May★ bestBusy55 Fair73°F / 49°F14.2 h
JuneVery busy50 Fair82°F / 57°F14.8 h
JulyVery busy46 Fair86°F / 63°F14.6 h
AugustBusy48 Fair85°F / 61°F13.6 h
SeptemberVery busy44 Poor78°F / 54°F12.2 h
OctoberBusy42 Poor66°F / 43°F10.9 h
NovemberQuiet48 Fair56°F / 32°F9.8 h
DecemberVery quiet37 Poor45°F / 26°F9.2 h

Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00362537, ~2 mi away).

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About visiting Eisenhower

Eisenhower National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in PA and a relatively quiet park, drawing about 75,000 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has climbed over the past decade, up roughly 29.1%, so crowds are trending heavier each year. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: September is the busiest month at about 1.7× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.1× — a 12-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 41% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. Weather swings from an average high-season warmth near 75°F in July down to about 30°F in January, with the wettest stretch in June. About 7 months a year see comfortable average temperatures in the 50–80°F range, which is part of why crowd timing and weather timing don't always line up. The sweet spot is May: best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the September rush. Daylight ranges from about 9.2 hours in midwinter to 14.8 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. These crowd figures are drawn from 1980–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, paired with 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals, and are updated as new monthly data is released.

Park overview

Eisenhower National Historic Site preserves the farm of General and 34th President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Adjacent to the Gettysburg battlefield, the farm served the president and first lady as a weekend retreat and as a meeting place for world leaders. With its peaceful setting and view of South Mountain, it was a respite from Washington, DC, and a backdrop for efforts to reduce Cold War tensions.

Weather & conditions

https://www.nps.gov/eise/planyourvisit/weather.htm

Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Serviceofficial park site.

Where to stay near Eisenhower

Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Eisenhower National Historic Site — live availability and prices to plan your trip. May is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.

Top-rated places to stay near Eisenhower

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

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Getting to Eisenhower

The nearest airport is Harrisburg International Airport (MDT), about 53 mi (1 hr 17 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Eisenhower by car.

Frequently Asked Questions

May offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight at Eisenhower National Historic Site. The park is busiest in September (about 1.7× the average month) and quietest in January.

September is the busiest month at Eisenhower National Historic Site, running roughly 1.7 times the park's average monthly visitation.

January is the quietest month at Eisenhower National Historic Site, at about 0.1× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.

Eisenhower National Historic Site recorded about 75,328 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been rising over the past decade (+29.1%).

Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Eisenhower National Historic Site averages about 75°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.

Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) is the closest airport to Eisenhower National Historic Site, about 53 mi (1 hr 17 min drive) away.

Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (19802025), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.