How Crowded Is First Ladies National Historic Site in September?

September runs about 1.4× First Ladies National Historic Site's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 12% of the park's yearly visitors come in September.

In a typical September the park sees roughly 1,300 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 2006 to 2025.

That makes September the 4th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the December peak (1.6×) and the January low (0.3×).

On our Best Time to Visit score September rates 50/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated May at 61/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical September weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 76°F and an overnight low around 55°F, with about 3.5" of precipitation.

That average of about 65°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 35% of annual visitors, choosing September instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 12.3 hours of daylight in September to explore — between the 9.1-hour midwinter low and the 14.9-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2024 drew 12,642 recreation visits, up 13% from 11,187 in 2023.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 26.7%, so September may feel a touch quieter than it once did.