The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is set to open in the North Dakota Badlands on July 4, 2026, marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
According to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation, the state-of-the-art facility will sit on more than 90 acres at the edge of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, blending seamlessly into the surrounding landscape.
The library’s design reflects Roosevelt’s lifelong appreciation for nature, featuring an earthen roof that flows with the contours of the grassy hills nearby.
The construction team recently reached significant milestones, including the “topping out” of the main structure, where the highest point of the building is completed.
Edward O’Keefe, CEO of the foundation, emphasized North Dakota’s importance in Roosevelt’s life, calling it the “fulcrum of the hero’s journey” in the former president’s remarkable story.
“[Roosevelt] wrote that if all his memories were to be taken from him, and he was forced only one memory from his incredible life he would choose to remember ‘my life on the ranch with its experiences close to nature and among the men who lived nearest her,’” O’Keefe, a North Dakota native, said.
“He did not choose the memory of the Roughriders or the charge up Kettle Hill; he would not recall McKinley’s assassination and his rise from the vice presidency to the Oval Office … TR chose to remember North Dakota, and so North Dakota chooses to remember TR.”
Roosevelt credited his time in the rugged Badlands with shaping his character and philosophy, which influenced his presidency and conservation efforts.
“We want every visitor to the TR presidential library and museum to walk out understanding the role of nature as a restorative force in TR’s life, and that each of us can be the change we want to see in the world,” O’Keefe added. “This museum can be a platform for embracing civic dialogue, thoughtful debate, and inspiration around the globe.”
The project also has the support of Roosevelt’s great-great-grandson, Theodore Roosevelt V, further cementing the connection between the 26th president and the groundbreaking library.
“My great great grandfather’s legacy of citizenship, leadership, and conservation are as relevant today as they were during the height of his presidency,” Roosevelt said in a statement on the library’s website. “When you focus on people interested in solutions rather than divisive rhetoric, it becomes clear that there is much more that unites us than divides us – just as there was at the turn of the 20th century.”
This monumental addition to the state underscores the enduring legacy of a leader who embodied the values of courage, conservation, and American exceptionalism.
