We took a lot of pictures, so the visit to the First Ladies National Historic Site will be separated into three posts. There are a lot of displays, artifacts, replicas, and educational panels inside the three floors, so it will be separated into one post for the outside and two posts for the inside. Most of the displays are on the first floor. The basement has an auditorium, so it has less displays. The second floor has the kid zone and library, so it has less displays.

You park near an elevated garage beside the Saxton-McKinley house and a flower garden. Visually, the house appears to be the place to go, but there are signs pointing you in the other direction. It (more or less) tells you to follow the red brick road. The house is actually part of the $17 paid tour and not the museum.

You follow the yellow red brick road past the park sign, and it leads you to …

… a basement. Nope, no Emerald City here.

From all appearances, the First Ladies National Historic Site is a basement. So much for equality and women’s liberation, eh? As it turns out, the historic site includes the basement, but it is not just a basement. There is an exit from the basement, but the entrance is street level. They should really end the red brick road at the front entrance instead of the basement.

The museum is actually in the lower three levels of an old bank. There is a vault in the basement, but we do not know if it contains anything. This building is the free museum of information, artifacts, replicas, and library.

Approaching the Saxton-McKinley house, you can see the elevated parking garage and the park sign with the house behind it.

We only have pictures of the house and the gardens because we did not think the tour was worth $17. The house is where Ida Saxton McKinley grew up. The house is pretty swanky; it features primarily Victorian architecture.

The interior is dark, so you can see your silhouette in the door taking pictures.

Around the building they have a more ornate sign a mill stone. There is no explanation for the mill stone, other than as a sign holder.

Beside the house is the First Ladies’ Garden.

And, of course, there must be a selfie with the sign.

Next, on to the inside. To be continued.