Grover Cleveland Birthplace
207 Bloomfield Avenue
Caldwell, NJ 07006
(973) 226-0001
https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/presidents/grover_cleveland_birthplace.html
Open: Sunday 1:00pm-3:00pm/Monday & Tuesday Closed/Wednesday 1:00pm-3:00pm/Thursday-Saturday Closed. Closed on all major holidays. Please call in advance or check the website for times as they can vary by season.
Fee: Free New Jersey State Park System/Free Parking on premise
My review on TripAdvisor:
The back of the property in the Fall of 2026
I recently visited the birthplace of of our 22nd and 24th President of the United States of America and it is an interesting look into one man’s past. The Grover Cleveland Birthplace Museum was originally the pastor’s residence for the First Presbyterian Church in Caldwell, NJ. The house sits next to the current church.
President Grover Cleveland
https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/grover-cleveland
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Cleveland
The historic sign on the President
The front of the house in the early Fall
What I found interesting about this historical home is that the President’s sister, Susan, saved everything of the family’s past.
Grover Cleveland with his siblings who all survived into adulthood
Things like furniture, home furnishings, cooking utensils, paintings and photos of the family plus personal items of the President such as his clothes, pipes, shaving kits and traveling cases so there is a lot of interesting items to see and well thought up display cases.
The display in the new Visitors Center
The house is broken up into the kitchen area, the living chambers, the former living room area which has most of the displays and then the front hallway where more family displays are located. In 2026, the house is currently going through a renovation and reorganization of the home so things are currently changing.
When I visited the house for a second time 2026, the main floor was being reorganized as most of the personal items had been moved to the new Visitors Center in the back of complex. The second floor was closed and new displays were being created for the President’s personal items both in the home and in the Visitors Center.
The homes kitchen for the Fall
When we toured the home’s kitchen, it was set for the Fall Harvest and a hearty dinner was being cooked. Both the kitchen and fireplace hearth displayed a Fall theme.
The kitchen set from the Fall harvest
The center of the kitchen, the kitchen hearth
The tray and dishes to the right of the cabinet were owned by Grover Cleveland’s mother and were donated back to the museum
The kitchen prepared for a Harvest dinner
Try to take a tour with the tour guide, Paula, who knows the house backwards and forwards and gives you an interesting take on the family. She will be able to point out all the family objects and personal items that have been donated by family members. Things from formal clothes to the President’s personal shaving kit on display in the front of the house.
The display to Ruth Cleveland, who the Baby Ruth candy bar was named for
The display on the first floor dedicated to his children
The display by the first floor landing was dedicated to his daughter, Ruth, who died as a child. There is a display of her clothes and personal things along with a Baby Ruth wrapper as her name inspired the candy bar.
The whole tour takes about an hour and you will find yourself memorized by the displays and the family history of the children and grandchildren. It is interesting to see how the family grew when they were living in Caldwell, NJ. Take some time to walk the beautiful grounds and under the shade trees on the side of the lawn. The house was especially beautiful as the foliage arrived in the early Fall.
History of the Cleveland Birthplace Museum:
(from the museum website)
Grover Cleveland’s birthplace was built in 1832 as the Manse or pastor’s residence for the First Presbyterian Church of Caldwell. Cleveland’s father, the Reverend Richard Fally Cleveland was the minister here from 1834-1841.
Grover Cleveland’s early childhood
Originally this frame home had a two-story main section with a one-story kitchen to the east and a one-story lean-to at the rear. It was enlarged several times between 1848-1870 to meet the growing needs of the Presbyterian clergy. The house is a good example of local vernacular architecture (museum website).
The front Birthplace house and the church off to the side
The historical significance of the Manse was first noted in 1881 when Cleveland was running for Governor of New York. As his political star ascended, so did the interest in preserving his birthplace as a museum. A group of Cleveland’s friends and admirers began negotiations to purchase the Manse in 1907. Their efforts culminated in the opening of the house to the public on March 18, 1913 (museum website).
Most of the first floor rooms portray the Manse as it was in 1837, the year Grover Cleveland was born. The decidedly middle-class character of the rooms reflect the day to day life of the Reverend Richard Cleveland and his family. Among the artifacts on display from Cleveland’s early years are his cradle and original family portraits (museum website).
Grover Cleveland as a young lawyer
The President’s shaving table back in the museum
Contrasting sharply with the humble beginnings portrayed in these rooms, the exhibit gallery features a striking display of artifacts that reflect the financial and political success Cleveland achieved during the last quarter of the 19th Century. Here, the mud-slinging campaign of 1884, the public’s intense interest in his wife and children and America’s political climate throughout his split terms of office are explored (museum website).
The family home in Fayetteville, NY
The Grover Cleveland Birthplace State Historic Site is the only house museum in the country dedicated to the interpretation of President Cleveland’s life. It is the nation’s leading repository of Cleveland artifacts and political memorabilia. The Grover Cleveland Birthplace is listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places (museum website).
The President’s time in New Jersey:
(from the museum website)
Stephen Grover Cleveland was born on March 18, 1837 to the Reverend Richard Cleveland and his wife, Ann. Named for the first ordained pastor of the First Presbyterian Church at Caldwell, he would in time become known by his middle name, Grover.
The display on the President’s life in the new Visitors Center
Cleveland was raised in a strict, modest home. As the son of a minister and the fifth of nine children, he had a religious and principled upbringing with few luxuries. When Grover was four, Reverend Cleveland moved his family to Fayetteville, NY.
(The Grover Cleveland Birthplace Museum pamphlet)
The Gift Shop in the Visitors Center
