Visiting the Truman Little White House: Key West’s Presidential Getaway

History buffs visiting Key West no doubt have Truman’s Little White House on their list of places to visit. While it may not be grand like the White House in Washington DC, visiting Truman’s Little White House is a cool experience, putting you right in the middle of history. Leave the fancy state dinners for Washington, because being here is all about balancing health, happiness and national obligation, and the storytellers of the Little White House do a great job with it.

Have you been to Truman’s Little White House before? I was surprised as we toured, but then I also wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve got the scoop on visiting the historic site and tips for making sure you don’t just enjoy yourself, but that you learn something too. If you have any questions about visiting historic sites in Key West or planning your time here, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more!

Highlights of Truman’s Little White House

I enjoy all kinds of historic places and tours, and the Truman Little White House is very unique among historic places. It’s a very different sort of history, especially if you’re familiar with other presidential sites. Getting to go through the Little White House in Key West is so much less formal than when you get to visit the White House in DC, and it’s not even remotely as old as when you visit Mount Vernon (George Washington’s house) in Virginia. This is a vintage snapshot of 1940s and 50s Florida with a presidential flare.

The best part of touring Truman’s Little White House in Key West is actually the storytelling from the guides. Whether you’re chatting with a volunteer at the check in table or you’re getting an explanation about one of the exhibits in the small museum, you’ll hear something fascinating about how the property was used and how it played into Truman’s effectiveness as President of the United States. And then once you’re actually on the tour of the Little White House and can see the rooms and photos AND get more stories and visual context to go along with it, it’s a very special experience.

Tips for Visiting the Little White House in Key West

When you plan your time at the Truman Little White House in Key West, it’s only available to be toured as part of a guided group. A lot of historic sites in the Keys, including Fort Zachary Taylor State Park or Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas National Park, are self guided with an optional tour for a little extra info, but because of the presidential nature of this site, guided tours are the only way to see it. If you’re not into group projects and listening as a team, this is NOT for you. It’s a great experience because the people who tend to visit are totally into history and are thrilled to be at Truman’s Little White House, but I know not everyone is like that.

It’s run very much like the way Historic Pigeon Key does their tours, where you have a guided portion that’s very closely managed and then time to explore the grounds and other exhibits. You should arrive a half hour before your tour time (or more if you haven’t secured a tour slot). If you’re super early, you can easily relax about the grounds, visit the museum within the gift shop annex, or you can walk back over towards the Customs House and Mallory Square until it’s your tour time.

No food or drink is allow on the tour, so have your snacks and hydration before you arrive. The tour through Truman’s Little White House isn’t too long though, so if you can make it 45 minutes or so, you’ll be fine.

What Age is Good for Visiting the Truman Little White House

Visiting the Truman Little White House in Key West is a very different sort of tour. You have other homes in the city, such at the Hemingway House or Audubon House, that have all kinds of interesting spaces, gardens and even cats to entertain any age of visitor. The Truman Little White House is much less about being visually captivating with an air of romance or drama to it. Here it’s all about the stories and learning about what made Harry S Truman one of the best presidents the USA has had.

If you are visiting Key West with kids, I wouldn’t say the Truman Little White House is at the top of the list for good places to visit with them. This is much more interesting for high schoolers and up, people who’ve learned a lot about civics, about US history and have an understanding of what the country went through in WWII and after. I have a teen and a pre-teen who are amazing in museums and on tours, but I would not bring them on this tour and expect them to be interested.

Need to Know for Touring Truman’s Little White House

Something that surprised me about visiting the Truman Little White House was the restrictions on photography within the residence. Again, this is a presidential space and may be used as such in the future (the Clintons used it, as have others), so photography isn’t allowed within the house for the most part. The only area inside that you’re allowed to take photos is the very last room of the tour, the formal living room. The rest of the time you just need to enjoy it with your eyes and ears, taking in the stories and learning things. With that, you don’t need to bring a good camera on your tour of the Little White House of Key West.

Regarding accessibility, there are stairs throughout the tour, so you do need to be able to walk up the stairs into the house and then to the second floor. Once inside there are opportunities to sit, but for the most part you’ll be moving from room to room.

Parking for Truman’s Little White House

Parking is not easy directly by the Truman Little White House, but you can be dropped off at the entrance to the lawn and gardens. If you’re driving into Key West, you’ll be able to park over by Mallory Square or in the neighborhoods, but not right by the historic site. I recommend walking from downtown, or if you have further to go, just get a taxi or Uber instead of trying to find parking or getting a ticket.