Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site
Ulysses S. Grant is known as the victorious Civil War general who saved the Union and the 18th President of the United States. He first met Julia Dent, his future wife, at her family home, named White Haven. From 1854 to 1859 the Dents, Grants and an enslaved African-American workforce lived on the property.
About under an hour from St. Louis by car.
Alerts
- InformationNPS ↗GPS Navigation Systems
GPS navigation systems often misdirect visitors driving to Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. GPS systems often route visitors to our back gate, or to the entrance for Grant's Farm (not affiliated with the NPS). Please visit our directions page.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site | Daily · 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Closed Thanksgiving | Hours not published |
| Dec 25, 2026Closed December 25 | Hours not published |
| Jan 1, 2027Closed New Year's Day | Hours not published |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
This is the first stop for your visit. You can watch an introductory film, get information on historic house tours, explore the museum in the historic stable, and shop in the bookstore.
Explore
Things to do
- Visit the White Haven Home20-30 Minutes
The historic White Haven estate is more than 200 years old and the home where Ulysses and Julia Grant fell in love. The house is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Opens on the Park Service site - Historic Tree Tour10-30 Minutes
Numerous trees of historic and natural significance are on the park grounds today. Explore six of these trees by taking a self-guided tour of the park grounds.
Opens on the Park Service site - Conduct Research at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site1-4 Hours
Want to learn more about Ulysses S. Grant and anxious to find more resources? Consider scheduling an appointment to conduct research at Ulysses S. Grant.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit the White Haven Estate20-30 Minutes
Visit the historic White Haven estate.
Opens on the Park Service site - Historic Trees at White Haven5-15 Minutes
View a range of historic and unique trees on the park grounds at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site.
Opens on the Park Service site - Take A Self-Guided Tour of the Park Grounds5-15 Minutes
The historic site grounds are open during standard operating hours (9:00AM to 5:00PM). Explore the quarter-mile walking trace, read the wayside markers, and visit four historic outbuildings on the property.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Moving Through History90 Minutes
Join a Park Ranger for a three-mile jog to see the original location of Hardscrabble, a log cabin built by Ulysses S. Grant in the 1850s while he lived in St. Louis.
Opens on the Park Service site - Let Nature Speak
Take in the beautiful scenery at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site.
Opens on the Park Service site - Pause in the Summer Kitchen5-15 Minutes
Learn about slavery at White Haven by visiting the summer kitchen, located behind the main home on the park grounds.
Opens on the Park Service site - The Legacy of Freedom22 Minutes
Watch the park's 22-minute orientation film about Ulysses S. Grant's life.
Opens on the Park Service site - Ulysses S. Grant's Life and Accomplishments15-60 Minutes
Visit the park's museum to learn more about Ulysses S. Grant's life and times.
Opens on the Park Service site - A Place Called Home5-15 Minutes
Walk the park grounds and learn about the Grants, Dents, and enslaved African Americans who lived at White Haven in the 1850s.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Walk Through History: Healthy Parks, Healthy People Fitness-Based Program10/1802:00 PM · free · registration required
- Ranger Talk: Fighting for the Vote: The Story of Women's Suffrage10/2501:00 PM · free · registration required
- History Talk: Let Us Have Peace - The Election of 186811/0710:00 AM · free · registration required
- History Talk: Eating Up Thanksgiving History - The History of Thanksgiving11/2110:00 AM · free
- A Spirited Holiday Past12/0511:00 AM · free
- Concert: 19th Century Holiday12/0510:00 AM · free
Show all 9Hide
- Concert: 19th Century Holiday Guitar12/0511:30 AM · free
- Concert: Wolf Creek Bluegrass12/1307:00 PM · free
- White Haven by Candlelight12/1305:30 PM · free
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Missouri guidebooks
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 15 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
St. Louis weather can be uncomfortable and occasionally severe, so please plan your visit accordingly. High heat and humidity, severe thunderstorms, snow and ice, and extreme cold are all possible depending upon the season. For an update of inclement weather conditions which may affect your visit, call (314)842-1867 and follow the instructions to connect to the inclement weather report.
Questions people ask
Does Ulysses S Grant charge an entrance fee?
No. Ulysses S Grant is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Ulysses S Grant?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 5:00PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Ulysses S Grant right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: GPS Navigation Systems.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Ulysses S Grant?
37,467 recreation visits in 2025, number 286 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Ulysses S Grant?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Ulysses S Grant?
St. Louis weather can be uncomfortable and occasionally severe, so please plan your visit accordingly.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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