Warm Springs, Ga. - President Franklin D. Roosevelt made 16 trips to Warm Springs during his presidency, staying in a modest six-room house that became known as the Little White House. Today it is a museum where visitors can see his 1938 Ford and the portrait he was sitting for when he suffered a fatal stroke on April 12, 1945.

The house, built in 1932 in Warm Springs' Historic District, has been open to the public since 1948 and is operated by the State of Georgia.

Its story ties together Roosevelt's fight with polio, his years as president and the last hours of his life.

An 88-degree spring brought him to Georgia

In 1921, at 39, Roosevelt was diagnosed with polio.

Three years later, in October 1924, he made his first visit to Warm Springs. The draw was a natural spring that stays at a permanent 88 degrees.

Warm Springs quickly became more than a one-time visit. In 1927, Roosevelt bought the resort and the 1,700-acre farm around it, five years before the Little White House went up.

Roosevelt's Warm Springs timeline

From his first visit in 1924 to his death in 1945, his connection to Warm Springs lasted more than 20 years (my math).

A presidential retreat with six rooms

The Little White House is smaller than its name suggests. The Colonial Revival house is built of Georgia pine and has six rooms:

• Three bedrooms
• An entrance hall
• A living room
• A kitchen

The three bedrooms belonged to Roosevelt, his wife, Eleanor, and his secretary.

That small floor plan is part of its appeal. This wasn't a grand estate; it was a place Roosevelt came back to again and again.

More than one building

The main house wasn't alone for long. A garage with servants' quarters went up the same year, 1932. A one-story guesthouse followed in 1933, and the Georgia Wilkins cottage was added in 1934.

Today the site is officially called Roosevelt's Little White House Historic Site, and its original furnishings and buildings have been preserved. It is also a contributing property in the Warm Springs Historic District, listed July 30, 1974.

A Columbus connection

The man who helped bring Roosevelt to Warm Springs was born in Columbus. Banker and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, a Columbus native born in 1852, acquired property at Warm Springs in 1923 and invited Roosevelt to visit the springs in 1924. Peabody died in Warm Springs in 1938.

16 trips as president

Roosevelt kept coming to Warm Springs after he reached the White House, making 16 trips during his presidency, from 1933 to 1945, and usually staying two to three weeks at a time.

His last trip began March 30, 1945. He died at the house 13 days later (my math).

The Little White House by the numbers

The portrait he never finished sitting for

On April 12, 1945, Roosevelt was sitting for a portrait at the Little White House when he suffered a stroke. He died two hours later of a cerebral hemorrhage, three months into his fourth term.

The artist, Elizabeth Shoumatoff, never finished the painting. Known as the "Unfinished Portrait," it now hangs in the museum, tying a turning point in American history to a single room in Warm Springs.

What visitors can see today

The museum opened in 1948, three years after Roosevelt's death. Its displays include:

• The Unfinished Portrait by Elizabeth Shoumatoff
• Roosevelt's customized 1938 Ford convertible
• A stagecoach
• The historic Warm Springs pools, fed by the 88-degree spring
• The house itself, with its three bedrooms, living room, kitchen and entrance hall

Quick Q&A

Why did Roosevelt come to Warm Springs? After his 1921 polio diagnosis, he was drawn by the town's natural spring, which stays at 88 degrees.

Did he own property there? Yes. In 1927 he bought the resort and the 1,700-acre farm around it.

Was the house there when he first visited? No. He first came in 1924; the house was built in 1932.

Can visitors see the Unfinished Portrait? Yes, it is on display at the museum.

Who runs it? The State of Georgia.

Before you go

The Little White House is in the Historic District of Warm Springs. Check the Georgia State Parks and historic site website for current hours and admission before you visit.

How we did this

This article is based on Wikipedia's "Little White House" and "George Foster Peabody" entries, reviewed Oct. 23, 2026. Hours, ticket prices and events were not verified and are not included.