Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt — governor of New York and 26th president of the United States — was an ardent naturalist and visionary conservationist. The Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall, New York State’s official memorial, celebrates Roosevelt’s passion for preserving America’s wilderness for future generations and the Museum’s ongoing commitment to this legacy worldwide. You can also experience his legacy in the Museum's Hall of North American Mammals, where some of the national forests that he created or expanded during his presidency-- including the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Devils Tower, Wyoming--are featured in the Hall's magnificent dioramas. Explore more about Theodore Roosevelt and his lifelong association with the Museum with these resources.

Support for the development of Science Topics was generously provided by Sidney and Helaine Lerner, GRACE Communications Foundation.

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    Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall

    Roosevelt's presidency marked a turning point for the nation's wilderness and wildlife.

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    Video: Young Naturalist

    From boyhood, Theodore Roosevelt showed the restless energy, penetrating intellect, and boundless curiosity that would later make him famous. 

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    Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda

    This grand entrance is familiar to visitors for the iconic dinosaur exhibit at its center.

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    Video: Theodore Roosevelt's Conservation Legacy

    Museum Curator David Hurst Thomas; Roosevelt biographers Douglas Brinkley, Edmund Morris, and Patricia O'Toole; and Theodore Roosevelt IV discuss TR's lifelong association with the Museum and his conservation legacy.

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    Theodore Roosevelt Timeline

    Theodore Roosevelt first traveled west in 1883 to pursue his boyhood dreams of frontier life. When he returned to New York in 1886, he began to lobby for conservation. Follow the Theodore Roosevelt timeline to learn more.

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    Video: Bison Diorama in the Hall of North American Mammals

    Theodore Roosevelt saw firsthand how hunters had nearly wiped out bison, elk, and other large mammals.

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    Childhood Journal

    An avid naturalist from a young age, Roosevelt kept a journal on insects when he was 11 years old. 

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    Theodore Roosevelt on iTunes U

    The Theodore Roosevelt Collection from Biodiversity Heritage Library on iTunes U includes books authored or introduced by Theodore Roosevelt on natural history.

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    Blog Post

    Theodore Roosevelt Tour of the Museum: TR and the Wading Birds Diorama

    In this post, the sixth in a series, we visit the Wading Birds Rookery diorama, in the Leonard C. Sanford Hall of North American Birds.

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    Take the Theodore Roosevelt Tour

    Explore connections to the Conservation President on the Theodore Roosevelt Tour.

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    Lifelong Explorer

    Four years after leaving the presidency, Roosevelt was invited by the Brazilian government to join an expedition to map a little-known Amazonian tributary known as the River of Doubt.

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    Theodore Roosevelt on Tumblr

    Check out the Theodore Roosevelt Tumblr.