Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States and is best known as the legendary “Roughman” of the Spanish-American War. But less is known about his deep connection and love for North Dakota, which helped form his larger-than-life personality, his sense of adventure, and his immense love for the outdoors.
Now, nearly 106 years after his death, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation is honoring him and the people who shaped him by opening a massive, state-of-the-art presidential library built on more than 90 acres. They plan to celebrate and honor their connection to the land. Badlands of North Dakota.
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The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library's interior uses natural materials and lighting to attract visitors and motivate them to pursue the “vigorous life” enjoyed by President Roosevelt. (Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation)
This project is based on three of Roosevelt's values: citizenship, leadership, and conservation. Built on the edge of Medora, North Dakota, the library will overlook Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the only national park named after a man.
In the spirit of President Roosevelt, the foundation of this project is more than just building an ordinary library. The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library harnesses the power of both technology and nature to provide visitors with a highly immersive experience that allows them to enjoy the joys of the outdoors, like President Roosevelt, rather than being cooped up. Encourage them to experience it.
Libraries do more than educate people about Roosevelt. Instead, it uses immersive storytelling techniques, cutting-edge technology like augmented reality, and the natural surroundings of Medora, North Dakota, to teach people of all ages what they can learn from the life and experiences of this man and president. is planned to be shown.
On this day in history, October 14, 1912, Teddy Roosevelt is shot in the chest and the campaign is called off minutes later.
Historians say Teddy Roosevelt fell in love with the Badlands during a hunting trip in the 1880s.
citizenship
In a message announcing the project, Edward O'Keeffe, CEO of Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation, said, “I hope that TR will win over this critic and encourage everyone to 'step up to the ring' in life.” It is well known that he encouraged this.”
O'Keefe, a North Dakota native, explained that the library's vision is to serve as a hub for civic engagement, learning and research. The library will include a large auditorium, which the foundation envisions as a space to host future presidential debates.
The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is intended to serve as a hub for civic engagement, learning, and research. The library will include a large auditorium, which the foundation envisions as a space to host future presidential debates. (Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation)
Above all, O'Keefe said, the library aims to connect people with what President Roosevelt once described as the “intense life” in the North Dakota wilderness.
“North Dakota is the home base for the journey of the main character in TR's incredible life story,” said O'Keefe.
North America, USA, North Dakota, Medora, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Painted Canyon. (Photo by Bernard Friel/UCG/Universal Images Group, Getty Images)
“If[Roosevelt]had all his memories taken away and was forced to remember only one thing from his incredible life, he would have “lived on a ranch where he had an experience close to nature; “I would choose to remember my life among the people who lived closest to her,” he explained. “He didn't choose to remember the Roughriders, he didn't choose to remember the Kettle Hill attack, he didn't choose to remember McKinley's assassination, he didn't choose to remember his rise from vice president to the Oval Office…TR remembers North Dakota. “and therefore North Dakota also chose to remember TR.” ”
leadership
Roosevelt, who served two terms as a transformative president from 1901 to 1909, moved to the Badlands of North Dakota in 1884 in his early 20s. He was suffering from heartbreak after losing his wife and mother on the same fateful day. It was in North Dakota that a wounded man found solace in the solitude and beauty of the wilderness.
Among other things, Edward O'Keeffe, CEO of Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, said the library aims to connect people with the “wild life” that President Roosevelt once described in the North Dakota wilderness. said.
He later wrote, “I would not have become president without my experience in North Dakota.”
With this in mind, O'Keeffe said the library “will not be a Badlands box with artifacts under glass,” but “much like T.R.'s life, it will be an experience.” .
“I hope that everyone who visits the TR Presidential Library and Museum understands the role of nature as a source of resilience in TR's lives and that each of us can be the change we want to see in the world,” O'Keeffe said. “I'm here,” he said. . “This museum can be a platform for civil dialogue, thoughtful debate, and inspiration from around the world.”
In front of the library, a large circular hiking trail surrounds the butte, offering several unique viewpoints along the way for visitors to explore and ponder.
conservation
After receiving approval from Congress and then-President Donald Trump, the foundation completed purchasing the land for the library from the U.S. Forest Service in 2022. The property is located near Theodore Roosevelt National Park and President Roosevelt's famous Elkhorn Ranch.
The building was designed to allow people to live on the land, just like President Roosevelt.
The project's website states that just as “President Roosevelt ushered in a new era of conservation and stewardship of America's natural landscapes through his actions, passion, and foresight,” the library's design “ushers in the protection and stewardship of America's natural landscapes.” “We will reflect and extend our values and set ambitious new values.” Standards for Environmental Conservation and Sustainability Leadership. ”
The Foundation utilizes local contractors to construct the library using materials that can minimize the building's waste, emissions, water and energy usage.
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The building has a mud roof and is curved to match the nearby buttes. The grounds and roof will be comprised of native plants and grasses to help restore the biodiversity of the area, which has degraded over time.
Rather than disrupt the sloping, grassy “burning hills” of North Dakota, the library design team from American-Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta envisioned a building that would blend naturally into the landscape. The building has a mud roof and is curved to match the nearby buttes. The grounds and roof will be comprised of native plants and grasses to help restore the biodiversity of the area, which has degraded over time.
Photos shared exclusively with Fox News Digital by the foundation show that the interior of the library is already taking shape. Natural light streams in through the glass ceiling panels, illuminating the massive rammed earth walls that have already been completed and are constructed from a mixture of gravel, sand, silt and clay.
Photos first shared exclusively by Fox News Digital show a massive rammed earth wall that has already been completed, made of a mixture of gravel, sand, silt and clay. (Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation)
Directly in front of the library is a large circular hiking trail that wraps around the butte, offering several unique viewpoints along the way for visitors to explore and ponder.
new chapter
The library is scheduled to open on July 4, 2026, the anniversary of America's 250th anniversary and the Declaration of Independence.
Theodore Roosevelt V, the great-grandson of the 26th president and an ally of the project, said that through the library, “the people of North Dakota left a solid legacy not only for their state, but for our country and the world.” said.
The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library will be located in North Dakota's Badlands, where the famous president transformed from New York City native to legendary “Rough Rider.” (Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation)
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But beyond North Dakota, President Roosevelt said all Americans can draw inspiration from their great-grandfather's continuing legacy.
“My great-great-grandfather's legacy of citizenship, leadership, and preservation is as relevant today as it was at the height of his presidency,” he said in a statement posted on the library's website. “If we focus on people who care about solutions rather than divisive rhetoric, there is much more that unites us than divides us, just as it did in the early 20th century. That becomes clear.”
President Theodore Roosevelt stands on stage and points to the crowd during a speech at a campaign rally. Ca. 1900s. (Getty Images)
“Like Theodore Roosevelt, a man of contradictions: Republicans and progressives, anti-monopoly activists and capitalists, hunters and conservationists, partisans and rogue independents, our country are many different things. Finding common ground may just be the key to America's future.”
