Taking a look inside the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library ahead of opening
By Jody Kerzman and John Michael, Published: Jun. 24, 2026 at 1:25 PM PDT
MEDORA, N.D. (KFYR) – The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opens next week. It will be open to the public on July 4.
Crews are still putting the finishing touches on the $450 million 96,000 square foot building.
Before the doors open to the public, we got a look inside.
Samantha Daniels is one of the first people to see the inside of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.
“It’s big, and there’s a lot of wood everywhere,” she said.
She and her family got a VIP tour before opening day.
“The architecture is astonishing because they made the roof so high, and they made the roof have windows. That’s pretty cool,” said Samantha’s brother, Evan.
“I think it’s pretty cool. It will be nice for Medora, and it’s interesting,” added her dad, Grant.
The library walks visitors like the Daniels family through the 26th president’s life, starting with his childhood in New York and his time in North Dakota.
Many of the exhibits are interactive and use artificial intelligence. Designers hope the experience keeps visitors exploring instead of reaching for their phones.
“We think that by creating these interactive experiences that feel like magic,” said Matt Briney, chief communications and marketing officer for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. “They’re going to encourage people to explore. They’re going to encourage people to learn.”
The building itself holds a certain “wow factor,” starting in the lobby. The walls are made from dirt brought in from around the region.
“It’s probably the most stunning aspect of the building itself,” said Briney.
Crews hand-stamped every inch of these 26-foot-high walls.
“The whole process took about three months, and we didn’t know what it would look like until we removed those forms,” Briney explained.
Natural light pours through skylights across the building. Large windows frame the Badlands. Those views haven’t changed much since Theodore Roosevelt first visited in the 1800s.
Architects built the library into that same landscape. Its gently sloping roof becomes part of the landscape. It is covered in native grasses and plants. Visitors can walk the rooftop terrain and take in sweeping views of the Badlands.
“Right down in the valley below is where Theodore Roosevelt got off the train for the very first time,” said Briney.
The library is expected to draw up to 200,000 visitors a year.
See Also: https://www.trlibrary.com/ Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
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