Warm Springs: FDR History and Nature

Warm Springs combines the history of Franklin Delano Roosevelt with nature at the Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery and scenic routes. When planning your trip, it helps to distinguish these topics: historic designations, museum themes, nature observations, and route details.

Roosevelt’s Little White House and FDR History

Roosevelt’s Little White House is a National Historic Landmark. Franklin Delano Roosevelt had the house built in 1932, when he was governor of New York and before his inauguration as president in 1933. The Warm Springs Historic District is also designated a National Historic Landmark District. The designations apply to different entities: the house and the Historic District.

According to a State Parks notice accessed on September 5, 2026, the historic area of Roosevelt’s Little White House—including the Little White House, the servants’ quarters, and the guest house—is temporarily closed for renovations until further notice. Check the notice before your trip.

The FDR Memorial Museum is next to the cottage at Roosevelt’s Little White House. It features exhibits about treatments for polio and other serious illnesses in the early 20th century. The museum also devotes much of its focus to FDR’s influence on support for people with disabilities and on rural Georgia. This broadens the focus beyond individual treatments to the themes that shape the museum’s exhibits.

Another historical facet is the role of the Warm Springs Foundation: it founded the world’s first—and for many years, only—hospital dedicated exclusively to treating people with polio (poliomyelitis). This makes it possible to distinguish the museum exhibits on historical treatments from the unique history of a hospital specializing in polio.

Nature at the Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery

The public aquarium at the Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery features exhibits about the work of the hatchery and the Fish and Wildlife Service. Outdoor ponds and wetland ponds offer additional nature experiences: visitors can see alligators, fish, and carnivorous plants there. Individual wildlife sightings are not guaranteed.

A butterfly habitat attracts monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Together, the hatchery’s different areas offer a variety of experiences: information about the hatchery’s work, aquatic habitats, and a habitat for pollinators. If you’re especially interested in animals and plants, these areas complement the aquarium with opportunities to observe nature outside its exhibits.

Scenic Routes

The Meriwether-Pike Scenic Byway starts in Warm Springs, Georgia, at SR 85 and is 55 miles long. The Chattahoochee Flint Heritage Highway is a 155-mile scenic route. Its features include architecture, landscapes, picturesque villages, historic sites, and special events.

The stated lengths provide a concrete comparison of the two routes: 55 miles for the Meriwether-Pike and 155 miles for the Chattahoochee Flint. The Meriwether-Pike’s starting point at SR 85 in Warm Springs is also specified; the Chattahoochee Flint is described in terms of its landscape, architecture, and history. Event dates and road conditions may change. Check both before planning your trip.

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