Boudoir

Rose Kennedy called the room adjoining the master bedroom she used as an office the "boudoir."

Coolidge Corner

Coolidge Corner was a retail hub of Brookline at the turn of the century, and a frequent destination of the Kennedy family.

Devotion School (Ruffin Ridley School)

Future president John F. Kennedy attended this public school, officially renamed the Florida Ruffin Ridley School in 2021, through third grade.

JFK Birthplace

On May 29, 1917, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy gave birth to her second son, future president John F. Kennedy, in an upstairs bedroom of her family home at 83 Beals Street, Brookline, MA.

JOFI Wayside: A Nice Place to Raise a Family

The wayside "A Nice Place to Raise a Family" sets the context of the Kennedys' Brookline neighborhood and the house's timeline.

• Wayside Title: A Nice Place to Raise a Family The wayside panel features a background image of a historic map of part of the town of Brookline, with 83 Beals Street highlighted. The map shows the neighborhood from Harvard Street to Freeman Street, with mostly wooden houses built in uniform-sized lots. 83 Beals Street is the last house on its side of the street. A large green lot a few blocks away is labeled school and playground. Main text: On May 29, 1917, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in this house. It was here he took his first steps, spoke his first words, and formed his earliest relationships. His parents, Joseph and Rose Kennedy, purchased 83 Beals Street in 1914, built five years earlier with the latest modern comforts. The move reflected their growing wealth—distinguishing themselves from their grandparents’ working-class, immigrant past. North Brookline was expanding as new streetcar lines out of Boston spurred the growth of neighborhoods in the surrounding areas. Joseph and Rose chose to settle close to Coolidge Corner, with convenient access to a shopping center, a good public school, two streetcar lines, and Saint Aidan’s Roman Catholic Church. During their thirteen years in Brookline, the couple welcomed seven of their nine children, three of whom were born in this house. In 1920, anticipating more children, the family moved to a larger home three blocks away. The Beals Street house remained a private residence for forty years until it was repurchased by the Kennedy family to create this memorial site. Images (right): Two black and white photograph portraits of Joe Jr. and John Kennedy as small children, about ages two to five. Left image shows John and Joe Jr. wearing coats and hats standing in front of open lawn holding hands. Caption: The vacant lots next door provided space for the children to play and a “good clear view.” John and Joe Jr. pictured around 1920. Image Credit: Courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Right image shows John seated in a wagon with Joe standing behind him. The foundation and siding of 83 Beals Street is visible behind them. Caption: Joe Jr. and John Kennedy in a kiddie wagon outside the living room windows at Beals Street, about 1919. Image Credit: Courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Timeline (bottom): 1900 Beals Street development laid out; 1909 83 Beals Street house built; 1914 Newlyweds Joseph and Rose Kennedy move in; 1917 JFK born, May 29; 1920 Kennedy family sells the house to Edward and Mary Moore, moving a few blocks away; 1929 Meyerson family purchases the house; 1944 Pollack family purchases the house; 1966 Kennedy family repurchased the house; 1967 National Historic Site designation by National Park Service; 1969 Opens to the public May 29

JOFI Wayside: Memory and Memorial

After John F. Kennedy’s 1960 election as president, his birthplace house became a site of commemoration. This wayside panel discusses the house as a site of memory and memorial.

• Wayside Title: Memory and Memorial Main text: Over the decades, the landscaping here changed significantly, with new houses and mature trees filling in the “good clear view” up the street. After John F. Kennedy’s 1960 election as president, this house became a site of commemoration. The first marker was erected in 1961 by the Town of Brookline. Following his assassination in 1963, the house became a focus of public mourning and memorials. A second marker was installed in 1964 noting the National Historic Landmark status. In 1966, the Kennedy family repurchased the home and Rose Kennedy became the driving force behind its preservation. Relying on her memory and the assistance of interior decorator Robert Luddington, Mrs. Kennedy aimed to re-create the home’s 1917 appearance. Today, visitors see it through Mrs. Kennedy’s memorial lens. Image (right): A black and white photograph, tinted green, shows a crowd of people filling the sidewalks, street, and yards and porches of neighboring houses on Beals Street. The front yard of 83 Beals Street is visible at left, with a memorial wreath and flag. A police car parked in the street is surrounded by the crowd. Caption: President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed a National Day of Mourning for President Kennedy on November 25, 1963. Mourners in Brookline gathered outside Kennedy’s birthplace, with the crowd filling the length of Beals Street from Harvard Street. Image Credit: Courtesy of the Boston Globe Image (far left): Black and white photograph of Rose Kennedy standing at chain link fence with neighboring house in background. A small group of people stand on the other side of the fence and reach out toward her. Caption: Rose Kennedy greets the crowd in the neighboring yard at the dedication ceremony of the National Historic Site on May 29, 1969. Image Credit: Courtesy of NPS / Cecil Stoughton Image (left): Black and white photograph of 83 Beals Street with 20th century modifications to yard, driveway, and porch window. Caption: The house, pictured here in 1966, had a single-car garage and driveway, a second-floor balcony door, and two commemorative markers at the front. Image Credit: Courtesy of NPS / Robert Luddington Papers

Kennedy Dining Room

The Kennedy's dining table is set with the fine china and silver that Rose Kennedy received as a wedding present. Joe Jr. and John have places set with silver dishes at the children's table by the window.

Kennedy Guest Bedroom

The smaller front bedroom at the Kennedys' home is exhibited as a guest bedroom, as it was used in 1917. Later it was used for children as the Kennedy family grew.

Kennedy Living Room

The living room was probably the first room that you would have been brought to when visiting the family. Although the clues may be subtle, the room is furnished with signs of Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy’s wealth, education, and culture.

Kitchen

The kitchen of the Kennedy home.

Nursery

As a baby, John F. Kennedy shared the nursery at 83 Beals Street with his older brother Joe.

Parents' Bedroom

This is the bedroom of Rose and Joseph Kennedy in their Brookline home In this room, John F. Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917, in the bed closest to the window.

Saint Aidan's Church

St. Aidan's was Brookline's third Catholic Parish. During the Kennedy family's residence in Brookline, St. Aidan's was an integral part of their daily life.

St. Mary’s of the Assumption Church

St. Mary’s of the Assumption Church was the first Catholic Church in Brookline. Today, the Church holds JFK’s Baptismal font, which the Catholic Archdiocese moved from St. Aidan’s Church.

The Kennedy Family's Second Home

In 1920, the Kennedy family outgrew their first home at 83 Beals Street in Brookline and moved to this larger home just a few blocks away.

Visitor Center

• Visitor Center
• The John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site visitor center is located in the basement of the historic home. During the open season, it provides visitor information, a park film, restrooms, and a gift shop. The visitor center is wheelchair accessible via an outside lift.

• Watch "The Shaping of a President, The First Home of John F. Kennedy"
• Watch "The Shaping of a President, The First Home of John F. Kennedy," the site film for John Fitzgerald Kennedy NHS. The film explains the historical significance of the site and provides an understanding of the formative influences that shaped the boy who became president. Available in English, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, German, Russian, and French.

Rose Kennedy Erinnert Sich (Deutsch/German)

In dem Bemühen, die Erinnerungen von Frau Kennedy an diese Epoche einzufangen, hat der National Park Service einen Tonband-Rundgang des Geburtshauses produziert, in dem die Mutter des Präsidenten die Familienaktivitäten und die Einrichtungsgegenstände beschreibt und persðnliche Anekdoten erzählt, die den Zeitgeist und die Stimmung dieses Ortes vermitteln. Diese auf Tonband aufgenommene Schilderung ist ein populärer Aspekt der erläuternden Führung und wurde in mehrere Sprachen übersetzt.

Rose Kennedy Recuerda (Español/Spanish)

En un esfuerzo para capturar las memorias de la señora Kennedy sobre ese período, el Servicio de Parques Nacionales produjo una cinta de audio con el recorrido guiado de la casa de nacimiento, en donde la madre del presidente describe las actividades familiares y los muebles, y comparte las anécdotas personales que transmiten el espíritu del lugar. La narración de la cinta es un aspecto popular de las guías con interpretatión guiada y se tradujo en varies idiomas.

Rose Kennedy Remembers

In 1966, following the death of President Kennedy, the family purchased the birthplace as a memorial. Rose Kennedy restored the home to her recollection of its 1917 appearance, and gave this home to the American people in 1969. In an effort to capture Mrs. Kennedy's memories of that period, the National Park Service produced an audio tour of the birthplace, in which she describes family activities and furnishings and shares personal anecdotes that convey the spirit of the place.

Rose Kennedy se souvient (Francais/French)

Pour essayer de rendre les souvenirs de madame Kennedy sur cette époque, le Service National des Pares a enregistré une visite audio-guidée de la maison natale au cours de laquelle la mère du président elle-même décrit l’ameublement et les activités de la famille, en nous faisant partager des anecdotes personnelles qui traduisent l'esprit de l'endroit. Cette narration enregistrée est une facette très prisée de la visite d'interprétation guidée, et a été traduite en plusieurs langues.

ローズ・ケネディが覚えている (日本語 Japanese )

当家は、ケネディ大統領のご両親であるジョゼフ P. ケネディとローズ フィッツジェラルド ケネディご夫妻が初めて一緒にお住まいになった家で、ここでアメリカの最も著名な一家の社会的、政治的な土台が築かれました。ケネディ大統領の死後、1966年に一家は大統領生誕の当家を購入し、ローズ夫人によって記念館として1917年当時の姿へ修復されました。ローズ夫人のお言葉によれば、「この家をアメリカ国民へ寄贈することで、将来にわたって人々が訪問でき、この素晴らしい国の歴史をより良く知ってもらえればと願っています」とのことです。