The James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor, Ohio, will switch to winter hours Nov. 1, the U.S. National Park Service said.
The site will be open in the winter Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. While the buildings will be closed Mondays through Thursdays, the grounds will be open those days.
“We’re excited to offer visitors three days per week to visit James A. Garfield National Historic Site and tour the Garfield home,” said Site Manager Todd Arrington. “Visitors are invited to walk the grounds, read outdoor exhibit panels, and take our cell phone tours even on days the buildings are closed.”
The winter hours are effective through April 30.
The historic site is located about 25 miles east of Cleveland. It includes the home of James and Lucretia Garfield along with several outbuildings.
During the 1880 presidential contest, Garfield used the house for the first "front porch" presidential campaign.
" Dignitaries, students, Civil War veterans, women's and immigrants' groups, and public well-wishers all came to see and hear candidate Garfield speak from the home's front porch," the Park Service said. "The campaign office on the property was equipped with a telegraph that allowed the candidate to stay informed of developments across the country."
After Garfield's assassination in 1881, Lucretia established the first presidential memorial library, with a fire-resistant vault to protect the late president's letters and papers.
The library "set a precedent for future presidential libraries," the Park Service said.
