In 1898 Eisenhower's father, David Jacob Eisenhower, and his wife Ida Elizabeth Stover Eisenhower, bought the house from David's uncle Abraham. David and Ida lived in the house until their deaths in 1942 and 1946. The two story wood frame house has a hipped roof with a central chimney. There is a one story addition on the east side, a porch on the south side, which is the front of the house, and a small porch on the west side.The lower level has a parlor, dining room and kitchen. The upper level has two large bedrooms and one small bedroom. After Ida's death the Eisenhower brothers gave the house and its contents to a memorial foundation for preservation.

Many things at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential complex are free, except the Eisenhower boyhood home at and the Eisenhower Museum, which have an admission price of $10. Interesting parts of the museum are the war gallery, a section about Mamie's "style," and a section on Ike's election and presidential years.

The Eisenhower Library includes 480 manuscript collections; over 300,000 still photographs; thousands of hours of motion picture film, audio tapes and discs; oral history transcripts; 25,000 books and many other objects. But, the collections are not open to the public. The library has just one gallery open to the public.

The Place of Meditation is a combination chapel and Mamie and Ike Eisenhower's tomb. It has stained glass windows and a fountain just outside the entrance.

LARRY PERSONAL NOTE: I VISITED THIS PLACE TWICE (2004 AND 2011) AND IT WAS QUITE IMPRESSIVE. ON THE SECOND VISIT FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY WAS VISITING JUST A FEW HOURS AFTER I LEFT SO LOTS OF SECURITY ALL AROUND