The Truman Home

The Truman Home

 

223 N Main Street
Independence, Missouri
816-254-9929
Open to the Public

This 14-room Victorian home was built in 1886 by Bess Wallace Truman’s maternal grandfather, George Porterfield.  Called “The Summer White House,” this is where President Harry Truman lived after his marriage to Bess in 1919 until his death in 1972.  Truman’s Aunt and Uncle lived across the street at 216 North Delaware, and Harry was a frequent visitor.   The interior of the Truman home is exactly as it was in 1972.  After Bess died in 1982, the home was obtained by the National Park Service and is now open to the public for guided tours.

Watch out for Harry Truman’s apparition to appear, sometimes sitting in his favorite chair in the

living room or walking outside the home.  The smell of his favorite brandy has been noted by guests on occasion. His ghost has been reported around nearby old downtown Independence, where he took daily walks during the last 15 years of his life after his final term as president ended in 1957.  Harry Truman had his first job at Clinton’s Soda Fountain on the Independence Square near this home, and worked as an attorney nearby.  It is no wonder that he is spotted hanging out at his old favorite places.

The home is now a museum run by the National Parks Service and is open for public tours daily.  No tours on Mondays between Labor Day and Memorial Day. Tickets can be purchased at the Truman Visitor Center at 223 North Main Street. Hours 9:300a.m—5:00 p.m. daily except for holidays.

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Margie Kay is the Director of Quest Paranormal Investigation Group and author of Haunted Independence and Gateway to the Dead.  She is the publisher of Un-X News Magazine.  Visit www.margiekay.com or www.unxnews.com for more information.