Overview
- The library opened to the public on Saturday on a 93-acre butte near Medora, North Dakota, with thousands of visitors attending the July 4 ribbon-cutting and grand opening events.
- The 96,000‑square‑foot Snøhetta-designed building is embedded in the landscape with a walkable living prairie roof, mass timber and rammed‑earth walls and a nearly one‑mile boardwalk that links to regional trails.
- Inside, more than 40,000 square feet of immersive galleries are anchored by 142 original Theodore Roosevelt artifacts and a unified digital archive that aggregates papers previously scattered across institutions.
- The library features AI-enabled conversational exhibits that museum leaders say let visitors ‘have a conversation with TR,’ while staff continue work to secure Living Building Challenge, LEED Platinum and SITES certification.
- Funded mainly by private philanthropy at an estimated $400–$450 million, the project has boosted local tourism and conservation work with large native‑plant restorations, but it also faces public and political scrutiny over funding, federal involvement and interpretation choices.