John F Kennedy National Historic Site

In 1914 newlyweds Joseph and Rose Kennedy moved into this modest three-story house in the shady streetcar suburb of Brookline. Four of their nine children would be born and raised here, including Jack, who was born in the master bedroom in 1917. Matriarch Rose Kennedy oversaw the restoration and furnishing of the house in the late 1960s; today her narrative sheds light on the Kennedys’ family life. Mandatory guided tours allow visitors to see furnishings, photographs and mementos that have been preserved from the time the family lived here. A self-guided walking tour of the surrounding neighborhood sets the scene for the Kennedy family’s day-to-day life, including church, school and shopping.