Camp David Guidebook for Presidential Guests (1958)

Date: No Date

Created By: No Author

Original or Replica: Original

Era: The Presidency

Collection: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Citations: Neil McElroy Papers, Box 2, Personal Letters 1959 (1); NAID #12023032

This illustrated guidebook was prepared for guests visiting Camp David, the presidential retreat used by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Located in Catoctin Mountain Park, approximately 65 miles north of Washington, D.C., the booklet introduces visitors to the camp’s layout, accommodations, and recreational facilities. A handwritten inscription on the cover indicates it was presented to guests who visited the retreat during the fall of 1958, providing a rare glimpse into the hospitality extended by the Eisenhower White House.

The guidebook explains that the staff area included the Sycamore, Hawthorne, Walnut, and Laurel cabins, with Laurel serving as the central dining and lounge facility. It also describes the camp’s amenities, including swimming, tennis, archery, badminton, horseshoes, hiking, playground equipment, daily movies, and trout fishing. Accompanying photographs and maps highlight the cabins, swimming pool, bathhouse, and recreation areas while noting that the retreat was staffed by a detachment of the U.S. Naval Administrative Unit.