Discover the Lives of Presidents Past at Presidential Libraries
LBJ Library, replica Oval Office. Jacquline F. Cooper/Dreamstime.com
Sightseers at a setting near Boston enjoy a leisurely stroll through a magnificent 18th-century garden. A man in Texas plays president as he reads a speech from a teleprompter. Children in California take a pretend horseback ride with Ronald Reagan.
These seemingly disparate experiences have one thing in common. They’re taking place at depositories of manuscripts, memorabilia and memories which keep alive the stories of American presidents. The recent election increased interest in the office of the presidency, and anyone wishing to explore that topic is in luck.
Family riding with Reagan: RRPF&I
Visitors to presidential libraries may read important documents, view artifacts and learn about both the public and private lives of men who have filled the highest elected office in the country. They may relive the pomp and pageantry of the presidency and enjoy behind-the-scenes introductions to those who have been elected to the position as real people.
At this time, a number of the libraries are closed to visitors. Until they reopen, their websites offer virtual tours that provide insight to their many attractions.
The idea of presidential libraries came from Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In 1939, he donated his personal and official papers, along with part of his Hyde Park, New York estate, to the federal government.
FDR Library, his Oval Office Desk: Michael Gordon/Dreamstime.com
FDR's Library traces his presidency from the depths of the Great Depression through the New Deal and World War II. Visitors may see his Oval Office desk, listen to the President's famous radio "Fireside Chats" and view a mock-up of the secret White House Map Room, where Roosevelt and his military advisers planned and followed key battles during World War II. (For more information log onto fdrlibrary.org)
Books, manuscripts, clothing, surveying equipment and other belongings of George Washington are stored at his Mount Vernon, Virginia estate. In keeping with the goal of the collections to personalize the human side of presidents, the dentures that he wore also are on display. (mountvernon.org/library.)
John Adams Home & Garden: Joe Sohm/Dreamstime.com
Two other early presidents are represented at the Adams National Historic Park in Quincy, Massachusetts. Among structures that share the 13-acre campus are the birth places of John Adams, the second President; his son John Quincy Adams, sixth President; the Old House, where four generations of the family lived, and the Stone Library, which John Quincy insisted be built to be fireproof.
Among treasured items in that building are John Adams’ personal copy of George Washington’s Farewell Address and a bible presented to John Quincy by African slaves who had mutinied and whom he successfully defended in court. Flower gardens and orchards that share the historic landscape add to the feeling of being transported back to when the Adams family lived there. (nps.gov/adam)
Another father-son duo is introduced at the George H.W. and George W. Bush libraries. Visitors to the Bush ’41 collection on the campus of Texas A&M University may step into the role of President and read a speech from a teleprompter. A larger than life mural transports viewers to the White House dining room during a State Dinner, and a display of spy equipment used by CIA agents serves as reminder that Bush ’41 was director of that bureau before becoming President. (bush41.org)
Air Force One: RRPF&I
Exhibits at the George W. Bush library in Dallas depict life in the White House, including Presidential pets, and interactive exhibits geared to children are based upon the interest of First Lady Laura Bush in education.
Of course, the attacks of 9/11 receive full attention, including artifacts from Ground Zero and the bullhorn that President Bush used to address the crowd that assembled at the site. (georgewbushlibrary.smu.edu)
Another tragedy is recounted at the John F. Kennedy Library, but his assassination is only part of the story told there. More than 20,000 artifacts range from JFK’s collection of ship models to Jackie Kennedy’s trend-setting clothing. Among historic events that exhibits cover are the space program, fight for civil rights and Cuban Missile Crisis. (jfklibrary.org)
Abraham Lincoln lived long before the advent of today’s electronic breakthroughs but that didn’t prevent planners of his library from taking full advantage of them. Among attractions at the Lincoln Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois are elaborate dioramas and multimedia exhibits. They share space with reproductions of Honest Abe’s boyhood home and the Ford Theatre, where he was assassinated. (illinois.gov/alplm)
Clinton Library, replica White House Conference Room: Amadeuxtx/Dreamstime.com
In addition to the Library, buildings at the Clinton Presidential Center include the Clinton Foundation office and Clinton School of Public Service. Permanent exhibits vary from some of the interesting gifts that were given to the President to a replica of the White House Conference Room. (clintonlibrary.gov)
It’s not surprising that an actor who went on to lead the country is recalled in dramatic ways. The Ronald Reagan Library near Los Angeles is the largest of all the Presidents. Among its displays is the Air Force One plane in which he and other Presidents flew and a mock Presidential motorcade.
Air Force One and Motorcade: John Murtorano
Visitors may “act” in a movie alongside “the Gipper” (his nickname from a part he once played) and ride a virtual horse on Reagan’s ranch. (reaganlibrary.gov)
Reagan Library, acting with Reagan: RRPF&I
If riding a pretend horse or checking out George Washington’s false teeth doesn’t appeal to you, perhaps strolling through gardens where two Presidents once walked will. Visits, real or virtual, to Presidential libraries bring to life memorable chapters of history and provide introductions to the men who have held the highest office in the land.
