Courtesy Eisenhower Presidential Library
Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home
[ Abilene, Kansas ]
Located in the center of Abilene’s museum district, the Eisenhower complex tells the full story of the 34th president of the United States, the five-star General Dwight David Eisenhower. Five distinct buildings make up the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, housed on 22 acres, including his boyhood home, a museum featuring permanent exhibits and a temporary gallery, a research library with temporary exhibits, a visitors center with a gift shop and welcome film, and the “Place of Meditation” (aka. the president’s final resting place).
“An interesting fact about the Eisenhower Presidential Library campus is the history,” said Karl Weissenbach, director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home. “Dwight Eisenhower’s mother, Ida, lived in the family home until she passed away in 1946, and the home was opened as a museum in 1947. Plans were already under way to create a World War II museum near this home, but after Eisenhower was elected president of the United States, the scope shifted for the museum to become the site for the presidential library.”
The museum was dedicated on the first Veterans Day ever, November 11, 1954, and groundbreaking for the library building began in 1959 with the opening dedication set for May 1, 1962.
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
[ Springfield, Illinois ]
Although the museum focusing on Abraham Lincoln’s life opened in 2007, the presidential library at this location incorporates the entire state of Illinois’ historic library that was created nearly 125 years ago.
“Our claim to fame is the vast collection of Lincoln items we can display, from Lincoln’s stovepipe hat to a handwritten copy of the Gettysburg Address to his son’s tombstone,” said Christopher Wills, communications manager for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Wills said the museum is also home to the blood-stained gloves Lincoln was carrying when he was assassinated. “My personal favorite is an exhibit about the 1860 presidential election, presented as an edition of ‘Meet the Press.’ It’s a wonderfully entertaining way to drive home the fact that politics back then wasn’t all that different from politics today.”
The library boasts thousands of artifacts and documents that give greater insight into the amazing life of Abraham Lincoln, and the museum portion of the institution gives visitors a Lincoln experience that combines rigorous scholarship, modern technology and ingenious storytelling to explore Lincoln’s life and accomplishments. One of the most remarkable exhibits at the museum is the “Ghosts of the Library” show, which explains the importance of collecting artifacts and documents with a unique story line and special effects that leave the audience mystified.
