Ronald Reagan: A Visit to His Presidential Library and Museum

If you're planning a trip to Southern California, don't forget to include a visit to the Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. Beautiful countryside surrounds the museum which sits at the top of a hill in Simi Valley. Special events are scheduled throughout the year so it's a good idea to check the museum's calendar before you travel. Recent events include the display and viewing of the Magna Carta on loan from the Salisbury Cathedral in England; and Colonial Days, a vivid demonstration of life during our nation's early years.

Air Force One Pavilion.

Probably the most notable part of the Ronald Reagan Library is the Air Force One Pavilion. Air Force One, retired in 2001 and on loan from the U.S. Air Force, sits with its wheels on tall pillars dwarfing the cafe seating area and shops below it. An impressive wall of glass encloses the west side of this 3-level pavilion which was completed after Air Force One was in place. It is a breath-taking sight from any angle.

A walk around the top level of the pavilion will bring you close enough to touch the tips of Air Force One's wings-but don't as it is strictly prohibited. It is from this level that you'll board the jet. As you walk through Air Force One, you'll feel the hum and vibration of what seems to be the plane in flight. Docents stand in each section to answer questions and describe some of the events on board Air Force One when it carried President Reagan. From the cockpit to the communications center, from President Reagan's office to First Lady Nancy Reagan's office, from the security and staff areas to the areas for the press and guests, the inside of Air Force One is something you must experience firsthand.

On the second level of the pavilion, you'll find the motorcade from President Reagan's second inauguration. It includes a police car, motorcycle, and the limousine which carried President and Mrs. Reagan down Pennsylvania Avenue.

The ground floor of the Air Force One Pavilion has a seating area near the pub that was dismantled in Ireland and reassembled in the pavilion. Also on this level is the Marine One helicopter that carried President Reagan from the White House to many venues including Andrews Air Force Base and Air Force One. It is from this level that you might exit the pavilion onto a large balcony which overlooks the surrounding Simi Valley. On a clear day, you may even see the Channel Islands off of the Southern California coast.

Library and Museum.

The library and museum are housed in a separate building and offer a variety of sights and sounds, memories and memorabilia. Among the many collections to be viewed are an exhaustive set of belt buckles; President Reagan's western saddles, tack, and boots; and, gifts to the President and First Lady from foreign governments, sports teams, and friends. You'll see the re-creation of the kitchen from his humble boyhood home, the restaurant booth where he proposed to Nancy, and film clips from some of his well-known movies.

The museum offers an incredible replica of the oval office. Visitors stand to one side of this masterpiece while a docent gives interesting and sometimes humorous details of the actual oval office as well as President Reagan's own experiences there.

Library and Museum Grounds

On the grounds at the back of the museum, you'll be reminded of a time when freedom cried out as you stand next to a piece of the Berlin Wall. You'll feel the power of an F-14 Tomcat fighter jet which represents President Reagan's motto, "Peace through Strength". You'll stand in awe before the granite memorial site where President Ronald Reagan was laid to rest.

At the entrance to the library and museum is a life-size, bronze statue of President Reagan. He stands welcoming all those who come to visit. Perhaps he's waiting to greet you.