However since it is practically impossible for anyone not sporting a celebrity name or direct link to the White House to get a ticket to the show for the next year, I offer up a fun alternative to Lin Manuel's raps and homage to the founding fathers.
Visiting all of the Presidential Libraries!
(No, not geeky. Fun!)
As of 2015, there are 13 official National Archive Museum/Libraries:
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| Photo Credit: https://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/ |
As they are all over the country, it can be a bit of a challenge to check them all off, but thankfully I have a job that involves a lot of US travel and was able to work in almost all my museum visits during my heavy travel seasons.
It may have taken 6 years, but as of this past December, I was finally able to cross off the last of the 13 National Archive museums from my bucket list.
If you're like me, and never found high school history class all that interesting, you may be wondering why in the world you'd invest in visiting the museums. Hence, I give you a top 10 list of all the reasons why you're life will be better after visiting these historical archives.
1. The first Presidential Library I went to was Ronald Reagan. And I'll be honest. I had no idea what it was. Friend D said Library. So that's what I thought it was. A room full of books.Wrong.
Once you visit a Library for the first time, you realize that they are so much more than that. Each offers a unique perspective into the man who was president, his years before, during and after life in office and all of the accomplishments that stemmed from his presidency.
And there are very few books in sight, but there are a lot of other things. In fact, the Reagan Library has Air Force One in it. You can tour the plane get a sense of the travel world of a president (which I, as a Road Warrior, of course found interesting. And envying).
Also, Reagan wins the award for most beautiful grounds. On a hill above Simi Valley, it is absolutely stunning.
2. Each Museum is really different. Some use a lot of technology. The George H. Bush Museum and the Bill Clinton Museum had a lot of interactive exhibits, while the Eisenhower and Hoover Libraries are a little more old school---with a lot of graphics and photos. You can spend hours reading about these guys, which I found just as interesting as pushing buttons and watching videos.
3. Lyndon Johnson's museum had a life size, talking LBJ. That told jokes. Where else can you find that?!(*Disclaimer: I went to the museum before the remodel, not sure if this treat is still there, but I sure hope it is!)
But like the LBJ museum, all of them have their little flare of fun. You not only see the president, you learn about their quirks, their interests and little known facts that are perfect for a night of Pub Trivia.
4. You can spend hours or even days in some of these museums. The George W. Bush Museum is like Republican Disneyland. If that's your thing, than I highly suggest it. You walk in and greeted with music and fanfare and a blast to your senses. It is probably most fancy of the museums and being in the heart of Dallas, it's easy to visit along with some of the JFK memorials and the 6th Floor Museum.
5. I really appreciate that all of the museums have exhibits that focus on the First Ladies.
Of course, being a huge Jackie O fan, I found this exhibit to be the most interesting, however learning about all of the First Ladies is a big reason to go to these museums. We rarely hear about the lives of these women behind the State Dinners and the Hospitality they give Visitors. However, each has their own story to tell. We all know about the legacies of the more recent ladies, especially Eleanor Roosevelt Jackie Kennedy and Hillary Clinton, but the others are just as important. For example, Louise Hoover spoke 5 languages and was the first woman in the United States to receive a bachelor’s degree in geology in 1898.
Who knew?
You would if you visit!
6. Each library does a very good job at explaining the history behind some of the President's most important moments and decisions of their presidency. Many of the library have "what would you do?" exhibits. Where you are given a problem or issue that happened during their years and office and are given the opportunity to look at the details and make your own judgements. You realize how difficult this job is and how many hard decisions have to be made, many times without all of the details available. I ended up leaving many of those exhibits with the thought, "I don't know what I'd do. And I sure am glad I didn't have to make that decision!"
7. The photo opportunities are fantastic. Not only do you have an amazing array of artifacts surrounding you, many of the libraries have full size replicas of the President's oval office. Like this one at the Bill Clinton museum. I'll probably never get to the actual White House Oval Office, so these replicas are pretty neat to see. Many are very similar (how much can you really do to an oddly shaped room) but you can tell each President gave their offices their own little flare. 8. Bringing it back to Hamilton (who, yes, I know was not an actual president) but in the musical, there is a song, My Shot where the lyrics are:
"I am not throwing away my shot! I'm just like my country I'm young, scrappy and hungry."
And it really struck a cord with me. Our founding fathers and the president's that have followed really have that fire inside of them. Not everyone (let's face it, not most) are built to be the leader of the country. Visiting the museums made me realize how motivated and focused these men are. Some were raised to be in this position, but more often than not, they were people who thought they could make a difference and did something about it. I remember thinking that about Jimmy Carter and Herbert Hoover after learning more about their lives.
9. The grounds of the libraries are usually surround by more historical
buildings from each families life. Since many of the museums are located
in the hometowns of the Presidents, there are original homesteads or
houses and a few have the grave sights of the presidents. I really
enjoyed walking the grounds and seeing all these other aspects of their
lives.Along with their thirst for their aspirations, it's interesting to see how many come from humble beginnings.The FDR museum even has the opportunity to visit multiple Hyde Park area houses. 
10. There's a Presidential Library Passport that you can get stamped at each location. (Who doesn't love a gimmicky sense of accomplishment?) I wasn't able to get mine completely filled out because I didn't buy one until halfway through this historical adventure, but they are only $5.00 and I highly recommend it. Apparently you get a prize at the end of your journey. I'm not sure what it is, but if you find out let me know and I'm sure I'll be jealous....but we'll technically be Presidential Library Pilgrimage mates forever. So that totally makes up for it.
I did collect magnets from each of the Museums though, so that's pretty neat to see on my fridge.
I'll admit, no longer having a museum to visit is a bit of a bummer, but fear not, very soon Chicago will be getting the Obama Library. And you can bet that I'll be there as soon as I can.
And let's be honest, probably more excited to see the Michelle exhibit than anything else.
Happy Travels, Happy Learning!
Note: Just a quick word of advice. If there is a Federal Shutdown, do not plan on visiting one of the Libraries. As I sadly found out when I tried to go to the Ford Museum in 2014. Closed. Thankfully, work brought me back the next year and I was able to actually make it inside.
Also, I very much look forward to the day that I will get to visit a Lady President Library. Perhaps:
For more information about the Libraries visit:
https://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/
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