When you check in you can add the library tour app to your smart phone, or they give you an i-touch that you can use for audio and video explanations of the library. Shown below on the left is the printout of the audio at the 9/11 display. On the right is a photo of the video of George W. explaining the makings of the oval office.
After you check in you are immediately impressed by a 360 degree video display. The photo at the left is the normal view. At the top right you can see it darkens and on the bottom right you can see the different people and they are all in motion.
These are actual steel beams from the World Trade Center.
Every Presidential Library has the beautiful attire, invitations, menus and place settings from State Dinners
George W. Bush loved to bike and quite often with wounded warriors. Proudly displayed is his Tour de Crawford Trek bike.
This is the only presidential library with a full size replica of the oval office. In addition, you can walk all around it! Yes, that beautiful lady in pink to the left of the lamp shade is Carol Land! You can see how popular this spot is as it draws quite the crowd.
Who can resist the opportunity to sit at the famous Resolute Desk - surely not Steve Land who is emphatically speaking!
Who am I to talk... I could not resist the opportunity either!
One of the things we learned is that each President creates their own rug for the oval office. George W. asked Laura to create his rug and his only request was that it be very positive. Here is the beautiful rug she created. The center has the Great Seal of the United States with sun bursts coming out with a beautiful edging around the oval shape.
Just outside the oval office is the frequently seen Rose Garden where we often see photos of the President striding down the walkway on the left side of this photo.
There are so many displays, interactive tables and videos but one that was just fun was a Saturday Night Live Will Farrell and George W. Bush skit.
This Presidential Library, being the newest, uses an amazing amount of technology. An example of this was Decision Points Display. Also the name of the recent book written by President Bush. There are seats in front of a display panel. Everyone in the audience gets to pick which decision made by George W. they want to work on. The majority rules. We worked on The Financial Crisis. You pick from a list of advisors and listen to their "pitch." After a set amount of time everyone gets to vote on whether they agree or disagree with the decision made by George W. Our group did not agree with his decision on the Financial Crisis.
In addition to all of the interactive displays, there were many display cases of gifts made to the President and First Lady from around the world. They were each displayed in the area of the world that they came from. Here is a collage of some of the gifts. They are all amazing!
The season exhibit was the Christmas Display that was not used the Christmas after 9/11. The White House Staff starts working on the Christmas Display in March so these were completed but never displayed at the White House. This was a "gingerbread house" themed display of the Presidential Homes. Here is one that I know everyone will recognize.
Here are some that Mark and I particularly liked as they were some of the Presidential Homes that we have visited: Montpelier, Monticello, Mount Vernon and the very modest Eisenhower's boyhood home.
Also displayed was the Menorah from the first Menorah Lighting ceremony ever held in the White House.
We have been to many of the Presidential Libraries but this one, without a doubt, stands out as one of the best.
After several dinners and golf with Steve and Carol its time to head south to Austin, Texas.
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