The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum is situated in Simi Valley, halfway between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. It was opened November 4, 1991, by former President Reagan and four other living U.S. presidents.
Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits
The Cold War has always fascinated me. And Ronald Reagan was instrumental in taking down the Berlin Wall and bringing the Cold War to an end. So, I found the the exhibits linking to this aspect of his presidency most fascinating.
The lines below are Reagan’s speech listed on Time’s list of the top 10 greatest speeches. The speech has been considered one of the defining moments of Reagan’s presidency.
Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate!
~ Ronald Reagan, address at the Brandenburg Gate, June 12, 1987
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
While I listened to the speech on t.v. at the time, it became even more important to me later. The wall and its significance became more real after visiting Berlin, driving under the Brandenburg Gate, and seeing the wall.
Fast Fact: Reagan's presidency began in 1981, and ended in 1989. The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989, after George HW Bush became the 41st president of the U.S.
During his presidency, Reagan met with Soviet Union leader, Mikhail S. Gorbachev at four summits. The summits were held in Geneva, Switzerland; Reykjavik, Iceland; Washington, D.C.; and Moscow, U.S.S.R. These two leaders signed two historic treaties, which are both on exhibit in the gallery.
President Reagan also envisioned a Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). While it was never implemented, in part due to the fall of the Berlin Wall, it impacted future defense plans. Plans from the SDI helped put in place leading edge defense systems to protect against ballistic missile attacks.
Fast Fact: Peter Robinson was the staff writer behind President Reagan's historic speech. Read the story behind its writing in the U.S. National Archives.
What’s in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum?
The Reagan Library & Museum overlook a breathtaking landscape in Southern California. The 100-acre grounds are home to replicas of the White House’s Rose Garden and White House South Lawn.
Dedicated in 1991, the original building was 150,000 square feet in total. Its one of just 13 presidential libraries. Its library holdings are enormous with over a million-and-a-half still photos and nearly 65 million pages!
In addition to the Library and Reagan Library Grounds, there are a number of other permanent exhibits. They include:
- President Ronald Reagan Memorial
- Oval Office decorated as it was during Reagan’s presidency
- Secret Service
- Gold Star Families Memorial Monument
- Berlin Wall
- Air Force One
- F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Fighter, F-14, M-1 Abrams Tank, and Marine One helicopter
- Ronald Reagan Hologram
Fast Fact: You can take a Google Street Virtual Walk Through of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.
Ronald Reagan, 40th president of the United States, brought one of the most colorful personal histories to the White House. Indeed, he acted in 50+ films over three decades!
As well as his Cold War achievements, the White House Historical Association also notes the following.
- The Reagan Revolution to reinvigorate the American people and reduce their reliance on Government.
- By the end of Reagan’s eight-year administration, the Nation was enjoying its longest recorded period of peacetime prosperity.
High Points of the Exhibits
Of course, the replica of the Oval Office in the White House stands out for everyone! Since I’ll never see the real one, it certainly did for me.
There was a second high point for me in the Reagan Library exhibits. That was getting my photo taken horseback riding with the president. Okay, so his image is just a wall mural, but I still love the photo!
Outdoors, I loved the statue of his favorite horse, El Alemein. El Alemein was an Anglo Arab gifted to him in 1980 by Mexican president, Lopez Portillo.
Even before becoming president, Reagan had a ranch in California. After becoming president, it was his vacation home, and was dubbed “The Western White House.”
Fast Fact: President Reagan, and his wife, Nancy, rest peacefully on the museum's hillside facing the sunset over Simi Valley.
Linda’s Road Trip Tips
Make sure to have coffee or a meal (I did lunch) at the Gipper’s Bar & Bistro on your visit. You can also check out the Ronald Reagan Pub. It’s an actual pub from Reagan’s ancestral home, Ballyporeen, Ireland. It was dismantled and shipped to California in 2004!
I stayed in Oxnard while visiting the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum. Only 25 miles away, Oxnard has the amazing Henry T. Oxnard Historic District for history lovers.
Fast Fact: Oxnard's historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
The district has 139 contributing buildings, mostly built before 1925. Few inappropriate changes have made in the area over time, so these two streets of home make an intact neighborhood.
The architecture of the area includes the following.
- 72 bungalows/craftsman
- 36 Mediterranean/Spanish Revival
- 13 Colonial Revival
- 5 Prairie School
- 8 Tudor Revival
Heritage Square is a pivotal part of the historic area. It consists of 15 restored structures and a Main Plaza and its gardens. Docents offer guided outdoor tours year-round starting at the Heritage Square Visitor Center at 715 South A Street.
Who Should Visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum?
The Ronald Reagan library has a wealth of information for academics and historical researchers.
The museum is interesting for anyone visiting the area. It captures a picture of politics during the Cold War and Reagan’s importance in bringing it to an end.
Exhibits from this period include everything from clothes worn by Nancy Reagan to saddles the couple used for horseback riding.
The Air Force One exhibit is fascinating for visitors of all ages. Indeed, you can go inside the plane that served seven presidents, including Reagan. He flew in it over 660,000 miles to 26 foreign countries and 46 U.S. states.
I spent about three hours at the museum, but could have been longer if I’d sat down in the library!
The museum and library are wheelchair accessible, with elevators where required. There’s even a wheelchair lift to allow visitors to access the entry of Air Force One. Working and service animals are allowed on site.
How to Visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum was situated in Simi Valley due to Reagan’s political history in the state. While Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois, his first political posts were as Governor for California from 1967 to 1975.
Parking: The museum provides free parking. During high tourist season visitors may have to park on Presidential Drive, adjacent to the library. A complimentary shuttle takes visitors to the Library entrance.
Address: 40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley, California, USA.
Check days open, hours, and admission costs on the Reagan Library website.
Keep up to date with what’s happening with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation’s Museum Page on Facebook.
Take a virtual tour of the Reagan Presidential Library & Museum with KCAL News.
Plan your visit to the museum with Google maps.
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Reference(s)
San Buenaventura Research Associates. (2005). Downtown Oxnard historic resources survey final report. https://vcrma.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/downtown-oxnard-historic-resoures-survey-final-report.pdf
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