Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, California, USA (Travel)

Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute

40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley, CA 93065

People are who make history come alive. My husband and I both enjoy history, especially the study of the interesting, intriguing people who make up history and who have greatly impacted the world in a positive way. Ronald Reagan is one of those people.

During a visit to Los Angeles, California, we visited took a side trip to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. We rented a car at the LAX airport and drove the 50 mile, 90 minute drive to the library. Our drive time enjoyed magnificent California mountain terrain and the breathtaking Pacific coastal highway. We knew why Ronald and Nancy Reagan loved the area, home of their Western White House!

Located and overlooking the spacious and breathtaking Simi Valley, California, the library is administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

Perched atop a hill with sweeping views of the valley, we knew why the Reagan Library is one of California’s most beautiful and unique destinations.

The Reagan Library, like all presidential libraries and museums I have visited, focuses on highlights and milestones of his life and ultimately his legacy as United States president.

Who is Ronald Reagan?

Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States, serving from 1981 to 1989. Renowned as “The Great Communicator,” he transformed American politics, revitalized national conservatism, and played a central role in bringing a close to the Cold War. As member of the Republican Party, he was an important figure in the American conservative movement.

Reagan Era

The period encompassing his presidency is known as the Reagan Era. Reagan skillfully began implementing what has become known as “Reaganomics,” a policy involving economic deregulation, tax cuts and reduced government spending.

The Great Communicator: Actor turned Politician

A Hollywood actor turned politician, Reagan was actively involved in the world stage. He escalated the arms race and shifted the previous Cold War Policy away from detente, ordering the invasion of Grenada in 1983. Reagan’s foreign policy contributed to the end of the Cold War.

During his first term, he survived an assassination attempt, initiated a well-publicized fight with public-sector labor unions, and expanded the war on drugs.

He was elected to a second term in 1984 by defeating former vice president Walter Mondale. Confirming his popularity, it was one of the largest landslide victories in American history.

Inaugural Stage

One of the fun displays at the Reagan Library is an interactive Inaugural setting where a visitor can stand at the podium amidst the backdrop of the event. My husband enjoyed the role!

Included in the backdrop on the left are are Reagan’s wife Nancy (in red) with his Vice President George H W Bush and his wife Barbara. On the right are former President Jimmy Carter and wife, Rosalynn, with former vice president Walter Mondale and wife, Joan

“Peace through Strength”

Reagan’s second term was dominated by foreign affairs. He enacted “peace through strength,” significantly expanding the defense budget.

Gorbachev

Reagan formed a cooperative relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union, later in his presidency. This culminated in major arms control agreements, and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty which eased the Cold War tensions.

“Tear down this wall!”

During his famous speech at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate on June 12, 1987, Reagan said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” The Berlin Wall officially fell on November 9, 1989 after Reagan’s vice president and successor, George H.W. Bush took office as U.S. President.

A piece of the Berlin Wall is housed at the Reagan Library to recognize this accomplishment. This authentic, 6,339 pound, 9.5′ tall section of the Berlin wall was presented to President Reagan on April 12, 1990. It sits near the outdoor replica of the White House South Lawn and overlooks surrounding hills.

Two sides of the Wall are seen, each portraying a different aspect of are its role in history.

The East Berlin side of the wall remains stark, unadorned gray concrete.

The West Berlin side of the wall features colorful graffiti.

Side note: This segment underwent detailed restoration in 2023 to brighten the colors damaged by Southern California sunlight. (My visit and photos were taken in 2021.)

Reagan’s Life & Career: a Timeline

Beginnings: Reagan’s roots in the Midwest (Illinois) during the Great Depression built the foundation of his world view. He worked his way through Eureka College, playing football and acting in student plays, graduating in 1932. After working first as a radio sports announcer in Iowa, he headed to Hollywood in 1937.

Actor / The Gipper

Actor: For the next three decades, Reagan, the actor, starred in more than 50 films including his first big role as an actor in Knute Rockne—All American and Kings Row. It is this role as the ill-fated football star George Gipp where, in one of the movie’s most famous scenes, a dying, bed-ridden Gipp – nicknamed the Gipper – urges his college teammates to with a critical football game in his honor. “Win one for the Gipper,” Reagan says in the film. Reporters began calling Reagan “The Gipper” during his political campaigns. Reagan himself used the famous line and embraced the nickname throughout his political career and presidency.

His leadership skills were honed as president of the Screen Actors Guild.

Political transition: His political involvement began while dealing with labor disputes and his tenure hosting the General Electric Theater. These shaped the transition of his political views from a New Deal Democrat to a committed Conservative.

Governor

Governor: Reagan’s political career officially started when he became the 33rd Governor of California (1966), defeating incumbent Pat Brown. He served two very successful terms (1967-1975) putting him prominently in the national political spotlight.

President: As a popular and strong candidate, Reagan won the race for United States President for two terms (1981–1989). He first defeated incumbent President Jimmy Carter (1980) and second, he defeated former Vice President Walter Mondale (1984).

President

Reaganomics: As president, his economic program focused on tax cuts, deregulation, and reducing the growth of government spending to stimulate economic revival.

Later Years

Later Years: After leaving office in 1989, Reagan retired to his beloved and beautiful California ranch. In 1994, he publicly announced his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease, passing away at his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, in 2004 at the age of 93.

Nancy Reagan

Nancy Reagan is most famous for serving as the First Lady of the United States (1981-1989) and her powerful influence on her husband, the President.

Before her marriage to Ronald Reagan, she worked as a Hollywood actress, starring in films like Hellcats of the Navy alongside him.

At the Reagan Library Nancy is portrayed as a glamorous Hollywood actress, a devoted protector and closest confidante to her husband. She is remembered as a strong and influential First Lady in her own right

The dedicated Nancy Reagan Gallery in the library displays personal memorabilia and artifacts from her life and her time in the White House.

The gallery highlights her background in Hollywood and her elegance and meticulous style (there is a rotating section of her clothing outfits). Visitors can witness her elegance, and her role as a gracious social director who brought high fashion and charm to the White House. She loved style and brought back the high fashion and glamour which earned her comparisons to Jackie Kennedy. Nancy gracefully faced public criticism when she accepted designer clothing loans during a national economic recession and initiated expensive redecorating of the White House.

Nancy was a fierce protector of her husband’s public image and political career during and after his time in office. She helped manage White House staff, advised her husband during major political moments. When Reagan was diagnosed for Alzheimer’s disease later in life, she fiercely protected his privacy and advocated for embryonic stem cell research to help find a cure for the disease.

“Just Say No”

As with most first ladies, she championed a cause during her tenure in the White House. She lead the famous “Just Say No” Anti-drug campaign to stop drug and alcohol use among young people. To raise awareness, she traveled across the country. She hosted an international conference for the world’s First Ladies at the White House.

The museum also highlights her partnership, her active, hands-on role in designing and building the library itself in Simi Valley.

The couple is buried side by side in a quiet, serene grove overlooking their beloved valley.

Reagan Oval Office

A highlight of all of the presidential libraries we visited includes a full-size replica of their White House Oval Office.

Oval office Art

While all oval offices are similar in layout, each President (and First Lady!) inserts their own personalities as they decorate their own Oval Office. The interior decorating and pieces of artwork reflect their values and tastes. It inspires their work.

President Reagan’s choices reflect some of his core values: freedom, strong leadership, and patriotism.

Paintings

Three paintings stood out as prominent to me in Reagan’s Oval Office.

(1) The 1776 portrait of George Washington by Charles Willson Peale, is one of the most historical and prominent paintings in Reagan’s oval office (seen on far right in photo below) It emphasizes Revolutionary War history and leadership. General Washington is in dress uniform with the light blue sash of Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. It was originally painted for John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress.

(2) “Preaching to the Troops” is the smaller painting to the left of Washington. By Sanford R Gifford, it portrays Union troops, encamped in Washington, D.C., including men of the Seventh Regiment of New York, gathering to hear a sermon. Reagan greatly admired President Lincoln, and had researched and read a great deal about the Civil War.

(3) The portrait of President Andrew Jackson (7th president) by Thomas Sully was selected because Reagan admired the fact that Jackson was the first “western” president (born in the then-frontier back country on the North/South Carolina border) and came from humble beginnings.

Reagan’s love for the West is seen in his inclusion of cowboys, horses and wild animals. Frederic Remington’s famous bronze sculpture, “Bronco Buster,” depicts a cowboy trying to tame a rearing, bucking horse.

The Resolute Desk

The President’s desk is the focal point and one of the main features of the Reagan Oval Office. This magnificent desk is an exact replica of the one known as the Resolute Desk.

The original Resolute Desk has been used by every president since Hayes (with the exceptions of Johnson, Nixon, and Ford (1964-1977). From this desk, President Reagan spoke to the nation in a televised address following the Challenger explosion in 1986. 

The Resolute Desk carries its own unique story. It was crafted from the wood of the H.M.S. Resolute, an abandoned British ship discovered by an American vessel. The Americans returned the boat to the Queen of England as a token of friendship and goodwill. Queen Victoria then commissioned part of the ship to be turned into a desk as a present to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880.  

Since 1880, the Resolute Desk has only been modified twice. The first was when President Franklin Roosevelt requested that the rear knee-hold be filled with a panel carved with the presidential coat-of-arms, which was installed in 1945. 

In 1986 President Reagan ordered the second modification by adding a two-inch base to the desk to accommodate his tall frame and keep the drawers from hitting his knees (he was 6’1″ tall but he always seemed taller!).

The authentic, original Resolute Desk remains in the White House Oval Office in Washington, D.C. (outside of brief periods for maintenance). Many presidential libraries feature exact-scale replicas of the famous desk as part of their permanent Oval Office exhibits, as seen here.

We had the opportunity to view the original Resolute Desk in a special World War II exhibit during our visit to the Reagan Library. “Secrets of World War II” was a 10,000-square-foot special exhibition that ran through October 2022. This engaging exhibition featured rare artifacts, top-secret weapons, classified deception units, code-making/breaking technologies, and untold stories of unsung heroes and hero animals.

Flooring & Sunbeam Rug

Designed by First Lady Nancy Reagan, the prominent gold-and-yellow custom oval rug features a sunburst or sunbeam pattern which radiates outward from the center, and symbolizes optimism.

A new oak and walnut parquet floor was installed in the oval office during the Reagan’s tenure..

Jelly Beans

A Reagan “personal touch” was one for which he was especially famous. He kept a jar of jelly beans on his desk for visitors and staff, along with a small plaque bearing the inscription: “There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.”

The Jelly Bean habit originated in 1966 when Reagan ate them to help him quit smoking a pipe while running for Governor of California.  Licorice was his personal favorite flavor. The Herman Goelitz Candy Company supplied the White House with thousands of jelly beans during his presidency. Special jars adorned with the presidential seal for guests and world leaders were featured. Replicas can be purchased at the Reagan Library Gift shop or online at whitehousehistory.org (White House History Association)

Earthy Color Palate

Reagan favored warm, earthy tones, featuring iron-red draperies and matching couch cushions moving away from brighter or darker configurations of previous administrations.

Known for honoring the position and respect for the office, it is recorded that President Reagan never took off his suit jacket while in the oval office

Air Force One Pavilion

The Oval office is impressive, but the Air Force One Pavilion at the Reagan Library is the main display in the Reagan Library. It is advertised as one of Southern California’s “must-see” destinations!

Visitors are able to walk onboard the actual Air Force One aircraft, tail number 27000, on loan from the United States Air Force. It flew seven U.S. presidents.

The Air Force One Pavilion is about more than just this plane. It includes one of his presidential limousines and secret service suburbans which are a part of an exhibit on presidential motorcades.

Visitors can also experience the actual Irish pub from Ballyporeen, Ireland where Reagan visited on a diplomatic trip in 1984. Today it sits within the Pavilion and serves as the Library’s snack shop.

The 120’ mural on the wall which represents all 22 aircraft that has ever flown a U.S. president.

This Flying White House, tail number 27000, served seven U.S Presidents from 1973 to 2001, including Presidents Nixon, Carter, Ford, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton and George W. Bush.

For Ronald Reagan, this was the plane in which he hand-wrote many of his speeches, signed important legislation and even officially started the Daytona Beach, Florida NASCAR race via phone. (Note the jelly bean jar!)

Marine One Helicopter

The pavilion also houses an historic Sikorsky VH-3A Sea King helicopter (tail number 150611) that served as Marine One during the 1960s and 70s.

• In 1957, it transported President Eisenhower from Newport, Rhode Island to Naval Air Station Quonset Point, beginning presidential helicopter travel.
• In 1962 President Kennedy requested that the aircraft have distinctive markings. This same green and “white-top” paint scheme is still used today.
• In 1963 this is the actual aircraft that flew President Johnson from Andrews Air Force base to the White House immediately after President Kennedy’s body was returned from Texas.
• In 1966 this helicopter joined the Johnson Administration fleet remaining active through the Nixon and Ford administrations.
• It was retired in 2004 when it was delivered to the Reagan Library.

The Cowboy President

Ronald Reagan was a very classy, impeccably dressed man who is remembered for always wearing his suit coat in the Oval Office.

But there was another, country side of Reagan. His lifelong passion for horses and the philosophy of the Western horseman profoundly shaped his personal character, integrity, patriotism and ultimately, his presidency.

His love for horses developed as a youth and later as a reserve cavalry officer at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. He frequently owned, raced, and along with Nancy, rode horses throughout his acting and political career.

He embraced the old cavalry adage: “There is nothing so good for the inside of a person as the outside of a horse.”

Riding with Reagan

A lover of horses myself, I enjoyed the opportunity to climb onto the back of a horse and imagine myself on a ride into the California countryside alongside of the President!

Gold Star Families Memorial Monument

The Gold Star Families Memorial Monument is one of the focal points of the grounds around the library. It was created to honor the families of service members who sacrificed their lives while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. This black granite, four-panel monument that features a center cutout representing the fallen service member. The words homeland, family, patriot, and sacrifice, are included, along with a dedicated quote from President Ronald Reagan.

The memorial is located in “Gipper’s Grove,” on the west side of the library campus near President and Mrs. Reagan’s memorial site. It was created by Medal of Honor Recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams in collaboration with actor Gary Sinise and unveiled on Veterans Day, November 2018.

Reagan Legacy

Reagan left the presidency in 1989 as a very well-liked and respected statesman, having achieved historical rankings of US presidents recorded in the middle to upper tier. His post-presidential approval ratings by the general public continue to remain high.

Considered an icon of American conservatism, his tenure constituted a realignment toward more conservative policies in the United States. When Reagan left the presidency in 1989, the American economy had experienced a major reduction of inflation, a decline in unemployment rate, and the longest period of peacetime economic expansion at that time in US history. The end of the Cold War is attributed to Reagan’s foreign policies.

Can Do Spirit

President Reagan’s inspirational can-do spirit was made clear by the two plaques he kept on his desk:

“It can be done” and

“There’s no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.”

In his own words, I enjoyed reading Reagan’s Reflections on his time in Washington, March 4, 1987:

“As my time in Washington draws to its close, I’ve had occasion to reflect on the astonishing journey I’ve been privileged to make from the banks of the Rock River to this glorious site overlooking the mighty Pacific. The journey has not just been my own. It seems I’ve been guided by force much larger than myself, a force made up of ideas and beliefs about what this country is and what it could be.”

Reagan had plans for an active post-presidency. Sadly, those plans were hindered with his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in 1994. His mental and physical capacities gradually deteriorated and eventually lead to his death in 2004. His wife, Nancy, kept Reagan out of the public eye to help preserve his dignity and his legacy.

Visit

The Reagan Library hours, open days, admission rates and special exhibits are available on the website reaganfoundation.org

The Reagan library offers over 125,000 square feet of exhibits, so allow three to four hours to enjoy all of the galleries and grounds along with any special exhibit that may be available during your visit. The cafe including outdoor patio dining that was delightful. Menu options varied per day and time of day.

Included in our admission to the Reagan Library we purchased an expanded annual membership to individual supporting organizations which grants free admission to all NARA (National Archives) presidential libraries and museum across the United States. We took advantage of this with subsequent Texas visits to the presidential libraries of George H.W. Bush (College Town, George W Bush (Dallas) and Lyndon B Johnson (Austin). A previous trip to Boston, MA included the Presidential Library for John F. Kennedy. Blogs on these sites are included separately. Visiting Presidential libraries around the USA is a good theme for road trips!

Sources

• Personal Visit to Reagan Library at 40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley, CA 93065. Information received by Cher B and Skip B on site from brochures, plaques and museum tour guides on 08 April 2022.
• Reagan Library website: reaganfoundation.org/
• White House History Association website whitehousehistory.org