For every president since Hoover, the National Archives and Records Administration has operated a Presidential library and museum. Ronald Reagan's presidential library is located in Simi Valley, California. At 300 acres, it is far and away the largest presidential library and museum facility yet built. It is also the final resting place of both President Reagan and his wife Nancy. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. The research room is open on weekdays from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. The museum closes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission is $29 for adults, with a $3 discount for seniors and students. Youth between the ages of 11 and 17 pay $19, children 3–10 are $16, and admission is free for active military and children under two.
Reagan was the 40th president, and his tenure basically encapsulated the 1980s. He is noted for his escalating the controversial War on Drugs, the Iran-Contra scandal, and the decision to ignore the AIDS crisis. His "Reagan Doctrine" of arming any anti-communist resistance movement led to his backing of the Mujahideen under a young Osama bin-Laden. However, his time in the White House also saw a reduction in inflation and growth in GDP, which many attribute to his laissez-faire philosophy and supply-side economics. He also oversaw the end of the Cold War. While his influence on politics today is somewhat contested, he undeniably made an enormous impact, and his stature as a Republican icon is inarguable.
He is also known for his role as Professor Peter Boyd in the classic 1951 slapstick comedy Bedtime for Bonzo, co-starring Diana Lynn and a chimpanzee named "Peggy," as well as for possibly leading the country while in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
The Library
The Presidential Library holds over 60 million pages of documents, over 1.6 million photographs, half a million feet of film, and "tens of thousands" of audio and video tapes related to Reagan's presidential administration. This is in addition to documents from his tenure as governor of California. Some of these materials are available digitally online, but the facility is currently in the midst of taking inventory, much less getting its materials online.
The Museum
The museum is singularly impressive, as it is the largest one thus far. Like many presidential museums, it houses temporary exhibits. There are 18 galleries across the museum as a whole. Permanent exhibits include a full-scale reproduction of the Oval Office as it appeared during Reagan's presidency, an exhibit about his time as Governor of California, an exhibit on the First Lady, and an exhibit about the Berlin Wall and Reagan's efforts to bring down the Iron Curtain. There is also an exhibit on the history, roles, and duties of the Secret Service.
Other Points of Interest
The artifacts and exhibits at this particular site aren't constrained within the walls of the museum itself. There are many points of interest around the enormous campus. Displays include an enormous piece of the Berlin Wall and a replica of the White House South Lawn. Perhaps most movingly, there is a memorial here where Ronald and Nancy Reagan themselves are laid to rest, looking out over the Pacific Ocean.
One of the biggest attractions here is an enormous hangar called the "Air Force One Pavilion" where the actual Air Force One that flew Reagan sits. This SAM 27000 aircraft was also used by Nixon, Ford, Carter, Clinton, and both Bushes, and now it continues to serve the public, as an attraction intended to both entertain and educate. The Marine One helicopter that flew Johnson is also here at the Pavilion. Due to its size and its connection to one of the party's most beloved figures, events like the Republican primaries have been held here at the Pavilion.
Events at the Museum also include debates, dinners, book signings, and even rock concerts. Condoleeza Rice was interviewed here at the Center for Public Affairs. All in all, this is a very active site for Republican hobnobbing and political engagement in general.
Unfortunately, in 2007 it was discovered that—due to either theft, negligence, or a combination of both—some 80,000 artifacts related to the 40th President had gone missing. The overworked staff found themselves unable to keep track of the collections of presidential gifts and campaign materials, and moreover, an archivist was fired for stealing from the collections. The NARA audited the situation and cited a lack of adequate inventory software and poor supervision. The museum embarked upon a massive, multi-year audit. But not to worry—there's no shortage of things to see and do here.
Nearby Attractions
Simi Valley is located only 30 miles from downtown Los Angeles. That means that the list of "things to do" in the area includes the likes of Disneyland, Universal Studios, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the Griffith Observatory. Los Angeles is one of the great cities of the United States and a massive hub for the film industry, so odds are it won't be too difficult to find things nearby that suit your interests when you're done with the library itself.
