Every president since Hoover has gotten a presidential library, maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration. George Herbert Walker Bush was the 41st President of the United States and the father of the nation's 43rd president. He is best known for the Gulf War, the invasion of Panama, and spearheading the development of NAFTA, which was eventually signed by Clinton. His administration saw the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Though born in Massachusetts, H.W. Bush moved to West Texas to seek his fortune in the oil industry, and his presidential library is located in College Station on the west campus of Texas A&M University near the George Bush School of Government and Public Service. The library research room is open Monday–Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except federal holidays, and from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Christmas Eve. The museum is open 9:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Monday–Saturday, and noon–5:00 p.m. Sundays. It’s closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Tickets are $9, with discounts for seniors, retired military, youth, and college students. Children 5 and under, A&M and Blinn College students, and active-duty military get free admission.
The Library
The library’s text archives have over 44 million pages of personal papers and official documents, as well as the personal records of associates throughout Bush’s varied career in public service, from Congressman to Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in China to Director of the CIA. It also has 2,000,000 photographs; 10,000 video recordings; 122,000 artifacts related to Bush; 1,377 artifacts related to foreign heads of state; and 800 hours of audio. Unlike some other presidential libraries, there are only a few select samples available online. You may have to venture forth in person to meet your research needs.
The library also has a strong focus on education, including historical storytelling programs. There’s also a classroom for library and museum programs that doubles as a computer lab, a first among presidential libraries. Programs include courses for elementary school kids about life in the White House, recordings of children's' books made by Laura Bush, quilting programs, and a giant room-sized board game full of American trivia for junior high and high school kids.
The library also issues a George Bush Award for Excellence in Public Service that has been given to the likes of Mikhail Gorbachev, Ted Kennedy, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Billy Graham.
The Museum
As is customary with Presidential libraries, the Bush library has a replica Oval Office. This one has the added novelty of letting you sit at the desk with a $5 commemorative photo available. There are also31 permanent exhibits, covering the majority of Bush’s life and career, but also encompassing symbols of the Presidency, gifts given to the Bushes while at the White House, and Barbara Pierce Bush’s side of the family.
Things to Do Nearby
The cultural landscape nearby is dominated almost entirely by Texas A&M. That’s probably fair, given that the name of the town is “College Station.” A lot of the city is geared towards football and student life. That said, you might try New Republic Brewing, Perrine Winery, Peach Creek Vineyards, or Rio Brazos Distillery if you're looking for some sustenance. You might also try exploring the Texas World Speedway or the Museum of the American GI if a single museum visit isn't enough to satify your history craving.
(image via Wikimedia)
