As with every president since Hoover, the National Archives and Records Administration maintains a library and museum dedicated to his life and presidency. The Jimmy Carter Library and Museum is located in Atlanta, Georgia, two miles east of downtown, and helps tell the story of our 39th President.
Carter was famously a peanut farmer before serving in the Georgia Senate. Narrowly beating out Ford, he began his term by pardoning all draft dodgers of the Vietnam War and founding the Departments of Energy and Education. A difficult economy combined with the escalation of the Cold War, led to his defeat by Ronald Raegan in the following election. Historical assessments of his presidency are somewhat mixed, but the general consensus is that the Carter-as-philanthropist who emerged from the White House was more effective than Carter-as-President. He has been a key figure for Habitat for Humanity. Through the Carter Center, he has traveled the world to negotiate for peace, advance equal rights, and eradicate diseases in developing nations. In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2009, on Carter's 85th birthday, the facility completed a five-month, $10 million renovation.
The Library
The library is open Monday through Friday, except federal holidays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Adults are welcome to peruse the materials for research; children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. The library is not currently attempting to systematically scan their holdings, although they do have certain selections uploaded online. Their selection includes about 600,000 still photographs, over a million feet of 16mm film of presidential appearances, and many, many more holdings in their audiovisual collections.
The Museum
The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays, and from noon to 4:45 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for seniors, military personnel, and college students. Children 16 and under get in free. The museum collection includes photographs and historical memorabilia from the Carter Presidency, a collection of gifts received by the Carters, a permanent exhibit about President Carter's life and political career, and an exact replica of the Oval Office. Other exhibits include "A Day in the Life of the President" and a virtual Carter Center trip. In addition to the main exhibits, a temporary, rotating exhibit is typical on display.
Offices
Former President Carter has been retired now for over 35 years—the longest retirement of any president in history. It would be fair to question the word "retirement," however, given his extensive humanitarian work. His (private) office is here near the museum, as is the office of The Carter Center. The Center's work includes observing elections to determine legitimacy in 39 countries, helping countries grow democratic institutions beyond just elections, advancing human rights, mediating conflict, and eradicating and controlling diseases like Guinea worm disease, which they reduced from 3.5 million cases to a mere 148 in the years between 1986 and 2013.
Nearby Points of Interest
There are plenty of other things to do in Atlanta while you're here. The Georgia Aquarium is home to over 120,000 animals. Centennial Olympic Park, site of the 1996 Olympics, is here, as is the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. If you haven't had your fill of museums for the day, World of Coca-Cola sits across from the Olympic Park and offers the history of The Coca-Cola Company. Atlanta is full of great food and tons of attractions. There's something here for everyone, especially since the presidential library is pretty close to downtown.
