Since President Hoover, every U.S. President has received a Presidential Library, maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration, usually in conjunction with a private foundation. Nixon's is located in Yorba Linda, California, and incorporates his birthplace. He is also interred there.
Nixon's legacy is complicated. His legacy is tied closely to Henry Kissinger's, and Kissinger's is a deeply mixed bag. But Nixon did help open China to international trade with the West, and he did help ease tensions during the Cold War. Presidents before and after him turned to him for foreign policy advice, including Clinton.
But he did bug his opponents' offices. He authorized a break-in at the Watergate complex, and he covered up his involvement. He resigned, staring down the barrel of an impending impeachment. The Watergate scandal was so massive that it became a verbal shorthand for every other political scandal for over 40 years. The "-gate" suffix has its own Wikipedia page, with 87 instances of its use in politics and dozens more in the worlds of sports, technology, and more. There was even once a "Gate-gate" in the UK.
This shone through when his museum was coming to fruition. Many of his private documents were transferred to the General Services Administration in the midst of the scandal, with the stipulation that they be destroyed at a certain date. Congress immediately passed a bill directing the National Archives to seize, process, and hold them, lest they be lost. This complicated the stocking of the library's archives as the museum was being built.
Still, the dedication in 1990 was a big moment for Nixon, who felt "welcomed home again."
The Library
With 46 million pages of White House records from the Nixon Administration, the library now holds all of the former president's papers from before, during, and after his time in office. The National Archives in College Park also has duplicates available for research, for the afore-mentioned reasons. As recently as late May of 2016, new documents were declassified, in response to researcher requests, dealing with the Vietnam peace negotiations and the Soviet space program. They're also scanning documents to put online. The audio in the collection includes the conversations that Nixon secretly taped. These, too, are being put on the internet for the sake of research.
The Museum
Museum exhibits are now run by the National Archives. The original exhibits were accused of "whitewashing" the more contentious aspects of Nixon's tenure in the White House, but the new museum—made with less input from the Nixon Foundation—paints a more holistic picture, the sort of picture that LBJ wanted out of his library. The museum is actually undergoing another extensive $15 million renovation that will lend a more dynamic aspect to the exhibits. While the renovations are happening, you'll still be able to climb aboard the Marine One helicopter, tour Nixon's birthplace, use the library campus, and visit the memorial sites and the First Lady's garden.
The renovations will also include a new replica of the Oval Office. In the midst of the renovations, ticket prices are reduced. Exhibits in the museum already include replicas of the White House East Room and the Lincoln Sitting Room. There's also an exploration of the space program at the time of Nixon, as well. When the museum is back up and running at full capacity, the temporary exhibits will likely resume, as well.
Re-Opening Soon
The renovations are slated to end in the fall of 2016. At that time, everything will be available and accessible. It's frustrating in the meantime, but it's good news for the library's legacy. Of all the presidential libraries, this is perhaps the one that experiences the political tension of its subject's administration the most. When it reopens, it will be more bipartisan, even-handed, and straightforward.
Nearby
Of course, the library is a mere 20-minute drive from Disneyland, and with Disneyland comes Downtown Disney, Disney California Adventure, and more. Also in Orange County is Knott's Berry Farm, and Balboa, which is not only notable for its beautiful Ferris Wheel and views of Newport Harbor, but also for being the setting of much of Arrested Development.
Going the other direction, you're only about 45 minutes away from Los Angeles. Hollywood is the big draw here, but you've also got Universal Studios, Dodger Stadium, the La Brea Tar Pits, and plenty more. If the museum is fully operational when you go, you'll have a great time. If it's still renovating, you can check out a great deal while you're there, and you're never too far from something amazing.
(featured image via Wikimedia)
