The Reagan Library

I have a thing for Presidential libraries. I like Presidential libraries so much that my now-husband took me there for our second date. Though not an obviously romantic destination, it was for me, because I remember hoping I’d found someone that would enjoy my enthusiasms.  It was such a special day and I remember standing in the parking lot with him full of will-he/won’t-he uncertainty jitters.

Did I mention the view? Set at the top of a hill in Simi Valley - this Library features a panoramic, rumination-inducing view.   

Presidential libraries are the perfect combination of history and personal expression. Initially they were established by Franklin Roosevelt to house Presidential papers at the end of an administration but they’ve also become a personal statement set forth by each president. I particularly enjoy that they’re a time capsule, representing the look and feel of each era the President served within.

Today they also serve as a personal memorial. President Ronald Reagan was laid to rest at the Reagan Library on June 11, 2004.

The Reagan library is exemplary of popular culture in the 80s. Moral conservatism, unambiguous optimism, American glamour and a celebration of the entrepreneurial individual are all represented. I walked out simultaneously feeling patriotically pumped-up and nostalgic for the unironic certainty of 1980s adults.

A great outing for kids and history buffs alike, there’s all sorts of objects rich in story to get your imagination and intellect cooking. There are portraits in jelly beans and lapis lazuli, ancient silver coins embedded in coral, Mrs. Reagan’s designer dresses, and a retired Air Force One.