By: Andrew Bermudez
Recently, my family bought a house down in Yorba Linda, which is in desperate need of repair. While the needed maintenance can be troublesome, the house has an advantage in that several tourist attractions are a short distance away, including the Richard Nixon Presidential Library!
It was very early in the day, and since it can get hot by the afternoon in a Southern California summer day, we decided to check out the outside first.
The main outside area consists of a reflecting pool flanked by two wings of the building. It forms an image similar to the National Mall at Washington D.C., which we saw a few years back. Near the reflecting pool is a rose garden and the burial site of Richard Nixon.
Also outside is the original house that Nixon was born in. Almost everything about the house is original, from the original bed spreads to the original instruments Nixon used in his childhood and even the original dinner table. Even the location of the house is original; it wasn't moved one bit from its original site (according to the tour guide, the only movement the house made was vertical; it was lifted so that the foundation could be replaced).
Another outside exhibit is Marine One, Nixon's presidential helicopter. This also had a short tour, which showed what was where, including who sat where. What I was surprised about was how small it was, especially in height (I actually banged my head when I was exiting). Regardless, it is still an important part of the museum and Nixon's life.
From there, we went on inside, where we checked out a replica of the White House's East Room and a special exhibit about Pat Nixon, Richard's wife.
Inside the special exhibit, there were many artifacts on display, including Pat's many dresses, the cage that carried the National Zoo's first giant panda from China to Washington D.C. (which we also saw a few years back), and the one and only "Washington Crosses the Delaware" painting! We did not get a picture of the painting, but we were taken back by its sheer size. It was an amazing piece of art that added to the exhibit.
After that, we paid a visit the main gallery, which focuses on Nixon's political life. It starts with Nixon's election to congress and his involvement on the Committee of Un-American Activities. From there, it traces his life as vice president and his first bid for the presidency in 1960. After losing the election, the exhibit then traces his family life, then to his election as president and all that he did during his presidency, including ending the Vietnam War and opening connections to China. The exhibit ends with a look at the Watergate Scandal and his life after leaving politics.
While it is not as good as some of the other presidential libraries, such as the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library (which I may be visiting again soon), it is still a good place to visit. However, be warned that in the main gallery, there aren't a lot of artifacts, though the ones they do have are real for the most part. However, the number of artifacts featured is still greater than the flashy Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, which only had a handful situated in a back corner of the main rotunda. If you want to visit the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, check out their website for operating hours, admission rates, special events, and more.
Well, that finishes today's post, and not one bad joke (Yay!). Next time, I'll be heading down to Hollywood to see something new that has "transformed" that area's tourism. Can you guess where I'm heading next?
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