We had been looking forward for some time to visiting the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, which was about a 45 minute drive from Malibu.  The library design itself is very different from other presidential libraries with a very southwestern feel to the design. We have not been to many presidential libraries yet, but it is hard to imagine any other presidential library having a more beautiful view than this one with panoramic views of mountains, valleys and the Pacific Ocean. I don’t know of any other presidential library that has a warning about rattlesnakes on the grounds!  

The library was opened in 1991 and sits on a 100 acre site.  The museum has 24 different galleries showing President Reagan’s life from his boyhood to his death.  There is a life size replica of the Oval Office. Reagan chose a painting of the 7th President, Andrew Jackson, for one of the walls in the Oval Office because Jackson was the first president to balance the budget.  The other painting was of George Washington.   We enjoyed reading some of his quotes and seeing items such as the two plaques he had on his desk.  All this added to our understanding of Reagan, the man and the President.  

We were also able to go onboard an actual Air Force One which served President Reagan and six other presidents.  This Air Force One is a model 707.  Air Force One today is a model 747 and we were told it is three times larger than the 707.  We were also able to board a Marine One helicopter  which was used to transport several presidents as well as see a car from the presidential motorcade.  They had an interesting history of the Secret Service.  A couple things we found of particular interest.  President Lincoln signed an order to create the Secret Service to deter counterfeit money just hours before his assassination.  It was many years later that the Secret Service was charged to protect the President. Another was after the attack on Pearl Harbor they felt they needed to provide the president with extra security so they used Al Capone’s car which had been impounded because they knew that car was bulletproof.  Just some of those strange facts you occasionally find in history!

Outside on the grounds we saw a replica of the White House Rose Garden and one of the first major pieces of the Berlin Wall to be taken from Germany, and the Reagan burial site. 

The day was very windy and somewhat chilly, but we certainly enjoyed our day at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum!