richard nixon presidential library and museum

The museum will be going under renovation to a more hands exhibits so some of the current exhibits may not be reused. The docent tours done throughout the day are excellent as well as the film were not only informative about the past but also the present regarding the destruction of documents, the law and it's relation to current events i.e. Hillary Clinton's destroying email. If you want to see the interior of Nixon's childhood home, do a docent tour. You do not get to see the boys room but the house has original furnishing, a small bathroom with a large metal basin for bathing. It was nice to see that he was buried by his childhood home. I enjoyed the grounds, house, rose garden with the roses named after every first lady, watergate, vietnam war, the room right before watergate of what all he had accomplished including getting the vote for 18 years old who could go to war but not vote. The cafe is simple sandwich pre made so either pack a lunch or go to pollo loco down the street. It tools us five hours.

The Nixon Library and Birthplace is a must visit for anyone who remembers or wants to learn about President Nixon. For most Americans (me included) the shroud of Watergate emerges in any memory of Richard Nixon. It is probably for this reason that I had kind of a lack of enthusiasm or almost melancholy feeling walking into the large austere building, which was nearly empty the day I visited. I certainly did not feel the eagerness I felt on other trips to Presidential Libraries.The exhibits are superior, you will gain an appreciation of the “Checkers” speech, his term as Eisenhower’s Vice President, the 1960 Election loss to John F. Kennedy (including interesting facts about the famous debates), two successful presidential elections (including a historic landside victory) and his eventful and remarkable Presidency marked by the end of the Vietnam War, diplomacy with China, The Cold War and many other things.And yes the Watergate situation and extraordinary media furor surrounding it is comprehensibly covered and presented including an exhibit which includes the actual tape recorder used in the infamous 18 minute gap incident.President Nixon’s and Mrs. Patricia Nixon’s gravesite are on the perfectly manicured grounds as is the home that the President was born.The Library and Museum are located in Yorba Linda, not far from Anaheim.If would you want to be real adventurous, you may wish to go for a Presidential Double Header and attempt to visit the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum located in Simi Valley the same day!

We spent two hours touring and could have stayed longer. The highlight was the home in which Richard Nixon was born. I enjoyed learning about his childhood and the many adults who played a role in his life. The film overview was well done and a good place to start your tour. The reproductions of rooms from the White House were very interesting. I learned new things about both Richard & Pat Nixon.

We found the library and displays more engaging than we imagined, and we stayed longer exploring than we had planned. The most intriguing display consisted of life-size statues of world leaders with whom Nixon met during his peace initiatives. Statues were positioned around a room, making it possible to walk among groups of them, such as Churchill, Adenauer, and De Gaulle standing together. It was interesting, and sometimes surprising, to note their heights...or lack thereof. The display of gifts given to Nixon by other heads of state was most impressive. Outdoors the retired Marine Helicopter used by three presidents was positioned near the restored home where Nixon was born. The docents were very helpful and knowledgable.

We toured the Nixon Library & Museum on February 13, 2015. It was a very interesting and informative experience. We intended to arrive closer to opening time (10:00 am), but didn’t arrive until 11:45 am. We had read reviews that recommended signing up for a tour guide, which we intended to do. But, the next guide wasn’t available until 1:00 pm, so we toured the facility on our own. I recommend arriving near opening time to be sure to get a tour guide. We found the docents in various rooms of the exhibit gallery to be loaded with information about Richard and Pat Nixon. If you don’t sign up for a guide, take advantage of their knowledge. They are very ready to answer Qs and offer many little-known facts and stories about the Nixons.The first thing that strikes you when you drive up is that the facility looks very “presidential.” It’s very classy in every respect. The entire facility including restrooms was spotless.The tour path starts with a 20 minute video in a large theater, which is worth seeing before entering the Exhibit Gallery. The Exhibit Galleries walk you through President Nixon’s life and presidency and also include Pat’s life history. Though he had to resign the presidency due to the Watergate debacle, it was amazing to learn about how influential his political career was in many areas not always known by the masses. I found the exhibit area about the NASA moon missions most fascinating. Though Kennedy gave the charge to NASA, it was under Nixon that we actually made the first landing in 1969. The videos that stream in this exhibit are worth watching. The lead-up to Nixon’s groundbreaking trip to China was also fascinating. The Watergate matter is displayed with amazing detail and candor. Also check out the Lincoln presidential limousine, which has 2” thick glass windows.After the Exhibit galleries, you go to his birthplace and boyhood home which is on the back of the grounds. There is a model of it just outside the theater, which is helpful to look over before touring the real thing. It was a mail order house and is the epitome of space efficiency. The docent stationed with the boyhood home does a nice job summarizing the house’s history and Nixon’s life in it.After the boyhood-home tour, we toured the presidential helicopter, which also included a well-informed docent. Then, we toured the replica of the White House East Room. A number of interesting events that took place in this room are documented on various displays.Our total time spent was about three+ hours. If you take the time to read all the displays, you could easily spend the entire 10:00 am-5:00 pm museum hours there.

This is the 6th of the 13 Presidential Libraries/Museums we have visited. Our clear favorite is the Reagan one, but this is in the next tier, along with the JFK one. It also contains beautiful gardens, the birthplace of President Nixon, and the final resting place of Nixon and his wife, Pat. The museum is thorough. It covers all phases of his service, in the House, Senate, VP and President. It also covers all of his campaigns. There is very little on his early, pre-political life, something that may be addressed in the upcoming refurbishing. Highlights for us were the exhibits on foreign affairs, including the Caracas attack, the trip to China and the Russian negotiations. The Presidential limousine was very neat, and the hall of his achievements (war on cancer, the EPA, getting the voting age lowered to 18) was informative and impressive. We also enjoyed touring the Presidential helicopter. The grounds are impeccable, and the docents among the best we have found. My only nit is the overemphasis on Watergate, perhaps something that developed after the Feds took over from the prior, private version. It has to be examined, of course, but it is by far the biggest and gaudiest exhibit.But all in all, a great experience.

Went with my in-laws, and as interesting as it was, it was also extremely boring. The only spot I personally found interesting was the garden. The garden was absolutely beautiful.

This Library has it all..... Wonderful displays, East Room copied from the White House, knowledgeable docents, lovely gift shop, Rose Garden and plenty of FREE parking. The area is surrounded by many choices of eating establishments to compliment everyone's budget.

This weekend my husband and I toured the Nixon Library and Museum. What a great time and so much information. Take your time and enjoy. Make sure to get out side and see the helicopter and family home. So worth the drive and the people who work there are so knowledgeable and friendly. We have just started to do these Presidential Libraries and have only done this one and Reagan so far and both are well worth the trip--hope the rest we see live up to it.

Even if you aren't a Nixon fan, you will enjoy your time at this library/museum. Lots of historical information & perspective. While we spent a lot of time in the Watergate exhibit, there is just SO much more there to see and experience. Having the library on the grounds where he was born (you can tour the actual house that's been restored) and buried is pretty cool. The two White house rooms that have been recreated here are the Lincoln Sitting Room (smallest room in the WH) and the East Room (one of the largest & just beautiful - they rent out the room for wedding receptions). I believe they are adding an Oval Office in a remodel in the next year or so. We took a guided tour with a docent - and if you have to chance to do that (they just post times they are giving them that day in the gift shop), by all means do - he pointed out so many small things we might have missed just going thru on our own - then after the tour we went back & spent more time in the exhibits that particularly interested us, as well as touring the outside gardens, the house, and the presidential helicopter (which was actually Army 1 at that time, rather than Marine 1). Fair Warning - they say the tour will last an hour, but it will probably be more.....and that's okay, because our guide was just full of interesting facts & antidotes. There is a small "café" off the gift shop where you can buy drinks & some prepackaged sandwiches - but you'd be better off taking your own food & having a picnic of sorts if you want food while you are there. No real picnic areas, but there are benches outside by the reflecting pond....the 8 people in our group just 'tailgated' in the parking lot by the fountain. We did both libraries during this trip (Nixon on Monday, Reagan on Wednesday), and I have to say I enjoyed this one more. While Reagan is big & in a spectacular setting, it also comes across to me as too much of a "money-making" venture (huge gift shop, no private photographs allowed up to close to Air Force One & Marine One....so you can BUY the ones they take of you).

We made our second trip to the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in January of 2015. Our first trip in 2013 was cut short when Republicans shut down our government. The Library was closed, so we had to go back. We are glad we did. The Nixon Presidential Library is an important part of our history. The facility and its presentations are impressive. The Library addressed the good, the bad, and the ugly of President Nixon. We forget the good things he did like creating the Environmental Protection Agency building a relationship with China. The building itself reminded me of Nixon. The home where Nixon was born and where he grew up is part of the site. That proved to be one of the most interesting experiences. When people saw the little "tub" that Nixon and his entire family used off of the kitchen, there were lots of comments. His boyhood home demonstrates his humble beginnings better than anything. If you are interested in United States hisotry or Presidential history, this is a must stop place.

My wife and I have made the commitment to visit all thirteen Presidential Library Museums, sooo… we finally gave in to our obligation and made the trek to Yorba Linda and the Richard Nixon Library Museum. Admittedly, this is an odd prelude for what turned out to be a worthwhile lesson in history. Yes, each Presidential Museum is justifiably a “pep-rally” for the presidency at hand, but given the chance, one comes to realize the accomplishments and significant contributions of each presidential leader, no matter your personal feels, for good or bad. If one is available, we encourage taking a guided tour led by a knowledgeable and personable dossier. Our guide at the Nixon Museum, was thorough, articulate and well balanced in his presentation. (We have discovered that dossiers with such gifts are extremely generous with their time and knowledge. An hour tour may well end up more like an hour and thirty minutes... or more. If you are not in a big hurry, it is well worth the investment of time.) Some of the highlights include: early political aspirations, the vice-presidency under Eisenhower, Nixon’s loss to Kennedy, his subsequent election to the Presidency, and of course, Watergate (which was a surprisingly honest presentation). Not to be missed is the post-Kennedy assassination limo designed for much greater security. Also, we enjoyed the room featuring life-size statues of various world leaders with whom Nixon interfaced. (Other reviewers have offered some great photos that are worth a look.) After the tour, visit the boyhood home and the Presidential helicopter, both of which offer interior tours, worth your time. On our tour there were among us some obvious Nixon fans and others prejudiced in other ways, but each of us learned something new about the challenges and leadership required of those who have lead your nation under all sorts of circumstances.

I think it’s one of the smaller Presidential libraries, but it’s also one of the most interesting ones. The museum has lots of interesting sections devoted to different events during the presidency of President Nixon. Since that time-period is filled with lots of historical events, the museum is also filled with lots of diverse and unique sections.We found the Rose garden, the birthplace and burial site, and the Water gate section among the most interesting sections.

I first went to the Nixon Library approx. 15 years ago. This time I found it more enjoyable. Read the main panels more closely and found that they have improved the Watergate section. Very educational.The negatives are the way the boards are laid out. Most of the main reading boards are too high.Not too good for shorter people or anyone that may be in a wheel chair (which we are not). The Watergate Section is better, probably because it was done or redone more recently than the rest.Another suggestion would be for the designer to share where the visitors should start reading. It is not always clear.

I thought I knew the Nixon Library well after many visits to the East Wing for Veterans Day concerts when my Dad was alive. Well, just yesterday, I took some family visitors from Minnesota to the library on a damp Friday and was surprised to learn how much I had been missing by not seeking out the several docents who man the place. Olga greeted us as we walked into the foyer and informed us of all the sights to see. We met up with her later at the Presidential Helicopter where she proved extremely knowledgeable, cordial and downright fun. But the highlight of our tour was to meet Donald King, a docent who first warmed our hearts, then showed us the Nixon birthplace. We really were entertained by Mr. King and were especially in awe of his extent of knowledge about the Nixon family and Nixon's great influence on future presidents and the making of a better world. Because it was a slow Friday, we ran into Mr. King in two other locations and renewed our bond with him. My point is, because of these two docents, I and my party walked away with so much more than we would have on our own. So, my advice is to seek out the docents and don't miss seeing the Nixon Library.