How to visit the Reagan Presidential Library with kids

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library doesn’t seem like a great place to visit with kids, especially children as young as four. Nevertheless, we had the Ronald Reagan Library on our bucket list for some time and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit with the twins in tow. Surprisingly, we found a lot of library displays geared towards the younger crowd to keep their attention. A day spent at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was the perfect opportunity to teach about America and instill patriotism at a young age.

Bright Dais Ahead visits The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum

Interactive Displays at the Regan Presidential Library

The Reagan Library isn’t just chalked full of archives and politics. Throughout the museum are little buttons kids can press for a talking description or interactive display like the President’s journal. There are several hands-on elements that our girls loved. In the display of Reagan’s early movie career, there is an acting display. Using green screen technology, your child can co-star in a Ronald Reagan movie.

While my girls didn’t quite understand why they were in front of the green screen, they loved watching themselves in a movie. Kids can hold press conferences at a replica of the presidential podium, complete with a teleprompter. (Quick note, the podium display is near the “assassination attempt” display in case parents want to steer clear of this section). Later in the museum, you can find a saddled horse for the kids to ride and look at an impressive belt buckle collection.

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library — Oval Office

First Lady’s Dresses

I admit I was secretly excited to see the First Lady’s dresses. Not only is it fun to see fashion from the 1980s (which I think many of her dresses are classic enough to be worn today!), but it connects kids to something tangible. Both girls perked up and looked at the beautiful “princess’s dresses.” They then connected that the dress in front of them was worn by “that lady in the picture.”

There is a whole room dedicated to the First Lady and all of her accomplishments. When she moved to the White House, she was appalled to discover there was not a complete set of china to host a state dinner. Nancy Reagan, not without a few “scandals,” brought Hollywood glamour to the White House. She was also responsible for raising private funds of $800,000 to restore and update the White House. The funds included purchasing a complete set of White House china. Her accomplishments are far more extraordinary than fashion and plates, but these displays are familiar to kids and kept their attention.

Air Force One Hanger

What kid doesn’t get excited by a giant airplane or helicopter. Near the end of the museum, you come to a massive gallery that houses Air Force One. This particular Air Force One flew six different presidents, but Reagan, as the great communicator, flew more miles on this plane than all other Presidents combined.

Stepping aboard Air Force One, you get your picture snapped just like the President and First Lady. Then families are allowed to tour inside the Air Force One. See where the press team sat, where President Reagan wrote his speeches. Unlike the more modern Air Force One, there isn’t room to lay down and sleep except in reclining airplane seats. Our docent shared fun facts, such as Reagan always keeping a chocolate cake on board if someone had a birthday. But the pavilion isn’t just about the plane.

Air Force One is housed in a 40,000 square foot building that also features an exhibition on presidential motorcades. Kids can climb aboard the Marine One helicopter that flew President Johnson and take photos next to a presidential limo and a secret service SUV. We got a kick out of seeing the photos of how they got Air Force One in the pavilion and learned more about the history of the Secret Service.

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Gifts

Did you know every gift a President receives actually belongs to the American people? A president is only allowed to keep a gift if the gift is valued under $400 or appraised and paid the actual cost. Most gifts end up in the National Archives or Presidental Libraries for Americans to see. Imagine what you would do if you received a baby elephant as a present? Ronald Reagan received one as a gift from the country of Sri Lanka (the elephant was given to the National Zoo and not kept in the library basement).

Along with seeing a pic of the elephant, visitors can see other gifts from historical to downright bizarre gifts presented to President Reagan during his time in office. For example, a 60-million-year-old piece of amber from the Dominican Republic and a portrait of Ronald Reagan made entirely out of butterfly wings from the Central African Republic. And you can check out actual menus from dinners with world leaders such as Margaret Thatcher.

Nostalgia

Both John and I have fond memories of the ’80s. One of us had just graduated high school and college, and the other of us was playing with Cabbage Patch Kids (I will let you guess which of us is which!). Seeing the library brought back a flood of memories from the time we listened to the radio, rode bikes without helmets, and no Facebook.

Touring with children born in 2016 was fun to see things through their young eyes. I heard “What’s that, mommy” when we passed by handheld phone receivers with telephone cords. While touring Air Force One, I had to point out a typewriter and explain what it did. Don’t hesitate to take the kids to the Reagan Library; they will learn something new and walk away with an appreciation of history.

Lawn Picnic

Outside of Gripper’s Cafe is a beautiful lawn with patios tables, and lounge seating. This is also the perfect place to have a picnic. We didn’t bring our lunch but saw many families that had planned ahead. So instead, we picked up something at Grippers Cafe, which features kid-friendly items like burgers, hot dogs, pizza, and ice cream. You have nearly 360° overlooking the Santa Rosa Valley all the way to the Pacific Ocean. There is ample seating, both inside and out, on the patio.

Visitors can also get food at the Ronald Reagan Pub (currently closed but opening soon), located next to the Air Force One Pavilion. This is an authentic pub, originally named O’Mally, and the pub owner changed the name of his bar in honor of Ronald Reagan’s visit to Ireland. When the pub owner decided to sell his bar, Nancy said, “ship it to the museum” The pub was dismantled and shipped to the US to be featured in the museum’s collection.

Reagan Presidential Library Gift Shop

I admit, as a parent, I am not a fan of gift shops at the end of tours. This is typically when a strict mom steps in and has to “just say no” a thousand times to the whines and pleas of “mommy, can we get this?” However, we enjoyed seeing the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library gift shop, especially the book section.

Here, you can find many resources to help teach kids about history, not just about the 40th President. There were books on the different states, books about all the Presidents, and different historical children books. As road schoolers, this gave us great ideas to incorporate more American and Presidential History lessons starting at a young age.

Shameless Bribes

A trip to a Reagan Presidential Library can be long and tiring for little legs. To help keep the girls motivated to be on their best behavior, we told them before we entered the museum if they were good, they could take a trip to the Dollar Store. This is straight-up bribing your child for good behavior. While we may not always do it, we felt the setting and decorum needed were worth a small bribe.

So, for less than $5 a child, we let them pick out a couple of toys from the Dollar Store. Our bribe kept Daisy focused the whole day to behave, and she even championed Brighton to “don’t cry, sissy, so that we can get toys!” And just when we felt a little guilty we had to use a bribe, we found the girls playing with their newly purchased fairy dolls playing President. They had taken the museum map and tickets and reenacted a walk through the Presidential Library and heard them say, “see the big airplane with jelly beans?”

The girls reenacting a trip to the Reagan Presidential Library with their new Dollar Store finds.

See the Regan Presidental Library with kids

No matter your political affiliation, a trip to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library will give everyone in the family a chance to explore America’s past and learn a little something. Seeing history and teaching our kids history first-hand helps them learn, unlike anything they can learn from reading a book. The more you take the kids to historical sites, the more kids will learn and grow to love these little adventures. Sure you may need a bribe of ice cream or a small toy, but you will be making lasting memories as a family. And these memories make up the stories of your family! And when your kids are older, they will look back and appreciate all the trips, museums, and effort you made to create the BRIGHT DAIS AHEAD!

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is open seven days a week from 10 am to 5 pm (excluding New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.) Parking is free and plentiful. General admission for adults is $29.95, for kids 3 to 10 $19.95, and for those ages 11 to 17 $22.95. Children under 2 are admitted free.

Bright Dais Ahead

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The Reagan Presidential Library – How to visit with kids