Ronald Reagan Library

• Hours: Open daily except except Thanksgiving, December 25, January 1
• Reservations: Not required
• Cost: Check current admission fee
• Location: Simi Valley, northwest of Los Angeles
• How Long: Allow at least an hour for a quick tour, up to half a day to examine all exhibits and watch all the films
• Best Time to Visit: Any time

Ronald Reagan Library Review

The Ronald Reagan Library chronicles the life and accomplishments of the colorful American leader. Besides the series of exhibits you'd expect to find here, chronicling the President's childhood, acting career and political achievements, other exhibits include:

• A land-based Cruise Missile, one of the few remaining after the 1987 INF Treaty

• A replica of the Geneva Boathouse where the first Reagan-Gorbachev summit took place

• A full-scale replica of Reagan's Oval Office

• The original Air Force One airplane, a Boeing 707 used by seven different American Presidents between 1972 and 2001. Besides the airplane, the Air Force One Pavilion also displays President Johnson’s Marine One and a presidential motorcade featuring the 1982 presidential parade limousine.

Outside the Ronald Reagan Library, you'll find Reagan's simple tomb in the back courtyard, near a piece of the Berlin Wall, given to the museum to commemorate his role in the fall of Communism. You can visit this area of the Ronald Reagan Library, as well as the gift shop, without paying an admission fee.

The former president's fans especially enjoy the Ronald Reagan Library, and many visitors I observed seemed quite moved by it. Perhaps its greatest strength is breadth of the exhibits and the insights it provides into the Presidency. For a different view of a President's life, try the more modest Richard M. Nixon Birthplace and Library in Yorba Linda.

Getting to Ronald Reagan Library

Ronald Reagan Library
40 Presidential Drive
Simi Valley, CA
(805) 577-4000
Ronald Reagan Library website

The Ronald Reagan Library is in Simi Valley, northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles and the south, take I-405 North to CA 118 West. Exit at Madera Road South. Turn right on Madera and go 3 miles to Presidential Drive.

From Santa Barbara and the north, take US 101 South to CA 23 North, Exit at Olsen Road. Turn right on Olsen and go 2 miles to Presidential Drive.

Follow Presidential Drive up the hill to the Ronald Reagan Library, and follow signs for parking.