Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Simi Valley
April 12, 2014
We took Margaret to the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. We have always known it was there, of course, but did not think going to it until we picked up the Passport 2 History recently. We found out about the Passport through the link on the Leonis Adobe website, and purchased one of the booklets at the Chumash Indian Museum.
Driving the 118 west to Simi Valley was a welcome break from the usual Los Angeles traffic. We do not know what it is like during rush hour, but during mid-day Saturday, the traffic on the 118 was very light.
We spent the first part of our visit looking through a special exhibition of baseball memorabilia. (The exhibit is open April 4, 2014 through September 4, 2014.) Margaret impressed a docent by telling about seeing Satchel Paige strike out Ted Williams. We had heard that story before, but never tire of hearing it again. Margaret also recalled that Paige was playing for the Cleveland Browns at the time; we were looking at a display commemorating his major-league career. The strikeout occurred during the first major-league game Margaret ever saw, when she was 10, and her father took her to Fenway Park. Other highlights of the exhibition included material about Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson, and a host of very old memorabilia, such as very early baseball cards, including one of the rare Honus Wagner cards.
We went on from the baseball exhibit to the permanent collection. It is quite extensive, covering Reagan’s entire life, not just his presidency. There is a good mix of photos, videos, and tangible memorabilia throughout the exhibit. The display near the end in the post presidency gallery is poignant when it touches on Reagan’s Alzheimer’s disease, quoting Nancy Reagan referring to the experience as the “long goodbye.” Reagan’s last speech, announcing his diagnosis, is displayed there in written form and audio excerpts can be played.
We ate at the museum café, where the food was good but the menu somewhat limited: sandwiches, burgers, soups, and salad. The grounds are beautiful and well kept. We enjoyed the view from the café as we ate.
Nearly all of the museum is wheelchair accessible, although one has to backtrack in a few spots to get to an elevator to go down or up to another level. The docents are ever present and very eager to help. The interior of Air Force One is the only area we could not access, because the interior is too narrow to permit a wheelchair.