We arrived at 11am (one hour after opening) and all the parking was gone and cars were lined up climbing the hill to the Library grounds. I ended up dropping off my passengers and then driving about a mile down the hill to the first available curbside parking. Of course, I then had to trek a mile back up the steep hill to the Library. There were HUGE crowds.
I took quite awhile just to get in the door, and then taking the advice of people who had been there before, we went straight to the Air Force One exhibit where we waited nearly 1 1/2 hours in line to walk through the plane. Since that is the big draw and has recently opened, we figured we'd wait it out. Here's the plane on display.
I've always thought the Air Force One livery (paint scheme) is one of the classiest you'll ever find, and have wanted a model of the plane for my office. The museum shops have both the 707 and 747 variants in model form, and I picked up one of the 747's for my office (along with a Marine One helicopter).
As you enter the plane they take a souvenir photo of you pretending to be the first family en route to some important presidential appointment. As you can see, it was a casual dress day.
This particular plane was put into service in 1973 and served as the primary plane until it was replaced by the new 747 version in 2001 and became the backup. Every president since Nixon has flown on this plane (including Clinton and George W.).
The actual tour of the aircraft only takes about 3 or 4 minutes, and the inside is surprisingly small. When you see Air Force One on the West Wing or other shows, it's the wide-body 747 that you're seeing, so everything looks pretty spacious. The 707 variant which is on display in Simi Valley is a narrow-bodied jet, probably more narrow than most commercial airliners flown today. The presidential stateroom was pretty small - basically a small desk with a couple of large chairs. Across from the stateroom and behind the cockpit was the communications suite. There was a 2nd stateroom for the First Lady, a Board room, a secondary staff room, the security room, and in the back, the press and Air Force staff area. For a tall guy like me (and Reagan) there wasn't a lot of headroom.
They've built a beautiful big building to house the jet, along with one of the Johnson era Marine One helicopters, and a presidential motorcade consisting of a police car, the 1984 Cadillac presidential limousine, and a Secret Service Chevy suburban. Here's your author by Marine One, and the rest of the group by the presidential limousine.
There are a great many other things to see in the Library, including sections devoted to Reagan's movie career, his time as governor of California, and both terms as president. One of my favorite displays was the replica Oval Office.
Just outside the building, on the hill looking west over the valley, is Reagan's gravesite. The inscription reads: "I know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will always eventually triumph, and there is purpose and worth to each and every life."
If you live in the area and haven't visited the Library, I'd encourage you to go, but let me give you some advice. Plan to get there before it opens so you'll have a shot at the parking lot. Once inside, so straight through to the Air Force One exhibit and get that out of the way before the crowds go completely nuts. Once you're done with that, you can take your time through the rest of the exhibits.
Food-wise, there are only two options. A small pub on the ground floor of the Air Force One building where you can buy pre-packaged sandwiches and things (they were out when we got there), or the Cafe up near the entrance. You can buy the pre-packaged stuff, or they'll cook some things to order, though be prepared to wait. We got the last four sandwiches in the cooler, but after waiting so long to eat, we weren't complaining.
It's a great tribute to a great man and great president, and well worth the trip. You can find out more at the official website.
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