Tank G.
Yelp
I will start off by saying this is the first Presidential Library that I have visited. I know that there are some people out there that will not visit this place because of their political alignments and that is cool. Personally, I would visit any presidential library, if given the chance though. But thats just me.
President Bill Clinton was the Nation's 42nd President, serving two terms from 1993 to 2001. His library opened in 2004 and costed $165 million dollars to build. The building's exterior is gorgeous. You will find a plaza area with a few places to sit and a bunch of decorated globes out front. This museum has its own private parking lot that is free for museum visitors. In order to enter the building, you must clear security. Once you clear security you walk to the ticket counter and pay your admission fee.
The place has three levels of exhibits and is pretty huge. On the first floor, as soon as you come into the museum, you will find the Center's gift shop and a 1993 presidential limo. The second level is where you will find a mock cabinet room. This makes for a great photo op and is very realistic. There is a huge exhibit area that include a chronological breakdown of President Clinton's presidency and the highlights/accomplishments year by year. Some of the sub sections include: his inauguration, his impeachment, science and technology, global threats and security, and honoring the Little Rock Nine. They also touch on the Monica Lewinsky scandal and his impeachment, which I was surprised to see, but glad that it was included, because it was such a major part of his presidency. The second level is where you will also find a multi-purpose room where they host events, a space that the have talks such as meet the curator and there is a theater, which plays a 12 minute film that is narrated by President Clinton about his life and presidency.
The third level holds the exhibit on gifts that President Clinton got from other nation's, which I found interesting that he cannot keep them and they become property of the US. You will also find an exhibit about Bill Clinton's childhood (I did not know he was born with a different last name and that Clinton was the name of his step-dad), Hillary, Presidential Pets, what life was like at the White House, and formal dinners on the third level as well. The highlight of the third level is a mock oval office where you can take souvenir photos that you can purchase in the gift shop for about $15 a piece. Kind of pricy if you ask me.
They have scheduled guided tours or you can do the self-guided thing. There is an app that you can download that can help you along the way. We started out with the guide, but opted to venture out on our own and figure things out our self, which in my opinion worked better.
Below the first level is a restaurant called 42. It is somewhat upscale and pricey, but they do have decent sized dining area and a nice patio area that overlooks the neighboring park.
This is a very trendy and updated Museum. I found it very clean and well organized. I really enjoyed my visit and learned a lot. The entire staff there was very friendly and helpful. This is the one of the State's top attractions and is definitely worth a visit. I am glad that I was able to check it out and I am sure that you will as well.