I've been to George H.W. Bush's library in College Station, Texas and it was fascinating. (Although I have to admit that my favorite thing was the outdoor, life size statue of horses jumping over pieces of the Berlin Wall!)

My husband was a big fan of Ronald Reagan, an we would love to go to his library sometime.

I've been to the JFK library in Boston. I was visiting family, and this was one of the things we did while in the area. It was interesting regardless of your political views.
I love libraries. Was at my local branch today. Just being around books makes me happy. When they have the Bush library in Crawford...I won't make any comments.

We visited the LBJ in Austin and it was interesting. Would not go way out my way to visit one.. We were in Austin on a business seminar for a week.

Agree with Annie-JFK library was very impressive, and I too will have "no comment"(or jokes) about dubya's future library.

I have been to Nixon, Reagan, FDR. Of course they all have their spin to them, LOL. FDR's Hyde Park very historical and interesting. Nixon in Yorba Linda is a very impressive facility. The Reagan Library was OK; I liked the other two better.

We have been to many of the Presidential Libraries and they all are interesting but we like the Nixon Library the best. It truly is a lovely place. We didn't care for the Reagan Library look (even tho we are big Reagan fans and did attend both his inaugurations) - we did enjoy the exhibits however and look forward to going back when Air Force One and Marine One are open.

I'm not sure if everyone realizes that the presidents have both **MUSEUMS** and NOT just libraries. The libraries are in a separate building and not always accessible without permission. The museums however, are wonderful and definitely worth a visit! Some also include their birthplaces (nixon, LBJ) and graves. We try to see all the museums on our travels, but have NEVER been in any of the actual 'libraries'.

We've visited

Reagan - Simi Valley (our fave)
Nixon - Yorba Linda
Carter - Atlanta
Bush Sr.- College park, TX
LBJ - Austin
Hayes - Fremont, OH
Truman - Independence, MO
Hoover - West Branch, Iowa
Eisenhower - Abilene, Kansas

On our list to see: JFK, FDR, Clinton.

Ellen G has made an excellent point about museums, libraries and permission. I think that was the deal at Abilene -- you could enter the building's lobby, but the actual Eisenhower "library" was a permission/appointment situation.

An older friend of mine is a die-hard Democrat who despised Reagan. Yet, while on a trip to California, he went to the Reagan Library -- and really enjoyed it. (I think my friend's love of history won out over his own political views.)

I have had permission to be in the "library" area of two presidential libraries. The Museum/Library designation is correct, but in many cases the entire building is still named in listings and in government language as "Library" as that is its primary function.

In any special collections library you would probably not have access to original/ archival collections, or possibly where major Reference or Reserve portions are held, but that would not change the name of the building. Regardless of their titles, people still refer to them, even at state level, as libraries.

And I visit my community library every week, if I'm in Illinois. We just had a new one open Sept. 7 -and it is 93,000 square feet. Took me 10 years to help make this happen. The old one was ok but CRAMPED. I used to work for this library and also 3 other community libraries in an earlier work life/incarnation. I read or listen to at least 3 to 4 books a week, sometimes more. I'm happy to say my "Friends of the Library" group all have big smiles. And the place is packed.

Chicgal: If you read this, you might know what I speak of. My first memory here in the USA is the big, white, marble library on Garfield Blvd. near Racine Ave in Chicago (park of Garfield Park). It's right near the lagoon. I would walk there every day, and I was not yet kindergarten age. I would take buses by the time I was 5-1/2,very short to my grandmother's store. It was a totally different era. Just leaning on the white marble walls with a book I could "piece" out, made me SO HAPPY. I went back to see it not long ago and it was so much "smaller" than I remembered. Nothing like the aroma of books and marble dust in the morning!

The best view of downtown Atlanta is from the Carter Center. In fact, the very hill that the Carter Center now sits on is the same hill that Sherman stood on to watch Atlanta burn.

I live in Austin where we have the LBJ library. I have visited that twice in the last 23 years. I see it as one of those tourist things that I only do when I have an out-of-town guest that wants to see it. I must admit it is more interesting than you might expect, however like Judyrem, I would not go out of my way for a presidential library.

If you're interested in World War II history, you will enjoy the Eisenhower Museum in Abilene, Kansas. Abilene is right on I-70, so it's an easy stop if you're driving across Kansas. Also, President Eisenhower, Mamie, & one of their children who died shortly after birth are buried in a small chapel there.