For the past 15 years, I have been a huge fan of President
John F. Kennedy. I have spent countless
hours researching his life, presenting my research, and collecting odds and
ends of memorabilia. Therefore, in June
of 2010, I made a pilgrimage to his Presidential Library in Boston,
Massachusetts.
Photo Credit: Jeremy S. Allen |
JFK was president from 1960 until his notorious
assassination on November 22, 1963.
Shortly thereafter, his family sought to create a library as a memorial
to his life and his presidency.
Donations poured in, and by March of 1964, $4.3million had been pledged
to assist with the library as well as to create a trust for various other
JFK-related projects.
By the end of 1964, I.M. Pei had been selected to be the
architect of the library. It wasn’t
smooth-sailing from here on out, however.
Various set-backs and changes in location, however, delayed the library
from opening until 1979.
Today, the building itself features a large glass pavilion,
a 125 foot tall concrete tower, and two theatres. One of the films shown is an
orientation film narrated by JFK, and another film shown is a documentary on
the Cuban Missile Crisis.
After viewing the videos, visitors
will travel through seven main exhibits, starting with the “Campaign Trail.” This is set up to feel like you were with JFK
as he ran for president in 1960.
Next, the museum begins to feel like you are in the White
House. Each room of the “White House,” features
numerous audio-visual components where you view and/or listen to speeches of
JFK. First stop here is “The Briefing
Room.”
As many people know, JFK promised to land a man on the moon
by the end of the 1960’s. Therefore, an
entire room is dedicated to The Space Race.
Here, the Mercury-Redstone 3 space capsule is on display until it
returns to the Smithsonian in 2016.
Critical to President Kennedy’s success in office was his
relationship with his Attorney General brother, Bobby Kennedy. Therefore, a room is set up to feel like RFK’s
office, including items he personally had in his actual office.
The Oval Office comes next, including items that JFK kept in
his office during his presidency. For
me, the most-poignant artifact here was the desk calendar, never flipped beyond
the month of his death.
Wife Jackie Kennedy has a room that includes her drawings,
writings, and some of her famous clothing.
Lastly, the entire Kennedy Family have a room that includes artifacts
from sister Kathleen and numerous family photos.
There is a narrow passage that shows video footage from the
around the world on the day of his assassination, but as the museum is intended
to be a celebration of his life, Kennedy’s death is not emphasized.
Lastly, visitors pass a piece of the Berlin Wall into a
giant glassed pavilion overlooking the sea.
In the summer months, JFK’s Wianno Senior sailboat “Victura” is
displayed through these windows.
The museum also features a small café and a fine gift shop (in
which I admittedly probably spent way too much money).
The Presidential Library is open 7 days per week from 9-5
except on major holidays. Parking is
free, so admission is just $12.00 for adults.
Ultimately, since JFK means so much to mean, this museum was
incredibly moving. Admittedly, my years
of extensive research had me pretty well-informed, so I don’t know that I would
say I learned a lot. But, seeing things
he touched—the hand-written copy of his “Profiles in Courage” for example, left
me literally breathless.
I don’t think children will really enjoy themselves. While the audio-visual components are defiantly
interesting, there are not a lot of hands-on exhibits (which children tend to
prefer). I would recommend this to
students interested in history, people interested in the 1960s or American
presidents, and, of course, any one who loves JFK.
For more information, be sure to visit the museum's website: http://www.jfklibrary.org/