People undertake many kinds of travel quests. For instance, visiting all 50 states, all the national parks, or all MLB stadiums. I recently decided to take on one of the (theoretically) easier quests of visiting all thirteen Presidential Libraries.
We started in Southern California, visiting the Reagan and Nixon Presidential Libraries. Today’s post shares all the relevant information you need to know about these two libraries.
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A young relative first got us interested in exploring presidential libraries! We had hoped to visit the Carter Presidential Library while on this trip to Atlanta, but it was still closed due to COVID. Since then, the opportunity just hasn’t presented itself.
However, this summer, we planned a long-weekend trip to California and hoped that we could visit at least one of the libraries on our way from the airport to the hotel. With light traffic, we hoped we might be able to visit both!
California Presidential Library Road Trip
Why Visit Presidential Libraries?
Presidential libraries are unique in that they combine official archives with engaging exhibits. Visitors get the rare chance to explore how American leadership and national decisions were shaped. Unusual, immersive experiences make history feel vivid and accessible, offering far more texture than textbooks or traditional museums.
History buffs and architecture lovers are most apt to appreciate a Presidential Library visit. While thoughtful, curious middle- or high-school-aged students will enjoy some exhibits, these libraries are not suitable for younger children.
The Passport to Presidential Libraries
To document your library visits, purchase a passport book for $10 at any official library ticket office. The booklet provides a brief background of each facility, and each time you visit a new library, you’ll receive a stamp. It makes a wonderful keepsake!
Reagan Library Travel Guide
Overview & Visitor Tips
With dramatic architecture and perched on a scenic hilltop in Simi Valley, the Reagan Library has an expansive, patriotic vibe. I recommend visiting on a weekday and arriving close to opening time (10 AM) to minimize crowds. The parking lot is large but has plenty of spots for disabled visitors, and the facility is wheelchair accessible.
From LAX, the Library is about an hour and a half drive north of the city. When we visited in July 2026, general admission was $29.95 per person. If you purchase a Reagan Foundation membership for $85, you receive annual admission to all presidential libraries for two people and a 10% discount at the museum store and restaurants. We chose this option. If you plan to visit both California venues with two people, this is the more economical choice.
On-site, there is a full restaurant overlooking the picturesque countryside and a small pub, moved in its entirety from Ireland, and it is the original pub the Reagans visited in 1984. The pub is only open on the weekends, but I recommend taking a peek at it while touring the Air Force One pavilion. We chose to have a quick lunch at the In-N-Out right off the highway before entering.
We spent about three hours touring the large facility. That did not include visiting the current special exhibition area. America 250 is the special exhibit running through September 13, 2026. If you are interested in that exhibit or in exploring the National Archives, allow extra time. Audio guides are available for a more in-depth experience.
Reagan Library Must‑See Exhibits
The museum is well laid out and has plenty of guides to help you stay on track and give additional information about various exhibits. In fact, there were so many guides that we joked every retiree in Simi Valley must have signed up to volunteer at the library!
Your tour starts with a theatre production giving some background and continues through chronological displays detailing his governorship, ascension to the Oval Office, assassination attempt, etc. The Oval Office replica was a highlight, and we enjoyed the many interactive displays from Ron & Nancy’s Hollywood days. Reagan’s ranch artifacts give additional context to his personal life.
As you walk from the main exhibit area to the Air Force One Pavilion, you’ll pass a 3/4 scale replica of the White House Rose Garden. The Air Force One Pavilion is imposing and magnificent! Visitors can enter both Air Force One and Marine One. We were taken aback by how basic the aircraft were and surprised to learn that the current Air Force One is three times the size of Reagan’s plane.
NOTE: Visitors are discouraged from taking photos in front of either aircraft’s entrance. They provide a photographer, but we found the photos to be uninspired and ridiculously pricey. If it’s not busy, I’d see if a volunteer would let you sneak in a quick selfie.
From the Air Force One pavilion, venture outside to view several military jets, a tank, a piece of the Berlin Wall, and the moving Reagan Memorial Site.
Nixon Library Travel Guide
Overview & Visitor Tips
The Nixon Library is set in suburban Yorba Linda and has a more educational, reflective vibe. While the setting is less spectacular, I actually preferred the more photogenic grounds at the Nixon Library. Again, if you can visit on a weekday, you’ll experience fewer crowds. The Nixon Library is open from 10 AM-5 PM daily (11 AM on Sundays). Parking is less daunting than at the Reagan Library, and the facility is wheelchair accessible. You can borrow a wheelchair at the museum store, and the galleries have assistive technology for those with hearing loss.
The Nixon Library is about an hour east of LAX. At the time of our visit, general admission was $29 per person. You can purchase a Nixon Foundation membership here, which includes free entry to the libraries for a year, but prices are higher than those at the Reagan Library ($95 for an individual membership, $120 for dual, $150 for a family of four). A small cafe with salads, sandwiches, etc. is on site.
We had less time here and spent about an hour and a half in total. It’s a smaller museum, but an extra half hour would have made for a more relaxed visit. At this library, we visited the special America 250 exhibit, which, I believe, is smaller than the one at the Reagan Library.
Nixon Library Must‑See Exhibits
While most people start their tour inside, the docent suggested we visit Nixon’s birthplace and childhood home first.
The outdoor gardens were delightful, and the fact that Nixon’s birthplace is preserved and on-site felt like a special differentiator. The kit house, built by Nixon’s father, is tiny but welcoming. Don’t miss it, and be sure to peek at the treacherous staircase Nixon’s father built to house Richard and his brothers in an upstairs bedroom.
On our way back to the main museum, we stopped at the America 250 exhibit (running through January 31, 2027). It contains some great memorabilia, including pieces I remember from America’s Bicentennial in 1976.
Now back at the entry, we saw that the main gallery starts with a short film, just like at the Reagan Library. Again, the exhibits run chronologically, starting with the 60s and the Vietnam War, continuing through various foreign policy exhibits and ending with the Watergate Gallery before pivoting back to Nixon’s congressional years, Vice Presidency, and 1960 campaign.
While sadly, Watergate seems to be what Nixon is most remembered for, we were surprised to learn that he enacted the EPA, signed Title IX into law, expanded civil rights protections, and promoted black entrepreneurship by increasing federal purchases from black businesses over 10-fold from 1969 to 1971. I left with much more empathy for the man than when I arrived.
Like the Reagan Library, the Nixon Library features a full-size Oval Office replica. I personally liked this one a bit better, as you were free to walk around, and they used artistic backdrops to simulate the view out over the Rose Garden.
Lastly, I was taken with the displays dedicated to Pat Nixon’s clothing and contributions to the Red Cross and other humanitarian and cultural endeavors.
Suggested One‑Day or Two‑Day Itinerary
If you have the time, I suggest visiting these two California Presidential libraries on separate days, starting close to opening at each and visiting on weekdays. However, you can visit both in one day, as we did.
We arrived at LAX around 9-9:30 AM and were at the Reagan Library by 11 or so, including a lunch stop. Traffic was a bit heavier traveling between the Reagan and Nixon Libraries, so we had the last hour and a half of the day for our visit there. Later afternoons also have less traffic on weekdays, but be sure you leave enough time for your visit before closing.
It can take up to two hours to get from the Reagan to the Nixon Library, even more if traffic is heavy or if there is an accident en route. This aggressive itinerary made sense for us as we were spending the night in Laguna Beach, 45 minutes from the Nixon Library, and we wouldn’t have time later in our schedule for a visit.
If you are planning a trip to Los Angeles to take in a variety of the sights, I suggest staying at two separate properties, one in the northern suburbs with proximity to the Reagan Library and North/Central sights (Malibu, Santa Monica, Hollywood) and one in the Southern suburbs with proximity to the Nixon Library and Southern sights (Disneyland, the Queen Mary, Huntington Beach).
Final Thoughts
Visiting both libraries offers a deeper understanding of American history and gives insight into who these men were before becoming president. They also provide easy-to-understand, interactive commentary on the pivotal moments of each administration.
We had a busy day, but we are both hooked on the idea of visiting more presidential libraries. With free entry for a year, hopefully we’ll get to another one or two before next July.
Which presidential library would you most like to visit? Or do you have a different travel conquest goal in mind? I always love to hear from you in the comments!
Until next time… keep exploring!
