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The LBJ Presidential Library focuses on the life and work of President Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908-1973). It’s located in Austin, Texas.
History of the LBJ Presidential Library
A location for the library and museum was proposed in February 1965, and the architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill completed the design by summer 1966. The principal architects were Gordon Bunshaft (1909-1990) and R. Max Brooks. Construction began in 1967 and it was dedicated on May 22, 1971, with Johnson and then-President Richard Nixon (1913-1994) in attendance.
Visiting the LBJ Presidential Library
The library is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Admission is US$16 for adults, US$12 for seniors age 62+, US$6 for teens age 13-18 and college students, and free for kids under 13 (as of May 2025). There’s free admission on several days throughout the year, and it’s 50% off on Tuesdays. Admission is also free for anyone who has Lyndon or Claudia as a first, middle, or last name. Check the official website for more info.
Floor 3 of the LBJ Presidential Library
Floor 3 contains the entrance to the building along with a few exhibitions and the gift store.
Presidential Limo
First of all, opposite the admissions desk is the presidential limo used by Lyndon B. Johnson after he left the White House. The custom-built limo was ordered in 1968 and mainly used in Austin.
The limo weighs 5,100 pounds and has a V-8 engine. It’s equipped with a radio, television, and telephone, per Secret Service requirements. The limo is not armored, bulletproof, or bombproof.
LBJ Animatronic
Near the Introduction Theatre, where visitors can watch an 11-minute introductory film about LBJ, is an animatronic version of the President. It tells some of his favorite stories from real life audio recordings, showing his sense of humor and gift of storytelling.
The animatronic was donated to the LBJ Presidential Library in 1997 by retailer Neiman Marcus, which is headquartered in Dallas. It was originally commissioned for one of their Dallas branches. Across from the animatronic are phone booths where visitors can listen to selected clips of 643 hours of the President’s recorded telephone conversations.
LBJ Timeline
Finally, next to the special exhibition gallery, is a timeline of the lives of LBJ and his wife Lady Bird (1912-2007). Important moments of their lives are intertwined with world events, with photos and artifacts adding to the timeline.
Some of the most interesting pieces featured on the timeline are original letters written to or by LBJ. They cover both personal and professional events in his life.
Great Hall at the LBJ Presidential Library
The Great Hall is a major feature of the LBJ Presidential Library. It’s located on Floor 4 and contains the entrance to the permanent exhibition.
The Great Hall takes up 7,686 square feet at the heart of the LBJ Presidential Library and features a wall with a gigantic engraved Seal of the President of the United States. Another wall displays portraits of every President and First Lady throughout history.
Archives
Looking up at the wall opposite the seal are the archives. It’s 4 floors of glass-enclosed red boxes holding about 45 million pages of historical documents from Johnson’s political career.
Mural
Underneath the library is a 50-foot long photo engraving mural by Naomi Savage (1927-2005). It consists of five etched magnesium plates each measuring eight by ten feet. The mural depicts LBJ at different stages of his political career: as a Congressman with President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945); as a Senator with President Harry S. Truman (1884-1972); as Senate Majority Leader with President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969); as Vice President with President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963); and then as President of the United States.
A Legacy of Liberty: LBJ and You
Behind the wall with the seal is A Legacy of Liberty: LBJ and You. It touches on how LBJ’s achievements as President still affect every American today.
The most important topic covered is civil rights. A program from the first inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20, 2009, is one of the artifacts. There’s also the world heavyweight championship belt that George Foreman won by beating Joe Frazier on January 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica. Foreman donated the belt to the museum in 1983.
Other topics include the protection of the environment, with the formation of several national parks and the Wilderness Act of 1964; LBJ’s support for culture and the arts, with the creation of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and other cultural programs; and the formation of Medicare and Medicaid.
Sculpture Terrace
Finally, the Great Hall opens onto the Sculpture Terrace, an outdoor terrace dotted with a few sculptures. There are also benches to sit and reflect.
Permanent Exhibition at the LBJ Presidential Library
The permanent exhibition of the LBJ Presidential Library is located on Floor 4 just off the Great Hall. It contains artifacts from throughout the life and presidency of LBJ.
The thorough exhibition covers not only LBJ’s successes but also criticizes his failures, especially regarding the Vietnam War. Personally, it helped me to greater understand the man in power during one of the most turbulent times in American history, and to appreciate his legacy.
A Life in Politics
The first section of the permanent exhibition is A Life in Politics. It covers the many years of LBJ’s public service, from his time in Congress and the Senate all the way up until his nomination as Vice President under John F. Kennedy (1917-1963). Artifacts include LBJ’s passport, numerous awards, photos, campaign buttons, and documents.
Some of the more interesting items to me personally were a copy of Johnson’s address about the space race on January 14, 1958, and his space budget. The letter certifying his election as the youngest ever Senate Minority Leader on January 2, 1953, is also displayed.
Nov. 22, 1963
The next section of the permanent exhibition at the LBJ Presidential Library is November 22, 1963. It’s the most somber section of the museum, dealing with the assassination of JFK and LBJ’s swearing-in as President.
Some of the documents on display include the cards Johnson read as he made a statement from Andrews Air Force Base after Kennedy’s assassination.
Transition of Power
In the section Transition of Power, a pair of photos show Johnson meeting with former Presidents Eisenhower (1890-1969) and Truman (1884-1972) to ask for advice the day after the assassination.
An entire wall is dedicated to LBJ’s address to Congress and includes the cards he used during his speech. A copy of the Warren Report investigating the assassination sits nearby.
Finally, a hand-written letter from Jackie Kennedy (1929-1994) written the day after JFK’s funeral thanks LBJ for his kindness and support. It’s displayed next to a photo of the President laying a wreath at the funeral.
Civil Rights
The permanent exhibition of the LBJ Presidential Library continues with a section on Civil Rights. It highlights the important progress Johnson made on the issue, including desegregation, voting rights, and more.
On display are a literacy test once used to disqualify African-American and other minority voters as well as the desk LBJ used to sign the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The Great Society
The next section covers Johnson’s Great Society, which was a set of domestic programs he launched in 1964 and 1965 aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice.
Topics covered include LBJ’s positive and lasting impact on health care, education, the arts, the environment, and immigration.
The Great Society section ends with statistics on how Johnson’s programs greatly improved the lives of many Americans as well as a list of countries wishing to duplicate some of the programs.
Foreign Policy
After a short section on space, the exhibition continues with a section on Foreign Policy. Most of it centers around American relations with the Soviet Union. A teletype machine used to communicate directly with the Soviets as well as declassified letters between the two powers are on display.
Vietnam War
The final section of the permanent exhibition at the LBJ Presidential Museum deals with the Vietnam War. In addition to the several artifacts and photos, there’s a topographical map of Khe Sanh used by LBJ and his advisors to follow the conflicts on the ground.
The exhibition continues with Johnson’s refusal to run for a second term as President, followed by letters thanking him for his service and dedication to the country.
Floor 10 of the LBJ Presidential Library
Floor 10 of the LBJ Presidential Library contains artifacts related to the lives of Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson at the White House.
The White House Years
As soon as you get off the elevator there’s an exhibition focusing on LBJ’s time in the White House. To the right is a gallery filled with gifts presented to President and Mrs. Johnson from world leaders and other Americans. There are also boots and hats worn by the First Couple at the LBJ Ranch, also known as the Texas White House.
Replica Oval Office
Next is a ⅞ replica of the Oval Office. It looks exactly as it did when Johnson was President. Highlights include the sitting area with a portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) above the fireplace. FDR was Johnson’s inspiration to serve the public.
The desk was used by Johnson from his days in the Senate throughout his years in the Oval Office. Next to it are three televisions LBJ used to keep up on the news.
First Lady’s Gallery
The next section of Floor 10 of the LBJ Presidential Library is the First Lady’s Gallery. It’s dedicated to Lady Bird Johnson and contains photos as well as several important artifacts. Clothing worn by Mrs. Johnson, including an evening gown worn on November 1, 1967, for the state visit of King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (1920-1972) of Nepal, is on display. There’s also a set of china used at various state dinners.
Replica of Lady Bird Johnson’s Office
Finally, a replica of Lady Bird’s office sits at the end of Floor 10. She worked tirelessly as a humanitarian, environmentalist, and unofficial diplomat from this office at the LBJ Presidential Library for many years. The exhibit opened in 1998 and is in the exact same state as Mrs. Johnson left on on the day it was donated, including her papers and family photos.
Special Exhibitions at the LBJ Presidential Library
The LBJ Presidential Library also has a space for special exhibitions.
Ladies and Gentleman…The Beatles!
The special exhibition on display during my visit was titled Ladies and Gentleman…The Beatles!. It focused on the Beatles impact on America from 1964 to 1966. Those were the years when Beatlemania was most intense, influencing media, politics, art, religion, fashion, and more.
The Beatles
A profile of the four band members kicked off the Beatles exhibition. A stage featuring their instruments was set up in the corner of the room. A map with authentic ticket stubs from concerts on their American tour was also on display.
Impact on American Musicians
Next were stories, photos, and album covers related to the Beatles and their impact on American musicians, such as Elvis Presley (1935-1977), Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, Ray Charles (1930-2004), and more.
Impact on American Youth
A replica of a teenager’s bedroom decorated with Beatles memorabilia showed the impact on the American youth. It was followed by a wall filled with more Beatles items, such as ticket stubs, magazines, album covers, newspaper clippings, and photos documenting their first two concerts in the country. Their first ever American concert took place at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, DC. They then traveled to New York City for two sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall.
Documents
Continuing through the Beatles exhibition were documents related to the band’s early years. A set list from a 1960 show at the Grosvenor Ballroom included hits from artists who had an impact on the Beatles, while another set list from an April 17, 1963, show at the Majestic Ballroom in Luton, England, included original hits by the band themselves.
Several documents from the Beatles’ early days, such as a business card printed by their first agent, Allan Williams (1930-2016), and a letter from the band’s first bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe (1940-1962), written to his girlfriend in September 1960 from Hamburg, Germany, are on display.
A handbill from the Aintree Institute as well as membership cards from the Cavern Club in Liverpool, where the Beatles became famous, are also included.
A performance contract from their show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California, on August 23, 1964, was another interesting document.
Beatles Memorabilia
The Beatles exhibition rounds out with more Beatles memorabilia. The jacket worn by Paul McCartney at Shea Stadium in 1965, Ringo Starr’s jacket from the iconic Abbey Road album cover, and a pair of glasses worn by John Lennon (1940-1980) in 1967 are some of the interesting pieces.
Drumming with Ringo
An interactive drum set where visitors could take a “drumming lesson” from Ringo Starr stood in one corner of the exhibition hall. They could sit down at the drum stool in front of a TV screen to get started.
