The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Birthplace (est.1990)

 

The Nixon Library and Birthplace
Type Of Activity	Nixon Presidential Library
Location
Location	Yorba Linda CA
Date of Activity	Est, 1990
Coordinates	33°53′21″N 117°49′10″W

The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum is located in Yorba Linda, California and houses the Nixon Presidential Materials (textual, photographs, sound, and moving images), Nixon White House Tapes, Nixon pre- and post-Presidential Materials, as well as the Museum, Birthplace, and Helicopter.

The museum is housed in a 52,000-square-foot building in the suburbs of Yorba Linda. Opening its doors in 1990, this complex was established to celebrate former President Nixon's accomplishments as a peacemaker and an international statesman. From the humble farmhouse built by his father in 1912, to priceless gifts from heads of state, to the peaceful memorials of the President and Mrs. Nixon, the museum and its beautifully landscaped grounds and gardens trace the long road from Richard Nixon's past. 

The entire facility underwent a $15 million renovation in 2016, and reopened on October 14 2016. The Library now features updated, multimedia museum exhibits; aimed at bringing the country’s 37th president closer to younger generations less familiar with his groundbreaking trip to China or the Watergate scandal. the complex is jointly operated by NARA and the Richard Nixon Foundation.

Wall mural of former President Richard Nixon in the lobby area of the  Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum   

President Nixon's Oval Office

In the Nixon Library is a replica of the Oval Office in the White House, where President Nixon made many of his most crucial decisions.

  President Nixon’s Oval Office

The Apollo Exhibit

The Space Race gallery connects Nixon to NASA's missions. There's an Apollo 16 space suit reproduction, dehydrated pork and scallops astronaut food, and gift lunar landing cufflinks. 

  Apollo 11 display at the Nixon Library and Museum

 The Moon Walk 1969  

When Apollo 11 landed on the moon I was in New Delhi India preparing for President Nixon’s arrival on his first world tour since taking office in 1969. Since the Janpath Hotel in New Delhi did not have a radio or TV I had to read about its success in the Newspaper the next day.

A phone used by Nixon to call the Apollo 11 astronauts after they landed on the Moon may be on display (it occasionally goes on tour), along with a contingency speech drafted by speechwriter William Safire in case of a disastrous ending of the mission.

  The phone used by Present Nixon to call the Apollo 11 astronauts

The China Exhibit

The Library has extensive presentation on Nixon’s historic trip to China. The San Clemente CCT was sent to Guam where the President an staff spent overnight relaxing prior to the flight to mainland China. My team made up the core manpower to support the visit and provided all of the equipment . We set up the switchboard and Comm. Center in the Hotel that we were staying, the B/C/S FM base stations and  URT-28 HF Radio Equipment was temporarily installed at Anderson Air Force Base, Agana Guam.

The President arrived on Guam and spent the night at the residents of Rear Adm. Pugh Residence, Commander of the U.S. Naval Forces, Mariana Islands. While the President was on the mainland we were held in reserve for any Personnel sickness or equipment malfunction, The team spent two weeks there without incident before we returned to San Clemente.

  President Nixon’s arrival in China

President Nixon is greeted By Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai 

President Nixon's Presidential Limo

The U.S. government limousine used by President Nixon throughout his presidency, a customized 1969 Lincoln Continental

  Stagecoach  the President's Limousine

President Nixon’s “Sea King” helicopter

One of the museum’s highlights is President Nixon’s “Sea King” helicopter. The helicopter was in the presidential fleet from 1961 to 1976, transporting Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and many foreign heads of state and government. The Sea King was operated and maintained by the Army and when the President was on board it was “Army One. Army One flew President Nixon to the Western White House on the day he resigned. In 1976 President Jimmy Carter, as a cost cutting move, disbanded the Army’s Executive Flight Detachment and Army One was retired. Former White House helicopter pilot LTC Gene Boyer found where Army One was mothballed and led a team of volunteers that restored the helicopter for the Nixon Presidential Library.

 Army One 

Richard Nixon's Birthplace

Behind the museum is the birthplace, which was constructed by Nixon’s father using a home-building kit and restored to appear as it was in 1910. 

  President Richard Nixon’s Birthplace

President Nixon’s Birthplace is located in a slightly secluded setting east of the main building, in a grove of trees. It is a 1+1⁄2 story Craftsman-style bungalow, with a gabled roof and clapboarded exterior. The house was built in 1910 on family ranchland; President Nixon was born there the following year. He and his family stayed there until 1922, when they moved to Whittier, California

The front entrance

  The Rear on the Birthplace

  The piano on which Richard Nixon learned to play.

  In the Kitchen as it was in 1910

The Presidents Bedroom

The Nixon Memorial Garden.

The original farmhouse where President Nixon was born is just a few steps away from his final resting place in the Nixon Memorial Garden.

President and Mrs. Nixon are buried on the grounds, just a few feet from his birthplace

  President Richard Nikon’s headstone

 First Lady Patricia Nixon’s headstone 

In 2023 there was a reunion of past and present members of the White House Communications Agency at the Nixon Presidential Library and Birthplace and these photographs were taken by Marty Williams during a tour.