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The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Museum and Boyhood home is just a reminder that great things do come out of Kansas. Many people would never have guessed that Abilene, KS was the home of Dwight D. Eisenhower, but those who have traveled to Abilene know that the people of Abilene and Kansas are very proud. Dedicated on Veterans Day, 1954, the Museum was built to house the materials and objects related to Dwight D. Eisenhower’s life. The Museum is divided into five major areas consisting of the Introductory Gallery, Temporary Gallery, Mamie Eisenhower Gallery, Military Gallery, and Presidential Gallery. On the same site as the museum also sits Eisenhower’s boyhood home. The two-story home is fully furnished and most of the belongings are as they were, except for those that were moved to make the home easier to tour. There are actually a lot of things to see when visiting because not only can one go see artifacts and things that Eisenhower collected but you can also visit the library, Eisenhower statue and finally the final resting place of the former President himself.
I think this museum is not only a really great reference for those doing research but also just a great place to learn more about Kansas history, Presidential history and history of the war. I have actually visited this site many times and it is really neat to see all of the artifacts and different galleries throughout the museum. Nothing is ever really the same when you go; they are always putting out different galleries to keep people interested. I think that having such a great museum is really beneficial to the people of Kansas, because the Eisenhower museum encompasses a lot of history. We haven’t really talked about Eisenhower all the much but the museum did a good job of giving background about his achievements and life which in turn will help understand what he was about as a president. Overall the experience of the visiting the museum is really great but I think the best thing is that that is where the president was actually laid to rest. I think that it’s really cool that after being a president and a famous figure in history he actually made it back to where it all started in Kansas.
http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/Museum/Museum.html
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Forgot to put my name on it…by Chelsea C.
Comment by cornwche December 2, 2009 @ 5:36 pmI haven’t been back to Abilene for several years, but the room for reflection where he and his wife are buried is very moving, I think.
Comment by Kristen Epps December 4, 2009 @ 11:44 pm