My morning at the Clinton Presidential Center

I went to the Clinton library today. Care to join me vicariously?

These first images were taken while I was walking from the car or waiting on the queue for the library to open.

Bike racks:


Old railroad bridge, reflected in one of the pools in front of the building:


The pool on the opposite side, with an image of the queue forming:


While I was waiting, I started talking to the man behind me. It turns out that he's from around New York City, on the Jersey side, has lived there for 28 years, and is from Pennsylvania. I asked why he was in Little Rock, and he said that he was driving his daughter to ASU in Arizona, and this was about the midpoint of their trip. His daughter was still asleep in their hotel room.

When you get inside, the first stop is at security. I emptied my pockets, but my handbag on the conveyor, and shuffled through the metal detector. I was clean. That's a good feeling. There's nothing worse than holding up a long line at security .

Next stop, visiting your ticket agent. I discovered that the people working at the ticket counter are federal employees. I need that job. Most of the representatives of the library that you see are volunteers.

My ticket:



You get your ticket, a sticker, and a map of the building.




And it's off to the exhibits. I wish I could have taken pictures of everything, but I would have run out of time as well as memory on my camera.

There are several "pillars" made of these book-looking things throughout the exhibit area.



And here's the view of the lower level from above:



And now we come to the good stuff. There were lots of letters to the President and First Lady on display, along with their responses. Some notable letter-writers: Paul Newman, Whoopi Goldberg, Arsenio Hall, Elton John, Mother Teresa, and the Dalai Lama. I wanted to take photos of some letters, but they were under glass and the angle gave me a horrible glare.

There were lots of little bays each chronicling different achievements of the Clinton presidency. One dealt with the budget, and in the display had the bound budgets for 4 years. They were huge!



Aren't you glad your budget isn't that big?

All of the "inside" things that you don't normally see were interesting. There were drafts of speeches, travel plans, and gifts from other countries as well as individuals.



A set of nesting dolls depicting world leaders. If I remember correctly, this was a gift from Boris Yeltsin.


A Euro coin:


A piece of the Berlin Wall. Sorry about the glare. It was in a glass case within a glass case.



More assorted state gifts:



And even more gifts. One thing I'd like to point out about this photo: The book was a gift from Carlos Menem, then-president of Argentina.



Signed by Lance Armstrong:



Here's a table set for a state dinner:



One of the Crystal Trees of Light that were displayed at the White House for the millenium celebration:



There's also a full-size replica of the Oval Office:



I like the ceiling:



There's also a full-size replica of the cabinet room. You can sit at the table, and there are interactive exhibits built into the table. I got to be POTUS!



There's also a Presidential Limo on display. Pretty cool.



Campaign buttons and memorabilia:





Okay, the Ohio button seemed especially relevant, considering what happened last month. I also like the "In Socks we Trust" button.



Wow! What a hat!



And finally, a view of downtown from the upper level:



It's really nice inside. I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in politics, an interest in Bill, or if you just happen to be passing through.

I signed up to be a volunteer, so if you come on a weekend, you might see me in uniform. :)