Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum

The main reason I wanted to go here was because they have a small Star Wars exhibit for a limited time but it proved to be an amazing place.

My knowledge of Ronald Reagan is slim because I wasn’t even born when he was president. We left the museum very informed and awed. I thought it was a joke when I heard Reagan was an actor but it’s actually true, and he was good. I didn’t know Nancy Reagan, his wife, was an actress as well. He was the governor of California before becoming President. We got chills watching the footage of his assassination attempt. There’s also the events of the Berlin Wall and the Cold War. Boarding Air Force One was amazing. It’s a really beautiful museum. One of the best I’ve ever been to.

I wasn’t sure if the kids would enjoy it but I did my research prior to going and I saw that there are plenty of things the kids might like. The kiddos had a blast. Even my husband had fun and got to learn a few things as well.

The Star Wars exhibit isn’t until the very end of the tour. The connection between Star Wars and Ronald Reagan was at the time, Reagan created SDI, Strategic Defensive Initiative. The plan was to create a space based missile system, create lasers in a way, to eliminate the use of nuclear missiles. The media thought it was far-fetched or silly and started addressing Reagan’s project as Star Wars.

I think it brought more awareness to the films since news outlets would mention it. It’s an interesting and funny connection. I was expecting to see memorabilia of the films which there was but it felt more like the creation or the making of Star Wars. It focuses on the original films, episodes 6, 7, and 8. There were rough drafts, scripts, and early drawings. It’s pretty cool to learn new facts.