It was a terrible tragedy that brought Lyndon Baines Johnson to the 36th Presidency of the United States, but his service to the country became a triumph. The best museum you can visit in Austin, Texas is the LBJ Presidential Library.
The 1960s were turbulent times. After the assassination of JFK, it was essential for a smooth transition from president to president.
The nation was grieving and President Johnson did the best any man could do, even in consoling the widow Jackie Kennedy. Johnson recorded his telephone conversations, as many presidents did, 643 hours of them. Listen through the receiver as Johnson tells Jackie that she is loved, she gives him strength, and that “females have got a lot of courage that we men don’t have. So we have to rely on you.”
Other phone calls recorded included conversations with author John Steinbeck, former President Truman, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Johnson’s goal was to create a great society, for all. His actions spoke even louder than words, passing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which removed poll taxes and tests. He appointed the first African American cabinet member and Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall.
Johnson himself was born in central Texas amidst rural poverty and sought to bring relief to those struggling. In 1965 there was a revolution in health care when Medicare and Medicaid were created.
The effective and persuasive Johnson Treatment made a lot of changes to the country, but still the president struggled with the Vietnam Conflict.
It plagued him and hurt his administration, especially during the Tet Offensive which was one of the largest military campaigns of the war, stunning the US and inflicting heavy casualties.
The war would not end until after the president left office and passed away. Success was found away from home on another front, Johnson was the architect of NASA and during his administration Americans orbited the moon on Apollo 8, the first people to leave the earth’s orbit. Closer to home, Johnson passed the National Trail Systems Act creating the Pacific Crest Trail and added 35+ sites to the National Parks System.
The First Lady was a stewardess of the natural world and rallied for clean water, air, and roadsides, proper waste disposal, and historical preservation.
From Christmas pajamas to elegant evening gowns, her classic outfits are on display.
The museum is one of the 14 presidential libraries administered by the National Archives, its four-story glass encased Great Hall displays millions of pages of original documents.
There are exhibits enjoyable for all ages and it is easy to spend hours exploring them all.
Good to know:
+Designated free parking available
+Admission is paid, but there are free admission days