Our post today is by HCHM director, Catherine Graves. Graves loves to travel the state with her son and explore both well known and lesser known places. Recently, she took a road trip to Abilene, Ks.
by Catherine Graves, HCHM Director
This past weekend my son and I took a little road trip to Abilene to visit Eisenhower’s Presidential Museum. Our summer was packed full of things that kept us busy, so we missed our opportunity to use the Sunflower Summer app, BUT since I have an I LIKE IKE license plate, that makes me a 1 Star Friend of the museum! Nerdy, I know. No shame in it!!
With my little 1 Star Friend card, the two of us were able to gain free admission to Ike’s boyhood home and museum. What a perk!
We started our visit at the Place of Mediation, the final resting spot for the president, Mamie and their first son. After walking around there for a little bit, it was close to our time for the boyhood home tour. It didn’t take too long to see that the two of us were the youngest there!
Place of Meditation beautiful stained glass window.
Ike’s birth record.
Sign outside of his boyhood home.
After touring the home we made our way back inside the visitor center to watch a short movie before starting our journey through the rest of the grounds.
That library!! What a site to see! It was such a beautiful building on the inside, and upstairs they had a little exhibit, Women’s Suffrage Centennial 19 & 52, Women for Ike.
“In the long perspective of history, the right to vote has been one of the strongest pillars of a free society. Our first duty is to protect this right against all encroachment.”
State of the Union Message, Washington, DC, 1/7/1960
I found my dress!
On our way to the museum after we were finished with the library, we stopped to take a gander at the statue.
“The only way to win the next world war is to prevent it.”
Address at a Rally in the Civic Auditorium, Seattle, Washington, 10/17/56
Up next, the final leg of our adventure was to tour the museum. It was much larger than we were expecting. A pleasant surprise. I’ve been to the museum once when I was younger so it was nice to share the experience with my son.
The museum lobby was decorated with murals along the walls. Once you enter the galleries, it takes you through the early days to his war days to presidential years. It ends with a special exhibit on the Cold War. The museum recently went under some renovations, and we think they did a fantastic job.
While in the museum, we decided to take part of the scavenger hunt, which was geared more towards the end in the gallery dedicated to the Cold War. Of course, I did the work while Reid collected the prize!
We both loved it and think it was well worth the drive.