Clinton Presidential Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids William J. Clinton Presidential Library |
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Aerial photo of the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park (center) and the Clinton School of Public Service (right)
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| General information | |
| Location | 1200 President Clinton Avenue, Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States |
| Coordinates | 34°44′47″N 92°15′30″W / 34.746433°N 92.258463°W |
| Named for | William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton |
| Construction started | December 5, 2001 |
| Inaugurated | Dedicated on November 18, 2004 |
| Cost | $165 million USD |
| Management | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Technical details | |
| Size | 152,000 square feet (14,100 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Polshek Partnership |
The William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park is a special place in Little Rock, Arkansas. It is the official presidential library for Bill Clinton, who was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. This center is more than just a library; it also includes the offices for the Clinton Foundation and the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.
It is the thirteenth presidential library built in the United States. It is also the eleventh library managed by the National Archives and Records Administration. The center sits on 17 acres (69,000 m2) of land right next to the Arkansas River. The building was designed by a company called Polshek Partnership, LLP.
The main building looks like a bridge reaching over the Arkansas River. This design reminds people of President Clinton's promise to "build a bridge to the 21st century." The library itself is very large, covering 68,698 square feet (6,382.3 m2). It holds a huge collection of items from Clinton's time as president. This includes 2 million photos, 80 million pages of documents, 21 million emails, and 79,000 artifacts.
The museum inside the center shows off many cool things from Clinton's eight years as president. You can even see full-size copies of the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room from the White House!
Contents
Building the Clinton Presidential Center
Planning for the library started in 1997, and construction began on December 5, 2001. The whole project cost about $165 million. This money came from over 112,000 private donations. The City of Little Rock also gave 11.5 million[convert: unknown unit] worth of land for the center. The entire park and building cover 28 acres (110,000 m2).
Who Helped Fund the Center?
A friend of President Clinton, Terry McAuliffe, helped raise money for the center. President Clinton himself was not allowed to ask for donations directly. However, he did host private events to support the library. There were no rules about how much money could be donated. All donations were also tax deductible.
Some money came from other countries, like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Taiwan. Many American groups also gave millions of dollars. The Clinton Foundation decided not to share a full list of all donors.
Grand Opening Ceremony
The Clinton Presidential Center officially opened on November 18, 2004. Even though it was raining, about 30,000 people came to the ceremony. Famous people like Willie Mays, Robin Williams, and Barbra Streisand were there.
President Clinton gave a 20-minute speech. There were also performances by Bono and other groups. Four U.S. presidents were on stage together: Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush. They all spoke at the event. The whole ceremony lasted two hours.
Celebrating Five Years
On November 17, 2009, the library celebrated its fifth birthday. President Clinton gave another speech to about 1,000 people. He talked about important topics like health-care reform and saving energy. He said the center and school were great places to discuss these ideas.
Exploring the Center's Buildings
Main Building Features
The main building has five floors. It includes 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of space for exhibits. There is also a large room called the Great Hall, used for events. You can find "Forty Two," a full-service restaurant, named because Clinton was the 42nd president. Classrooms are also in this building.
On the top floor, President Clinton has a private 2,000-square-foot (190 m2) penthouse. In 2007, a special "Rooftop Garden" was added to the library's roof.
The way the exhibits are set up was inspired by a famous library in Dublin, Ireland. President Clinton saw this library when he was a student. On the first floor, you can see the special car, Cadillac One, that Clinton used as president. The second floor has a 110-foot (34 m) timeline showing each year of his presidency. There is also a theater and the copies of the Oval Office and Cabinet Room.
The Archives Building
The archives are kept in a separate building connected to the main one. This building holds all of President Clinton's official papers, gifts, and other materials. It is the first presidential archive to include electronic information, like emails, along with paper documents.
The archives are stored underground. This protects them from sunlight, which can damage old documents and photos. The total amount of records here is 35,686 cubic feet (1,010.5 m3), which is the most of any presidential archive.
Clinton Presidential Park
The park around the center covers almost 30 acres (120,000 m2). It used to be an old, run-down area with warehouses. Now, it's a great example of how a city can be improved. The park is built near old railroad tracks.
In the middle of the park is Celebration Circle, a fountain area. The park also has an arboretum (a collection of trees), an amphitheater for shows, gardens, and a play area for kids. There is also a quiet area where Clinton could be buried someday if he chooses.
Choctaw Station: A Historic Building
Choctaw Station is a beautiful old red brick train station. It first opened in 1901. It was used for trains until 1967. Later, a restaurant chain bought and restored the building.
Today, Choctaw Station is home to the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. It also houses the Clinton Public Policy Institute and the Clinton Foundation. The station is 13,200 square feet (1,230 m2) after being fixed up.
The Clinton Park Bridge
An old railroad bridge from 1899, which used to lead to Choctaw Station, has been turned into a walking bridge. It now connects to North Little Rock. On the fifth anniversary of the library, President Clinton said work on the bridge would start soon.
Money was raised for the bridge, and construction began on May 28, 2010. The bridge was renamed the Clinton Park Bridge. It opened to the public on October 2, 2011. President Clinton spoke at its dedication ceremony.
The Clinton Museum Store
For a while, the museum store had to be in a different building nearby. This was because of rules about state money. But in 2016, those rules changed. Now, the Clinton Museum Store is located right in the lobby of the library.
What You Can See in the Exhibits
Hillary — Happy Valentine's Day! I love you, Bill.
The Clinton Library has many items from President Clinton's time in office. You can see his special car, Cadillac One, on the first floor. The second floor has the main gallery. This area has a 110-foot (34 m) timeline that shows each year of Clinton's presidency. There are also 14 smaller areas, called alcoves, that focus on different important events.
You can watch a video in the orientation theater. There are also full-size copies of the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room from the White House. The Oval Office exhibit is the only full-size model in any presidential library. It was built using thousands of photos of the real office.
The timeline has eight large panels. It starts with Clinton's first speech as president in 1993. The alcoves show events like the Oklahoma City bombing and peace efforts in Northern Ireland and the Middle East. You can also see personal letters written by and to the Clinton family. These include notes from famous people and family photos. There's even a Valentine's Day note from Bill Clinton to Hillary!
The second floor also displays items from special dinners with other countries. You can see gifts from other nations, like fancy ceramics. There's an exhibit about Clinton's saxophone and another about his family pets, Socks the cat and Buddy the dog.
One of the 14 alcoves is called The Fight For Power. This part talks about the political challenges President Clinton faced. It shows how there was a power struggle between Republicans in Congress and Clinton after the Republican Party gained control of both the House of Representatives and Senate in 1994. The chief exhibit designer said Clinton was very involved in making this exhibit clear and open.
How the Center Was Designed
Overall Look
The center has a modern design. It was created by James Polshek's Polshek Partnership Architects. The museum and exhibits were designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates. President Clinton was very involved in designing the exhibits. Appelbaum called him "the editor-in-chief, the curator-in-chief and in many times the art director of the exhibits."
The building is mostly made of steel and glass. The main building's design is based on a diagonal truss. At first, the museum was planned to be parallel to the river. But it was changed to be perpendicular (at a right angle) to the river. This gives visitors a better view. The western side of the museum has a glass screen. This screen acts like a sunscreen for the building.
Being Green and Eco-Friendly
The library was designed to be good for the environment. This fits with President Clinton's work on sustainable development. It earned a special certification called Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design in 2004. Then, in 2007, it got an even higher Platinum Certification.
The floors inside the library are made from recycled rubber tires. There are also charging stations for electric vehicles in the parking lot. In 2007, a rooftop garden was added. The library also has solar panels. The garden collects rainwater and is cared for without using gas-powered lawn mowers or harmful chemicals.
Impact on the Local Area
After the library's location was announced, many new businesses opened nearby. Hotels, restaurants, homes, offices, and shops were built. The River Market district, a popular area for dining and shopping, was improved because of the library. More than $1 billion has been invested in downtown Little Rock because of the center. The world headquarters of Heifer International is also located close to the library.
The center has helped bring in about $2 billion in new projects to Little Rock. Since it opened, over 1.64 million people have visited the library.
Special Programs for Students
The Clinton Presidential Center offers free entry for school groups and homeschool groups. This is thanks to The Bank of America Foundation. They even help with bus transportation for some school districts.
The center also has four free-admission days each year. These are on Presidents' Day, the Fourth of July, President Clinton's birthday, and the anniversary of the center's grand opening.
Images for kids
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From left, former U.S. presidents George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter at the library's dedication
See also
In Spanish: Biblioteca y Museo Presidencial de William J. Clinton para niños
