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Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park facts for kids

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Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
Lyndon B. Johnson birthplace NPS.jpg
President Johnson's birthplace in Gillespie County
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park is located in Texas
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
Location in Texas
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park is located in the United States
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
Location in the United States
Location Blanco and Gillespie County, Texas, U.S.
Nearest city Johnson City, Texas; Stonewall, Texas
Area 1,571 acres (6.36 km2)
Established December 2, 1969
Visitors 110,791 (in 2012)
Governing body National Park Service
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
Area 1,571 acres (636 ha)
Built 1914 (1914)
NRHP reference No. 69000202
Significant dates
Added to NRHP December 2, 1969
Designated NHL May 23, 1966

The Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park is a special place in central Texas. It is about 50 miles (80 km) west of Austin. This park helps protect the important places from the life of Lyndon B. Johnson. He was the 36th president of the United States.

The park includes his birthplace, his family home, his ranch, and his grave. When Johnson was president, his ranch was often called the Texas White House. This is because he spent about 20% of his time there while he was in office.

Exploring the Park: What You Can See

The park is split into two main areas. These are the Johnson City District and the LBJ Ranch District. Each area shows a different part of President Johnson's life.

Johnson City District

The Johnson City District is located in Johnson City. Here, you can find the house where President Johnson grew up. You can also see a log cabin settlement that belonged to his grandparents. This district also has the main National Park Visitor Center.

Visitor Center and Boyhood Home

The park's visitor center is in Johnson City. It used to be a hospital. Inside, you can watch films and see exhibits about President Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird.

Just a short walk north of the visitor center is the Johnson Boyhood Home. This is a Victorian-style house built in the 1880s. Lyndon Johnson lived here with his parents starting when he was five years old. He helped restore this house when he was president. It was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

Johnson Settlement

West of the visitor center is the Johnson Settlement. This area shows what a prairie looked like long ago. You can see the dogtrot house of Johnson's grandfather here. There are also other farm buildings from the 1800s.

LBJ Ranch District

Lyndon Johnson and Nixon, withAgnew
President Johnson and his wife Lady Bird greet Republicans Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew, the 1968 presidential and vice-presidential nominees, at the LBJ Ranch in August 1968.

The LBJ Ranch District is about 14 miles (23 km) west of Johnson City. It is located along the north side of the Pedernales River. This ranch was the Johnson family's special getaway. It was where they spent time during his most important years. The family cemetery is also located here.

Important Sites at the Ranch

At the ranch, you can visit several historic places:

  • The President's first school.
  • His reconstructed birthplace.
  • The famous Texas White House.
  • The Johnson Family Cemetery, where both President Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson are buried.

Visitors can take a self-guided driving tour of the ranch. You need a permit from the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site visitor center to do this. Please note that the Texas White House and Pool House are currently closed due to structural issues.

History of the Park

The park was first created on December 2, 1969. It was called the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Site. Later, on December 28, 1980, it was renamed a National Historical Park.

Today, the park covers about 1,570 acres (6.4 square kilometers). The Johnson family has continued to give land to the park over the years. Their most recent gift was in April 1995.

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See also

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