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Presidential library facts for kids

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Seal of the US Presidential Libraries
Official seal of the presidential libraries

A presidential library is a system of thirteen libraries in the United States. It is created by the Office of Presidential Libraries, which is part of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

These are offices for preserving and making available the papers, records, collections and other historical materials of every President of the United States. The presidential library system began with Herbert Hoover's library (31st President, 1929-1933).

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is the largest of the thirteen libraries. The most recent presidential library was the George W. Bush Presidential Center which opened in Texas in 2013.

List of presidential libraries

This is a list of the presidential libraries.      Denotes libraries outside the NARA Presidential Library Office (most of these Presidents pre-date the administration of Herbert Hoover).      Denotes Presidential sites without libraries.      Denotes library without Presidential site.

No. President Library name Location Operated By Image Logo/Website
1 George Washington Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon
Opened to public September 27, 2013
Mount Vernon, Virginia Mount Vernon Ladies' Association The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington.jpg website
2 John Adams Stone Library at Adams National Historical Park
Opened to public 1870
Quincy, Massachusetts National Park Service (NPS) Old House, Quincy, Massachusetts.JPG website
3 Thomas Jefferson Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello
Opened to public 1994
Charlottesville, Virginia Thomas Jefferson Foundation Monticello 2010-10-29.jpg website
4 James Madison Montpelier
Opened to public 1984
Montpelier Station, Virginia National Trust for Historic Preservation KROW7037.jpg Montpelier
James Madison Museum
Opened to public 2013
Orange, Virginia James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation James Madison Museum, Orange VA.png museum
5 James Monroe James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library
Opened to public 1966
Fredericksburg, Virginia University of Mary Washington James Monroe Museum, Fredericksburg, VA IMG 4002.JPG website
5 Highland
Opened to public 1931
Simeon, Virginia College of William and Mary AshLawnHighland.jpg website
6 John Quincy Adams Stone Library at Adams National Historical Park
Opened to public 1870
Quincy, Massachusetts NPS Old House, Quincy, Massachusetts.JPG website
7 Andrew Jackson The Hermitage
Opened to public 1894
Nashville, Tennessee Andrew Jackson Foundation The Hermitage by Jim Bowen.jpg website
8 Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren National Historic Site
Opened to public October 26, 1974
Kinderhook, New York NPS Lindenwald2006.jpg website
9 William Henry Harrison Berkeley Plantation
Opened to public 1940s
Charles City, Virginia Berkeley Plantation Berkeley plantation harrison home.jpg website
10 John Tyler Sherwood Forest Plantation
Opened to public 1970s
Charles City, Virginia Sherwood Forest Plantation Foundation Sherwood Forest-1961.jpg website
11 James K. Polk President James K. Polk Home & Museum
Opened to public 1929
Columbia, Tennessee James K. Polk Memorial Association PolkHome.jpg website
12 Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
Opened to public 1928
Louisville, Kentucky National Cemetery Administration ZacharyTaylorNationalCemetery.jpg website
13 Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore House
Opened to public 1975
East Aurora, New York Aurora Historical Society Fillmore Home 2.jpg website
14 Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce Homestead
Opened to public 1920s
Hillsborough, New Hampshire NPS Pierce Homestead.jpg website
15 James Buchanan James Buchanan House
Opened to public 1930s
Lancaster, Pennsylvania NPS 2008-05-04 Amish Country 033 Lancaster City, Wheatland.jpg website
16 Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Opened to public in 2004
Springfield, Illinois State of Illinois 2013-08-04 AbrahamLincoln PresidentialLibrary and Museum.JPG website
17 Andrew Johnson President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library
Opened to public 1993
Tusculum, Tennessee Tusculum College Historic American Buildings Survey, Ray Moody, Photographer January 21, 1958 BACK ELEVATION. - Tusculum College, State Route 107, Greeneville Vicinity, Tusculum, Greene County, HABS TENN,30-TUSC,2A-1.tif website
18 Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library
Opened to public November 30, 2017
Starkville, Mississippi Mississippi State University Library
and
Ulysses S. Grant Association
website
19 Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
Opened to public 1916
Fremont, Ohio Ohio Historical Society
and
Hayes Presidential Center, Inc.
HayesLibrary.jpg website
20 James A. Garfield James A. Garfield National Historic Site
Opened to public 1998
Mentor, Ohio NPS
and
Western Reserve Historical Society
website
21 Chester A. Arthur Chester Alan Arthur State Historic Site
Opened to public 1950s
Fairfield, Vermont State of Vermont Historic Sites Section Fairfield ChesterArthur Nov2007.JPG website
22 and 24 Grover Cleveland Grover Cleveland Birthplace
Opened to public March 18, 1913
Caldwell, New Jersey NPS and Grover Cleveland Birthplace Memorial Association Grover Cleveland birthplace01.jpg website
22 and 24 Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
Opened to public October 16, 1976
Princeton, New Jersey Princeton University Mudd Library Princeton.JPG website
23 Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site
Opened to public 1970s
Indianapolis, Indiana Arthur Jordan Foundation Benjamin Harrison Home.jpg website
25 William McKinley William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum
Opened to public September 1907
Canton, Ohio Stark County Historical Society Mckinley museum wiki.jpg website
26 Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site
Opened to public 1923
Manhattan, New York City, New York NPS Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace.jpg website
27 William Howard Taft William Howard Taft National Historic Site
Opened to public 1970s
Cincinnati, Ohio NPS Taft NHS 1.jpg website
28 Woodrow Wilson Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library
Opened to the public in 1990
Staunton, Virginia Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library Foundation Wilson Birthplace Jan 2007.jpg website
29 Warren G. Harding Warren G. Harding Home & Memorial
Opened to the public in February 1926
Marion, Ohio NPS Home of Warren G. Harding 2011.jpg website
30 Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum
Opened to the public in 1956
Northampton, Massachusetts Forbes Library 1899 Northampton Forbes public library Massachusetts.png website
30 President Calvin Coolidge State Historical Site
Opened to the public in 1957
Plymouth Notch, Vermont State of Vermont Coolhouse.jpg website
31 Herbert Hoover Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
Dedication August 10, 1962
Rededicated August 8, 1992
West Branch, Iowa National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Herbert Hoover Presidential Library 003.jpg Official logo of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum.png
website
32 Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
Dedicated June 30, 1941
Rededicated June 30, 2013
Hyde Park, New York NARA Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library.jpg Official logo of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library.svg
website
33 Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum
Dedicated on July 6, 1957
Rededicated December 9, 2001
Independence, Missouri NARA Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum July 2007.jpg Official logo of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library.svg
website
34 Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home
Dedicated on May 1, 1962
Abilene, Kansas NARA Eisenhower library.jpg Official logo of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library.svg
website
35 John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Dedicated on October 20, 1979
Rededication October 29, 1993
Boston, Massachusetts NARA JFK library Stitch Crop.jpg Official logo of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.svg
website
36 Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
Dedicated on May 22, 1971
Austin, Texas NARA
and
The University of Texas at Austin
Johnson library.jpg Official logo of the LBJ Presidential Library.png
website
37 Richard Nixon Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
Dedicated on July 19, 1990
Rededicated on October 14, 2016
Yorba Linda, California NARA and
Richard Nixon Foundation
Nixon Library and Gardens.jpg Official logo of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library.svg
website
38 Gerald Ford Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
Dedicated on September 18, 1981
Rededicated April 17, 1997
Grand Rapids, Michigan NARA GRFord-Presidential.jpg    Official logo of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.svg
      website
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
Dedicated on April 27, 1981
Ann Arbor, Michigan Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, spring..jpg
39 Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter Library and Museum
Dedicated on October 1, 1986
Atlanta, Georgia NARA Carter lib1.JPG Official logo of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library.svg
website
40 Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Dedicated on November 4, 1991
Simi Valley, California NARA View of the Reagan Library from the south.jpg Seal of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.svg
website
41 George H. W. Bush George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
Dedicated on November 6, 1997
College Station, Texas NARA
and
Texas A&M University
BushLibrary.JPG Official logo of the George Bush Presidential Library.svg
website
42 Bill Clinton William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park
Dedicated on November 18, 2004
Little Rock, Arkansas NARA William J. Clinton Presidential Library, Little Rock, Arkansas (exterior view - 2007).jpg Official logo of the Bill Clinton Presidential Library.svg
website
43 George W. Bush George W. Bush Presidential Center
Dedicated on April 25, 2013
Dallas, Texas NARA
and
Southern Methodist University
George W. Bush Presidential Center 07 - jpfagerback - 2013-04-26.JPG Official logo of the George W. Bush Presidential Library.svg
website
44 Barack Obama Barack Obama Presidential Center
Scheduled to open in the early 2020s
Chicago, Illinois Obama Foundation and the University of Chicago Obama Foundation logo.svg
website
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