John F. Kennedy Library & Museum: A "first-person" account of the nation's 35th President
Visit the museum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library on Boston’s waterfront and experience again the compelling story of the incomplete tenure of the nation’s 35th president. In the museum’s three theaters, period settings and 25 multimedia exhibits, tourists enter the Kennedy administration for a comprehensive history of Kennedy’s life, legacy and leadership.
Designed by the famous architect I.M. Pei and dedicated by then-President Jimmy Carter in 1979 after a complicated series of events that held off its construction for years, the library is one of 13 in the United States administered by the federal National Archives and Records Administration.
Located on Columbia Point, the library and museum are located on a 9.5-acre park landscaped with pine trees, shrubs and wild roses evocative of the environment on Cape Cod familiar to President Kennedy. In the summer months, Kennedy’s 26-foot sailboat Victura is displayed on the museum grounds at the edge of Boston Harbor.
A museum visit begins with a brief 18-minute film that highlights Kennedy’s childhood, naval service and congressional and senate service. The film utilizes old family footage with Kennedy himself telling his story. A self-guided walking tour covers Kennedy’s rise to the White House. Varied rooms and corridors relate stories via real documents, photos and artifacts. There are even a few exhibits that feature the clothing and jewelry of Jackie Kennedy! Visitors are also treated to an excerpt of Mrs. Kennedy’s televised 1962 White House Tour, which won her an Emmy award.
The Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the exception of New Year’s, Thanksgiving and Christmas days. The last introductory film of the day is at 3:55 p.m. The Research Room is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by appointment only and is closed on weekends and federal holidays.
Call the museum’s Admissions Desk at 617-514-1569 to purchase admissions or gift certificates in advance, and make sure to visit the museum’s web site before showing up to see if there are special events scheduled during your visit.
- by Jim Brown , Boston Reporter for HelloMetro
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Jim Brown Jim Brown is a longtime freelance aviation, travel and destination writer and communications professional. A former reporter for Aviation Daily, Air Safety Week and World Airline News, Jim served for more than 15 years as a senior public relations executive for American Airlines, TWA and AirTran Airways.
