| George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum | |
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  Location in Texas, US Show map of Texas George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| General information | |
| Location | College Station, Texas, United States |
| Coordinates | 30°35′48″N96°21′12″W / 30.596622°N 96.353381°W /30.596622; -96.353381 |
| Named for | George H. W. Bush |
| Inaugurated | Dedicated on November 6, 1997; 28 years ago (November 6, 1997) Rededicated on November 10, 2007; 18 years ago (November 10, 2007) |
| Cost | $43 million |
| Technical details | |
| Size | 69,049 square feet (6,400 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum |
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Personal 43rd Vice President of the United States Vice presidential campaigns 41st President of the United States Tenure Policies Presidential campaigns   | ||
TheGeorge H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is thepresidential library and burial site ofGeorge H. W. Bush, the 41stpresident of the United States (1989–1993), and his wifeBarbara Bush. Located on a 90-acre (360,000 m2) site on the west campus ofTexas A&M University at 1000 George Bush Drive West inCollege Station, Texas, the library is one of 15 administered by theNational Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library was dedicated on November 6, 1997, as theGeorge Bush Presidential Library and Museum, opening to the public shortly thereafter, and designed by the architectural firm ofHellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum.
Situated on a plaza adjoining the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center and theGeorge Bush School of Government and Public Service, the library is administered by NARA under the provisions of the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955.
The mission of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library is to preserve and make available for research the official records, personal papers, and artifacts of President George H.W. Bush, to support democracy, promote civic education, and increase historical understanding of U.S. national experience through the life and times of George H.W. Bush.
The textual archives contain more than 44 million pages of personal papers and official documents subject to thePresidential Records Act, as well as personal records from associates connected with President Bush's public career as Congressman, Ambassador to the United Nations, Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in China, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. As in all NARA presidential libraries, records are housed in acid-free storage (Hollinger) boxes in a balanced humidity and temperature atmosphere. The archival storage area houses 13,000 cubic feet (370 m3) of records, and the library has a National Security vault holding 3,500 cubic feet (99 m3) of Presidential Records. In addition to memoranda, speeches, and reports found in the textual collection, there is an extensive audio-visual and photographic archive.[1]
The museum has just under 17,000 square feet (1,600 m2) of permanent exhibit space and 3,000 square feet (300 m2) of temporary exhibit space. Permanent exhibits draw on the best of the museum collection to visually convey the essence of George Bush's life and public service career and to illustrate historical events of this period in American history. Changing exhibits explore topics on the Bush Administration, American history, American presidents, and other related topics.[1]
In 2011, the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation was given an overall score of 2 out of 4 by Charity Navigator.[2] The CEO was listed on that site's "10 Highly Paid CEOs at Low-Rated Charities".[3] It was renamed when George W. Bush openedhis own Presidential library in 2013, to distinguish between then.
On April 23, 2007, the permanent exhibit closed for complete renovation (though the temporary exhibit gallery remained open, hosting the popular "Traveling White House in Miniature" exhibit). The museum reopened November 10, 2007, with a ceremony during which the former president arrived via parachute jump. The permanent exhibit now features (like many other presidential libraries), a replica of the Oval Office; unlike those other presidential libraries, visitors are able to fully enter the replica, sit behind the president's desk, and have a souvenir photo taken.[4][5]
On November 8, 2019, theUnion Pacific Railroad donated itsEMD SD70ACe locomotive#4141 to the library, where it will be on permanent display in the pavilion.[6] The exhibit was expected to open in 2020 but is now expected to open in 2024. It will be placed between the library and the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center.[7][8] Unveiled on October 18, 2005 in honor of Bush, it remained in active service until 2009, and later was brought back to participate in Bush'sfuneral train on December 6, 2018.[9] It subsequently remained in active service following the funeral until its last run between November 8 and November 9, as part of theUnion Pacific 4014 Southwest Tour, in which the plans for the display were unveiled. 4141 returned to the presidential library on March 12, 2021.[10]
In addition to UP 4141, the Bush Foundation is also seeking to have a retiredBoeing VC-25A and aSikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk displayed on the library grounds, of which the UH-60 Black Hawk has been confirmed for permanent display.[11][12][13]
On December 2, 2019, a life-size bronze statue ofSully, the President'sservice dog during his final six months, was unveiled at the site.[14][15]
The Presidential Library Foundation also awards theGeorge Bush Award for Excellence in Public Service, which "recognizes an individual's or group's dedication to public service at the local, state, national or international levels". The recipients are given a crystal sculpture designed by Eric Hilton, comprising a "three panel prismatic column of crystal. In the center of the column is a shallow lens engraving of the world." The winners are:[16]
Bush's daughterPauline Robinson Bush (1949–1953) was originally buried atPutnam Cemetery inGreenwich, Connecticut, but was re-buried at the library in 2000.
Barbara Bush was buried on April 21, 2018, following her death on April 17.[19]
George H. W. Bush was buried on December 6, 2018, followinghis death on November 30.[20]
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