William J Clinton Library and Museum
Perched on 17 acres of land beside the Arkansas River, the William J Clinton Library and Museum serves as the presidential library of Bill Clinton, who, as many know, was an Arkansas native himself.
Like any presidential library, the Clinton Library plays host to the records and materials relating to Clinton’s presidential reign. However, besides this, the establishment also plays host to a museum dedicated chiefly to the Clinton legacy, offering tremendous insight into it, and, in turn, into the socio-political environment of the USA at the time.
At the centre of this museum is the Presidential Timeline. Here, visitors can trace the course of the 3,000 eventful and historically impactful days that Clinton held the office of the United States, all the way down to daily schedules and personal letters. It offers an insight into that deeply significant portion of America’s political history that you’re unlikely to see anywhere else.
It doesn’t just stop with everyday politics, either. Like any president, Clinton left behind a legacy that impacted numerous facets of the United States; and segments of the museum trace these impacts in great detail. A section dedicated to science and technology, for instance, details such things as the Human Genome Project, completed during Clinton’s presidency, which mapped the human genetic code, and the development that computer and space technology underwent during Clinton’s time in office. Similarly, the museum’s “Protecting the Earth” section details Clinton’s presidential efforts to advance environmental protection efforts, tracing his administration’s Clean Car Initiative and its aims to provide the US with more fuel-efficient automobiles. “Learning Across A Lifetime” traces Clinton’s efforts to build and extend the American education system, while “Making Communities Safer” details his administration’s contributions to improving the safety of America’s communities.
And of course, for those looking for that extra glimpse into daily life as a US president, an exhibit on the first floor is dedicated to Clinton’s Cadillac Fleet wood limousines and the history of the Secret Service, who have, for over a century, been responsible for the personal safety of America’s presidents.
Well worth a visit to anyone with an interest in the unique history of the United States presidency, the Clinton Library and Museum offers up an engaging and intimate look into the life and times of Arkansans’ own two-time president and his family. It’s a piece of Arkansas history that you really can’t afford to overlook if you’re to properly understand the great state and its impact upon the history of the United States as a whole.
Can't get enough of the museums in Little Rock? You dont want to miss the Museum of Discovery!