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"When this library is filled with documents, and scholars come here to probe into some of the facts of the past half century, I hope that they, as we today, are concerned primarily with the ideals, principles, and trends that provide guides to a free, rich, peaceful future in which all peoples can achieve ever-rising levels of human well-being."

President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Speech at the Ground Breaking Ceremonies for the Library, October 13, 1959

Exhibits

Eisenhower and the Great War
March 2017 - March 2018
Library

War erupted in Europe in 1914 and soon involved nations around the globe. The Great War as it became known shocked the world with its massive scope and the industrial-like slaughter created by advances in military technology. The United States reluctantly joined the conflict in 1917 and began to build a large professional army from the ground up. One of the young officers who helped in this endeavor was a lieutenant by the name of Dwight Eisenhower. Eisenhower showed remarkable talent for organization and leadership during the years of American involvement in the war. Tasked with training thousands of inexperienced troops in the new and untested art of armored warfare, Eisenhower quickly built a strong and motivated group of soldiers while overcoming severe obstacles and setbacks. This exhibit tells the story of the Great War and its influence on Eisenhower’s budding leadership abilities. World War I, as it would become known later in the century, proved critical to the making of this American Icon.

 

Chisholm Trail and the Cowtown that Raised a President
April 2017 - May 2018
Museum

Celebrate the Chisholm Trail Sesquicentennial as part of the tristate celebration with Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. See rare artifacts and historic photographs. Learn about the “square meal,” “real McCoy,” origins of the cowboy boot, and “the wickedest town in the West.” Discover stories behind the legends of T.C. McInerney, Bear River Smith, and Wild Bill Hickok among others. Find out why Dwight Eisenhower developed a love for all things western and the Cowtown that raised a President!

 

The Chisholm Trail: Driving the American West
August 2017 - October 2017
Library Lobby

Come and experience life on the Chisholm Trail 150 years ago. The exhibit includes historic items from the period, including a saddle, chaps, spurs, a western “dime novel” and a stereograph viewer. (Some of the first photographs of Abilene were stereographs.) The exhibit also features video clips from famous western movies such as “Red River” and “The Old Chisholm Trail.” Children will enjoy the many images displayed for small visitors.

This unique traveling exhibit, created for the Symphony in the Flint Hills by Flint Hills Design of North Newton, uses wood, metal and leather to provide tactile, hands-on displays. Life-size longhorn steers made from metal rods are the centerpiece of the exhibit. more information

 

See the Exhibits Schedule for current and past exhibits

"Three Ways the Old West Influenced Dwight Eisenhower"
September 21 at noon
Visitors Center Auditorium

Tim Rives will discuss "Three Ways the Old West Influenced Dwight Eisenhower" during the next Miller Nichols Charitable Foundation Lunch and Learn program. A light lunch will be provided during the free program in the Visitors Center Auditorium at noon on Thursday, Sept. 21. more information

 

Bryan Pinkall, WWII Music Concert
October 10 at 7 p.m.
Visitors Center Auditorium

 

See the Calendar for a full schedule of events throughout the year

News and Announcements

The Museum Will Get a New Look!

The Eisenhower Foundation is raising funds for a complete redesign of the museum. All of the gallery space will be redesigned and upgraded! more information

 

Ike Needs You!

Do you enjoy meeting people from all over the world? Love history? Want experience for that college or job application? Then we have the opportunity for you! more information

 

Great Plains Theatre logo Take advantage of our partnership with Great Plains Theatre! Show your ticket stub and receive $5 in savings at either venue.