After a visit to the Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, the first Presidential Library built, and our first Presidential Library visit, we now have a mission to visit them all. 

This experience is stunning, with interactive displays using cutting-edge technology, multimedia presentations, and immersive experiences. It also contains original artifacts and documents.

A visit to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri, is the perfect stop for history buffs or curious travelers. 

This Library will belong to the people of the United States. My papers will be the property of the people and be accessible to them. And this is as it should be. The papers of the Presidents are among the most valuable sources of material for history. They ought to be preserved, and they ought to be used. –Harry S. Truman, New York City, May 8, 1954

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Our First Visit to a Presidential Library

Our visit to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum blew us away. Having never been to a Presidential Library, we didn’t know what to expect.

It was so high-tech, interactive, and informative that it made us learn/re-learn many significant historical events during a significant time in world history. 

PRO TIP: Visit on a weekday for less crowds and plan to spend 1-2 hours or more, depending on your interest level. 

What to Expect at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum

The space is over 90,000 square feet full of extensive exhibits, artifacts, archives, research facilities, an event space, and even a gift shop. It’s all very impressive.

The interactive displays and short films are done in a captivating way, and you don’t want to miss a thing. 

Read more fascinating about the history and purpose of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. This library holds an astounding number of White House files and personal documents of Harry Truman. 

The Truman Library remains a research center today and, since 1965, has seen more than 15,000 researchers ranging from students to scholars, genealogists to filmmakers and journalists. 

More than 32,000 objects are in this museum collection, all related to Harry Truman. 

Here are some mind-boggling figures related to the cost of this Presidential Library and Museum.

It cost $1,750,000 to build in 1955. It was added on and renovated in 1968, and in 1980, additions to the building were completed for $310,000 and $2,800,000, respectively. Then, in 2021, a massive renovation took place, costing $29 million. It shows, this recent renovation is absolutely stunning.

Related: Explore Union Station during the Holidays

Harry Truman, the Man

Harry Truman was born in 1884 in Lamar, Missouri. He was raised on a farm with a strong work ethic and lived modestly. 

Harry was a devoted husband to Bess Wallace Truman.  They met as children in Independence, MO, and married shortly after Truman returned from serving in WWI. They were married for 53 years and had one daughter, Margaret.

Around 1,300 courtship letters from Harry to his beloved Bess are on display.  

You’ll read more in this article about Harry Truman’s lifelong love for books, so it was fascinating to learn that his daughter, Margaret, was an accomplished author. After our visit, we learned that Margaret wrote 23 books, the “Capitol Crime Series” set in Washington, D.C.

In addition to the Capitol Crime Series, she wrote a biography about her parents. Scroll to the end to find book covers with links to this book series.

Harry Truman, the Public Servant

Truman served in World War I and then returned to Missouri to manage a haberdashery (men’s clothing store) that failed during the stock market crash of 1920.

After his clothing store failed, he entered the political arena. 

In 1922, Truman was elected as County Judge, gained notoriety for his honesty and competence, and seemed to concentrate on overseeing public works projects. 

He was then elected to the US Senate in 1934, bringing his work ethic and reputation to Washington. 

During the 1940s, he focused on uncovering waste and corruption in war production, saving billions of dollars for the government.

Truman’s Job Promotion: VP to President

Truman’s integrity put him on the ballot, and he was elected Vice President to Franklin D Roosevelt’s Presidency. 

Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States

Truman served just 82 days as Vice President before FDR died. Roosevelt collapsed while sitting for his presidential portrait. Truman became the 33rd President of the United States. He served two terms. 

A Walk Through the World Events of Truman’s Presidency

The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum is a literal chronological walk through history. 

We were most fascinated by world history during his presidency. Here is an insignificant summarization of the world events. It’s almost hard to believe how much happened during these 8 years; it was quite the history refresher for us.

As you walk through, you experience various ways to learn about Truman’s presidency. There are several short films with props and such realistic delivery that it’s like you’re on the battlefield with Truman when he served in WWI. It’s all digestible, informative, and interesting as you walk through time.

1945- End of World War II

Truman used atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This was a very somber walk-through at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library. 

As news was uncovered about the Holocaust, where the Nazis murdered more than six million Jews, Truman made a controversial decision. He endorsed the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, the Jewish Homeland. 

There is a very touching and somber display about the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima during Truman’s presidency.

The paper cranes shown below were made from a young Japanese girl who survived the Hiroshima bombing. She later died of leukemia that resulted from radiation exposure.

She folded 1,000 paper cranes, hoping to recover from her cancer and promote world peace. Some cranes she made were donated to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and are displayed below.

1947-1953 The Cold War and Korean War

NATO was established during Truman’s Presidency and the Marshall Plan. Both the Cold War and Korean Wars were in effect during this period.

NATO and More

North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed under the Truman Presidency. 

The CIA was also established during his term. 

Truman also worked towards improving race relations; one of his achievements was desegregating the armed forces.  

The Buck Stops Here and other Truman quotes.

If you’ve heard the phrase, “the buck stops here,” it was coined by Truman, whose attitude was that the President can’t pass the buck to anybody- the President must make the decisions and accept responsibility for those decisions. 

Other quotes from Truman stuck out to us: 

“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”

“Keep working on a plan. Make no little plans. Make the biggest plan you can think of and spend the rest of your life carrying it out.”

“A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities, and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.”

“To take full advantage of the increasing possibilities of nature, we must equip ourselves with increasing knowledge.”

Perhaps our favorite: “There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.”

Truman’s Personal Library

As a child, he had poor eyesight, which prevented him from playing sports, so he poured himself into books, and that love of reading lasted his entire lifetime. 

Truman was a lifelong reader of books. By 14, he claimed to have read every book in the Independence Public Library, including the encyclopedias. 

His book collection, around 1,200 books, is at home in the Truman Library. Topics range from biographies, literature, and the classics like Shakespeare. 

Other Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum Highlights

In the lower levels of the Presidential Library are the artifacts of Truman’s life in Washington and other personal effects such as vehicles and other belongings.

See precisely what his Oval Office looked like during his time in the White House. You can listen to a voice recording from Truman explaining the Oval Office. 

The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library is a great resource open to the public. Some collections are available online, and others are available in person and can be viewed by appointment. 

The Courtyard

We learned that the Presidents with Presidential Libraries who have died are buried at their respective libraries. Truman and his beloved wife, Bess, are laid to rest in the courtyard, as well as their daughter, Margaret, and her husband. 

It’s a pretty, peaceful, and reflective space surrounded by the library. There is also an eternal flame near their graves. 

Truman’s Influence on the Presidential Library

We read a plaque that said he left the Oval Office in 1953 without Secret Service detail, no presidential pension, and no job. He had some savings, some investments, and a small pension from his military service in WWI.

He could have joined corporate boards, given lectures for large fees, or even sold his presidential papers and state gifts, but to him, that seemed like trading on the office of the presidency. Instead, he created the Harry S. Truman Library and a new direction for his life’s work.

Truman was alive when his Presidential Library was built and had a very active role in the planning of it. With his love of books, he wanted to ensure that the library would be a source for everyone from students to scholars to learn about his Presidency. 

The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum was dedicated on July 6, 1957, and was attended by Truman and his former VP, Herbert Hoover. 

We read that Truman visited his library often. Remember,  his book collection is there, and he often gave tours to visitors himself!

Does every former president have a Presidential Library?

Our visit to the Truman Library was fascinating. We wanted to know more, and of course, we wondered if every former president had a presidential library.

The answer is no. Every president since Herbert Hoover has presidential libraries in their respective home states. Here is a list of the existing Presidential Libraries

• Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum (West Branch, Iowa)
• Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum (Hyde Park, New York)
• Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum (Independence, Missouri)
• Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum (Abilene, Kansas)
• John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (Boston, Massachusetts)
• Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum (Austin, Texas)
• Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum (Yorba Linda, California)
• Gerald R. Ford Library (Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, Michigan)
• Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
• Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum (Simi Valley, California)
• George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum (College Station, Texas)
• William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum (Little Rock, Arkansas)
• George W. Bush Presidential Library (Dallas, Texas)

Plan Your Visit to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library

Location

Harry S. Truman Presidential Library

500 W. U.S. Highway 24

Independence, Missouri 64050-1798

Hours

Monday – Saturday

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sundays 

January – March: closed on Sundays

Admission

• $12 for adults
• $10 for seniors 62 and older
• $10 Veterans / Mil. retired-disabled
• $8 College Students
  (with ID)
• $5 Youth 13-18
• Free for Members and children ages 12 and under

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