Self Guided Tour Suggestions
The Eisenhower Museum does not conduct guided tours; this should pose no problem, however, as the exhibits are self-explanatory. We suggest you allow a minimum of one to two hours to visit our complex. Ample parking is available near the Visitors Center and the Place of Meditation.
Upon your arrival, we suggest you stop at the Visitors Center to view the 25 minute orientation film. The Gift Shop is also located in the Visitors Center.
We recommend when you leave the Visitors Center you proceed to the Boyhood Home. The entrance door is on the south side. The Boyhood Home provides insight into the early life of the Eisenhowers and is typical of Midwestern homes at the turn of the century. A tour guide provides information on the history of the Boyhood Home and will be happy to answer your questions about the Home and the Eisenhower family.
From the Boyhood Home, we suggest you go to the Museum which is located to the east of the Home. The Museum building is circular in traffic pattern, and it takes about one to two hours to cover the 35,000 square feet of exhibit space. There you will find exhibits covering every phase of the life of the 34th President. A Museum admission fee is charged for persons 8 years of age or older. No admission fee is charged at any of the other buildings. It is helpful if all members of a large group wear some type of badge so that they may be easily identified at the Museum admission desk. For small groups, admission may be paid individually at the Museum. With larger groups, a payment in cash, check or credit card for the entire group is the most efficient way.
From the Museum you can proceed to the Library. Although the manuscript holdings area of the Library is not open to the public, there is an exhibit area on the second floor. The remainder of the building is used to house the papers of General Eisenhower, provide staff offices, and provide a research area for scholars.
We suggest that when you have toured the Library you go to the Place of Meditation which is the final resting place of Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, his wife Mamie, and their first-born son, Doud Dwight.
If you have a group which would like to visit the Eisenhower Center, please refer to the information section relating to group tours.
For information on local lodging and dining options please visit the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau website.
