-
July 2023 by egoldstone
I thouroughly enjoyed learning more about the man who was president during my youth. My wife and daughter also enjoyed learning about Lady Bird Johnson. I highly reccomend this site if you are in Austin.
-
July 2023 by Mary Ann T
Beautiful tribute to the Johnson era . Lots of beautiful pieces from their time in the white and I loved Lady Birds dresses on exhibit. Since I was a small child when he was president I learned more about what his agenda was about.
-
July 2023 by Razorfish
My wife and I visited the LBJ Presidential Library with a group during a business conference in Austin this past February. We had a special presentation about LBJ’s love letters to Lady Bird. It was surprising to me because I had never seen that side of LBJ before. The library was very interesting to see the old photos from LBJ and Lady Bird’s past. The library is well worth visiting when in Austin.
-
July 2023 by kiwitravel602
This was a real surprise, it was a great look at LBJ and Lady Bird. Friendly staff made you feel very welcome and the films and displays were a great representation of the sixties and the presidency of LBJ
-
June 2023 by msbones047
We enjoy history and have visited a few Presidential libraries. This one doesn't flow as well as some others-it seemed to jump around the dates a lot, and there seemed to be a lot more focus on the First Lady than in other museums. We did learn a great deal about LBJ, and that was our goal-he accomplished a lot in his term in the White House, much of which is overlooked due to the Vietnam focus. I very much enjoyed seeing the replica of the Oval Office, with LBJ's personal desk and rocking chair.
-
June 2023 by Kenn Van Dieren
I was surprised when looking for peace sign lapel pins. (Two fingers in the air like a V) Very large selection
-
November 2021 by Luís Gómez Patlán
Gotta love the Campaign Memorabilia button pins! Hoping to see more official JKF Campaign buttons.
-
October 2021 by Nichole
Very nice
-
May 2020 by Matthew O.
The LBJ Presidential Library is definitely a must see place on the University of Texas campus, especially if you're a history buff like me. It is a humongous building, one that I feel is befitting of a President with such a huge personality and impact on the American public. When you get to the center of the library, you enter this cavernous room with a vault like feel, on the 4 walls surrounding the room, you see shelves and shelves of all the documents, books, transcripts, and recordings of material that happened during LBJ's presidency. Surrounding the room, there are several other side rooms and exhibits that help tell the story of LBJ and the role that he played as the President of the United States during the time of the Vietnam War. Walking through this place, you can't help but feel like you are living and experiencing a turbulent period in American history, But you also can't help but feel how far America has come :)
-
March 2020 by William G.
If you're in Austin the LBJ Presidential Library is a must see. I grew up in Austin although I have spent much of my adult life in Minnesota (I took a faculty position at the University of Minnesota after completing my PhD at the University of Texas and have lived in the bold north ever since). When I was growing up in Austin, LBJ was a bigger than life figure and the library captures this perfectly. I was afraid it would white wash Johnson but I think it does a wonderful job of showing both his considerable strengths and considerable weaknesses. To slightly paraphrase Hamlet "He was a man. Take him for all in all. We shall not look upon his like again." The museum tells LBJ's story with videos and artifacts. It does an admirable job of describing his rise to power, his accomplishments, and his fall due to the Vietnam war. No matter what your political beliefs , it is hard not to be nostalgic for an era in which our leaders could strongly disagree but still, in the last analysis, work for the common good of our nation. On the practical side there is a free parking lot on Red River which given the campus area parking crunch is an important amenity. Whether you loved Johnson or hated him or most likely loved and hated him, if you can go through this library without being moved you should check your pulse to make sure you are still alive.
-
February 2020 by Anita L.
Listed as one of Austin's top attractions, the LBJ Presidential Library is situated inside the University of Texas Campus. Follow the signs from the streets to a parking lot designated for LBJ Library. Please make sure you park at the correct lot because all other lots would require parking permits. Normal admission rate is $10 per person, but I lucked out by visiting on President's Day and got in for free. Alternatively, search online before visiting as there might be Groupon deals available. Exhibit is located on the 3rd, 4th and 10th Floor. 3rd & 4th Floor had a lot of info on LBJ during his career, and 10th floor mainly housed the replica of the oval office and gifts presented by other countries and visitors. Not sure if there are more stuff to see on the 10th Floor, as the rest of the area was blocked off.
-
February 2020 by Melissa F.
YES! I love the US presidents, and getting the chance to go to a presidential library was as awesome as I had anticipated. The building itself is part of that depressing brutalist style, stuck in the 70s. The interior is a lot better looking though! NOTE: The limo you see when you first walk in is a replica, but I think a pretty faithful one. The third floor contains helpful information about LBJ's life and what was going on in history at the time. The animatronic life-size LBJ that "talks" at first is creepy. How is it so realistic? But after I got used to it, I was entranced. I was born long after LBJ died, so this was the closest I could get to the man, other than going to his gravesite. It felt like I was in the presence of a very important president! The fourth floor has more in-depth information, including info about landmark legislation he signed into law, plenty of artifacts from him, and the Vietnam War. It doesn't completely absolve him of responsibility for further miring the US in the conflict, and it shines at least some light on his culpability in expanding presidential power by fabricating the "intel" in the Gulf of Tonkin. The Oval Office replica was very cool to see. I wish we could've walked around it more, but I suppose that keeps muddy shoes (and hands?) off of it! Shout out to Linda, the docent who had a ton of useful info. She was so nice and knowledgeable! Extra shout out to the presidents and first ladies mini-exhibit. Did you forget about Benjamin Harrison? I almost did! Does anyone care about him? Exactly. There are tidbits about LBJ that are less-than-flattering: He would hold meetings, then need to take a #2, and then he'd bring his staff with him to the bathroom. He also liked to swim nude in mixed company. Oh, and he was very explicit about how his tailor should alter his crotch region. You won't find this info at the library, and fair enough.
-
February 2020 by Keenan Patterson
The animatronic was creepy.
-
February 2020 by Stacey T.
This was my second time visiting LBJ Library and I was Isurprised by the history of this place
-
January 2020 by Chenée T.
My surprisingly favorite part of my trip to Austin! It was my first time going to any type of Presidential library and it was so informative with little touches of personality specific to LBJ that you would never learn about in school. There were interactive phones scattered throughout with recordings of his voice with many prominent figures. The layout was so beautiful and clearly well though out. Im intrigued to go to other presidential libraries now!
