Museum Exhibitions

THE ANCIENT WORLD: Unlocking the Middle East 

July 15, 2024 - August 31, 2025

Over the past six years, the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, in partnership with the Richard Nixon Foundation, has been observing historically significant milestones of the Nixon Administration as part of its 50th anniversary. This year we are acknowledging the conclusion of the Yom Kippur War and President Nixon’s subsequent trip to the Middle East in 1974. To commemorate this, we will be opening a temporary exhibit, The Ancient World: Unlocking the Middle East. 

In this special exhibit, visitors will be immersed in the history of the region up to 1979. They will visit a street market in Jerusalem, walk through the courtyard of a Persian palace, and enter the tomb inside an Egyptian pyramid. Studying the ancient Middle Eastern societies of Israel, Persia, and Egypt can help to unlock the complex relationships between those nation-states in the early 20th century. Moving from the ancient to the modern, museum visitors may reflect on the beginning of Western interest in and the exploration of the region. 

The many regional conflicts of the 20th century will be explored. Visitors will see the original hotline equipment linking Washington and Moscow, which President Nixon and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev used during the tense days of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. In the  conclusion of the exhibit, museum visitors will exit through Camp David and learn about the work done during the Camp David Accords and the Arab-Israeli peace process in 1979.

Coming Soon!

AMERICA 250: A More Perfect Union

Opening November 2025

What began as a radical experiment in July 1776, the United States has since evolved from a cluster of colonies into a global force. The American spirit has proven resilient, while our nation’s character continues to be forged.
 
Celebrate America's 250th birthday at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library's inspiring new special exhibit. Through vivid displays, rare historic artifacts, and engaging interactive experiences, visitors will embark on a journey through the most transformative events in American history. 

Witness British colonists revolting during the Boston Tea Party. Experience California's Sutter's Mill at the time of the Gold Rush. Enter Thomas Edison's groundbreaking laboratory. Discover how the World Wars transformed American life and redefined the nation’s role in the world 

Be inspired by the courage, innovation, passion, and sacrifice of those who shaped our nation—and join in renewing the "Spirit of ’76" for the next 250 years as we continue the pursuit of a more perfect union.