JFK Presidential Library

This morning we drove back towards Boston to visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum on the grounds of the University of Massachusetts. It was overcast when we arrived so I decided to wait until we came out to take a picture of the exterior. when we came out it was foggy, so this is the best I could do.







It is a striking building, designed by I M Pei, and the exhibits are well-done (to my way of thinking). It contains 2 movie theaters, one that screens a 20 minute introduction to JFK, and one that deals with the 1963 Soviet missile crisis. Almost every exhibit area had a video screen showing news footage from the time. I enjoyed the special exhibit on Jackie and the art of entertaining in the White House. They displayed some of her evening dresses alongside the photos of her wearing them, along with copies of seating charts (all hand-lettered), her notes to her secretary about dinner details, menus, china, etc. I couldn't linger in the last exhibit about his assassination. I was too close to tears. What would our country be like today if he hadn't been killed?

We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the exhibits, but his favorite sailing boat is displayed outside. You can get a feel for how foggy it is. You should be able to see the river and Boston beyond the boat. Instead it looks like a wall of the museum. It's fog.

These steps lead from the front of the museum to the river.