Jimmy Carter and his grandson, great-grandson, and wife cut the ribbon at the reopening of his library and museum.
(John Bazemore/Associated Press)
Revamped Carter Museum opens with interactive exhibits
Jimmy Carter and his grandson, great-grandson, and wife cut the ribbon at the reopening of his library and museum.
(John Bazemore/Associated Press)
ATLANTA - The Jimmy Carter Library and Museum reopened yesterday on the former president’s 85th birthday after an overhaul that devotes more space than any other presidential library to a commander in chief’s work after the White House.
Carter beamed as he spoke at the ceremony, saying, “There’s no way any of you can imagine the emotions that fill my heart and my mind in this moment.’’
About a third of the Atlanta museum explores the Georgia Democrat’s life after he was defeated by Ronald Reagan. It includes dozens of photos and videos detailing his efforts to eradicate disease, resolve conflicts, and monitor elections.
“We want to present the truth about every aspect of my past experiences in politics and so forth and particularly to let people get an insight on what a former president might do when they’re involuntarily retired from the White House four years before they anticipated,’’ Carter said in an interview.
The museum was closed in late April. The $10 million project is its first major update since it was built 23 years ago. It now has an interactive exhibit that gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of a president.
It focuses on December 11, 1978, a busy day that starts with Carter’s receiving a wake-up call at 5:30 a.m. and follows him as he grapples with the aftermath of a Middle East peace deal, the teetering regime of a US ally in Iran, and efforts to normalize relations with China.
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