The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, is all set to undergo a major overhaul. The facility will be closed to the public for almost a year while the upgrades and renovation work take place. The date for the reopening has been set to coincide with the day Truman took presidential charge 75 years ago. The entire one year-long renovation will cost a hefty $25 million and will add an additional 12000 square feet of floor space to the facility which will be dedicated to a permanent exhibition on the wartime President. There will also be upgrades to the facility that will enhance the visitor experience, such as the incorporation of interactive technology, improved storytelling and a wide-ranging educational strategy.
The renovations will see the main entrance transferred to the eastern front. Here, a floor-to-ceiling glass figure and a presidential seal will be installed at the entrance. There are a number of different firms working alongside each other on this $25 million renovation project. The new design of the facility has been created by Gallagher & Associates; the architecture has been undertaken by Clark Enersen Partners, and the construction firm, JE Dunn Construction will oversee the construction work.
The facility was initially built as a library by President Truman in his hometown of Kansas in 1957 for a cost of $2 million. Prior to his death in 1972, Truman would himself give tours of the facility at times. The location in his hometown where the president spent most of his life adds more legitimacy and a certain charm to the facility. It is one of the 13 presidential libraries in the US, but it fails to attract the crowds that show up at the other presidential libraries such as the Lyndon B. Johnson, Bush, Reagan or John F. Kennedy libraries
The renovation and upgrades largely revolve around enhancing the visitor experience and increasing the scale of the small facility. To draw more visitors and to provide a one of its kind visitor experience, the facility will incorporate immersive and interactive technology such as augmented reality and virtual reality. These upgrades will go on to significantly improve the storytelling process as well as the overall visitor experience. Permanent exhibitions in the museum will also be redesigned after incorporating the latest upgrades. Moreover, as the facility acquires a larger space, historically significant artefacts from Truman’s era will be put on display as an additional attraction.
The Truman Institute in Kansas will also revamp its educational programme over the year. The educational programme will now be geared towards imparting knowledge to the young people using Truman’s legacy. They will thus be taught American history, about the American form of presidential democracy and the significance of public service. They will also increasingly employ digital channels such as media for these purposes, and there will now be an increased focus on targeted community programming.
