Located at U.S. Highway 24 and Delaware Street in Independence, just east of Downtown Kansas City, the museum underwent extensive renovation. More than $10 million was spent on structural renovations and over the next five years, an additional $12.5 million will be spent on new exhibits. It is the first major renovation for the museum.

Renovations included removing old exhibits, gutting some interior areas and creating space for interactive exhibits. The renovations are scheduled to be completed in three phases.

The first phase includes the remodeled auditorium, new exhibits and an expanded gift shop. A replica of President Truman's Oval office is also on display. Visitors may also visit the gravesite of Truman and his wife, Bess, who are buried in a center courtyard.

Two touring exhibits will also be on display as part of the reopening celebration. One is "Portraits of the Presidents" from the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery. The other is "Mount Vernon in Miniature." National speakers will be on hand this summer for the museum's grand rededication.

Phase Two of the renovations will be completed by fall. These rehab projects will include two "decision theatres," including The White House Decision Center. In one room, visitors will experience the reenactment of the dropping of the atomic bomb.

Next summer, Phase Three will open. Called "The Life and Times of Harry Truman," this area will showcase artifacts such as Truman's Medicare card, which was the first one issued, a limousine and a United Nations table.

Instant Insights /

Truman Presidential Museum & Library Reopens After $10-Mil Renovation

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