LBJ Presidential Library Unveils New Permanent Exhibit

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The LBJ Presidential Library is unveiling a reimagined permanent exhibition that brings the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson to life through immersive storytelling, interactive technology and one of the nation’s richest presidential archives.

The newly redesigned fourth-floor exhibit spans 4,500 square feet and connects the defining moments of Johnson’s presidency to the national conversations still unfolding today. Through dynamic films, interactive displays and historic artifacts, visitors explore the political drama, policy decisions and cultural shifts that shaped the 1960s.

“LBJ left the presidency nearly 60 years ago, and yet the issues he addressed—civil rights, voting rights, economic disparity, health care accessibility, environmental preservation, immigration reform—have never been more relevant,” said Mark Updegrove, president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation. “The newly renovated exhibit illustrates the resonance of LBJ’s consequential legacy while asking the question that drove him: what can we all do to make a better America?”

LBJ Library’s extensive archival collection

Dedicated in 1971 at the University of Texas at Austin, the library was envisioned by Johnson as a place that would tell “the story of our time — with the bark off,” presenting both the achievements and tensions of the era. Today, the institution is one of 15 presidential libraries administered by the National Archives.

Behind the scenes, the experience is powered by an extensive archival collection that includes more than 45 million pages of records, 650,000 photographs, 5,000 hours of recordings and 2,000 oral histories. Visitors can step inside a full-scale Oval Office replica, listen to Johnson’s famously persuasive phone calls and explore exhibits that trace the impact of civil rights legislation, education reform, health care expansion and the Great Society.

The new installation builds on the library’s reputation as one of Austin’s most significant cultural landmarks — a place where visitors can engage directly with the history that shaped modern America. Alongside the refreshed permanent exhibit, the library will debut two temporary exhibitions exploring the stories that shape both the nation and the city of Austin.

More exhibits to explore

Opening in March, “Austin, Past & Present: Through the Lens of Jay Godwin” traces the city’s transformation from the 19th century to today through historic photography. Curated by Godwin, the library’s staff photographer and former photo editor at the Austin American-Statesman, the exhibit pairs archival images with familiar landmarks, offering visitors a new perspective on Austin’s evolving landscape.

In early April, “What We Bring to the Table: Tales of History and Home” examines American history through the lens of family, food and migration. Anchored around the symbolism of the kitchen table, the exhibition explores stories of early settlers, enslaved people, refugees, guest workers and families navigating today’s immigration system, highlighting how personal narratives intersect with public policy.

From June through August, the library will also host a rare national exhibition in partnership with the National Archives as part of “The American Experiment: Pursuing Our Promise.” The LBJ Library is the only presidential library in Texas hosting both rotations of the traveling exhibition, which features original documents spanning 250 years of American history.

The first rotation, on view from early June through mid-July, includes foundational records such as the original Brown v. Board of Education ruling, the Fourteenth Amendment and the Louisiana Purchase. A second rotation, opening in July, will feature the Statue of Liberty’s Deed of Gift, the Wright brothers’ Flying Machine patent and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Preserving history

The celebration will continue into 2027, when the library partners with the Briscoe Center for American History to present additional historical documents from Texas and U.S. history.

“As one of the nation’s leading history research centers, the Briscoe Center is excited to share some of our most treasured and significant documents related to Texas and U.S. history in these special exhibitions,” said Dr. Don Carleton, executive director of the Briscoe Center. “We are pleased to continue our longstanding partnership with the LBJ Library in celebration of our country’s 250th anniversary.”

The LBJ Library doesn’t just preserve history, but it helps people wrestle with it. The decisions made during the 1960s didn’t just shape that decade — they continue to shape the country we live in today.