Frommer's Review
The Kennedy era springs to life at this dramatic library, museum, and educational research complex overlooking Dorchester Bay. It captures the 35th president's accomplishments and legacy in video and sound recordings and fascinating displays of memorabilia and photos. Far from being a static experience, it changes regularly, with temporary shows and reinterpreted displays that highlight and complement the permanent installations.
Your visit begins with a 17-minute film narrated by John F. Kennedy -- a detail that seems eerie for a moment, then perfectly natural. Through skillfully edited audio clips, he discusses his childhood, education, war experience, and early political career. Then you enter the museum to spend as much time as you like on each exhibit. Starting with the 1960 presidential campaign, the displays immerse you in the era. The galleries hold campaign souvenirs, film of Kennedy debating Richard Nixon and delivering his inaugural address, a replica of the Oval Office, gifts from foreign dignitaries, letters, documents, and keepsakes. There's a film about the Cuban Missile Crisis and displays on Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, the civil rights movement, the Peace Corps, the space program, and the Kennedy family. As the tour winds down, you pass through a darkened chamber where news reports of John Kennedy's assassination and funeral play. The final room, the soaring glass-enclosed pavilion that is the heart of the I. M. Pei design, affords a glorious view of the water and the Boston skyline.
Jacqueline Kennedy Entertains: The Art of the White House Dinner (scheduled to run through Mar 2008) examines the First Lady's leadership in the transformation of the White House from residence to vital national symbol. The appetite for exhibits related to Mrs. Kennedy is virtually insatiable, so this one's run may be extended; check ahead if you're visiting Boston after March 2008. Running simultaneously (scheduled to open Sept 27, 2007) is an exhibit focusing on the importance of sports for the president, his family, and his administration.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
