Reagan Library Secrets of WW II Exhibit: Secret Tips for A Successful Mission!

We visited the Reagan Library Secrets of WW II Exhibit this summer and loved it. Read on for our secret tips for a successful mission! The Secrets off WW II Exhibit is on now through October 9, 2022.

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What is the Secrets of WW II Exhibit?

The Secrets of WW II Exhibit is a special exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library that reveals many interesting secrets of WW II. I was a history major that studied this period of time and even *I* was shocked by some of the secrets shared during the exhibit! In fact, the exhibit literature states that “many of the facts of these amazing secrets were not made public until recently.”

The exhibit shares some interesting items such as video testimony of WW II vets, animal heroes during the war, and even a photo op you can later purchase. I don’t want to give away all that you will see, but there are some pretty interesting facts to be learned at the exhibit.

Tips for a Successful Mission!

Make the most of your mission to head out to the Reagan Library and learn all about the secrets of WWII! Below, we share our most helpful tips.

Head out Early

You’ll want to head out early to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for two reasons:

Beat the traffic.
Avoid crowds coming in later in the day.

If you live in LA, the traffic does not need to be explained 😉

In terms of crowds, there will definitely be plenty of people visiting. Most don’t want to get up early on the weekend and you will miss them by heading out right when it opens. You’re welcome!

Start at the Secrets of WW II BEFORE visiting the main museum

Hear me out on this one. Even if you have NEVER been to the Reagan Library before (as we had not that day), do yourself a favor and head to the exhibit first. Everyone else will do that, but not you! You’re going to beat the crowds and enjoy the exhibit at your leisure.

What’s the big deal? There are A LOT of standing walls with long reading snippets. You snake through these mini walls in a line. Naturally, some people will take longer to read than others. There were so many people the day we went, we couldn’t just move past them and read at our pace.

Read about the Ronald Reagan main museum in our post, Reagan Library: Is It Worth It?

Review WWII History with your group

I suggest you review WW II history with your group before heading out to the exhibit. If you are taking kids with you, they might not have studied this part of history yet. A short general history will make the trip much more enjoyable for them as the exhibit itself does not really give a summary of WWII for newbies.

If you’re wondering if kids will enjoy the exhibit, I say yes! There were cool facts about animals that were unsung heroes of the war, and even Marvel suits!

Don’t miss the second level!

There is so much packed into the top level of the exhibit that you might assume that is the entire package. Nope! Be sure to head down to the lower level to see plenty of more replicas, video, and even a photo opportunity.

Is the exhibit a separate fee from the museum?

Yes. However, if you look on their website, there is a different fee structure for visiting the museum plus exhibit, versus just the museum. General admission is $29.95 for a visit to both the museum and the exhibit. Pricing varies depending upon age and student status. You can find more details at the ticketing page or find the link in the quick facts section below.

*U.S. Active Military admission is FREE to both the museum and the exhibit!

Reagan Library Membership is worth it if…

You want to come back again for other events at the library and have access to other presidential libraries year round!

Some reasons we got the membership:

We’re heading back for the popular holiday exhibit: “An American Christmas Story”
We’ll have entry to Nixon library and all other libraries around the country.
Price is worth it because we get to visit other libraries for the cost of admission to only one.
10% discount at museum stores and food places at the library.