One of the premiere destinations in Bryan-College Station that needs to be on everyone’s “must see” list is the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. Located on a beautiful 90-acre site at the southwest corner of the Texas A&M University campus, the facility receives thousands of visitors every year. It was dedicated on November 6, 1997, making 2022 its Silver Anniversary.
The museum’s excellent permanent exhibit underwent a complete renovation in 2007 and several major new additions are planned, including one that’s currently underway. A pavilion is under construction to permanently display a train engine gifted by Union Pacific Railroad to the Bush Library. In 2005 the diesel locomotive was painted like Air Force One and designated with the engine number 4141. In December 2018 the engine led the funeral train to College Station that brought the former president here to be laid to rest next to his late wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush. The serene family burial plot is tucked away beyond the gorgeous Barbara Bush Rose Garden and Presidential Pond, down a winding path back in the woods.
The pavilion for the engine 4141 is slated for an opening in 2024. There are also plans for a new building housing a restaurant and one of the retired Marine One helicopters that served Bush as 41st President of the United States. It will be located near the pond between the existing museum building and the Bush School. Visitors to this area today can view a gorgeous monument featuring bronze horses leaping over actual broken sections of the Berlin Wall. The permanent exhibits are excellent, including a restored 1944 TBM Avenger aircraft, the same type of aircraft that Bush flew when he was a Navy pilot in WWII. There’s also a presidential limousine, Bush’s beloved speedboat Fidelity and a section dedicated solely to the life of Barbara Bush. There’s even an Oval Office exhibit where patrons can get a photo sitting behind a replica of the former president’s desk. You really must go see this national treasure the next time you’re in College Station!
Kendra Hudson
Cell: (979) 218-3905
Email: [email protected]
