The Great Hall

The LBJ Presidential Library has many stunning and unique features, but most notable is the Great Hall. Watch for a tour of this historic space.

THE ARCHIVES

Behind the glass windows are four stories of boxes that contain over 45 million pages of documents from President Johnson's political career as a U.S. Representative, a U.S. Senator, the Vice President, and his time as President of the United States. The LBJ Library was built as an archive to keep these documents, along with photographs, film, and audio recordings, protected for people to learn about President Johnson's time in office and the history of the United States.

THE MURAL

The 50-foot-long photo-engraving mural by artist Naomi Savage is a centerpiece of the Great Hall. In a series of five deeply etched magnesium plates, each 8 feet by 10 feet, it depicts Lyndon B. Johnson at various stages of his political career—as a Congressman with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Senator with President Harry S. Truman, Senate Majority Leader with President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Vice President with President John F. Kennedy, and then as President of the United States.

THE PRESIDENTIAL SEAL

what symbols do you see in the presidential seal?

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Eagle: The eagle represents the United States of America and the President's role as Head of State. It holds an olive branch in one talon, representing peace and the President's role as Chief Diplomat. In the other talon, arrows symbolizing wartime and the President's role as Commander in Chief.

Stars: The 50 stars around the seal represent the 50 states and the President's role as Chief Executive and leader of the nation.

Stripes: The 13 strips on the eagle's shield represent the 13 original states.

take a closer look

Join Ruth Goerger, associate curator of digital interpretation, for a virtual walk-through of "Gifts & Giveaways," a temporary exhibition on view in the LBJ Presidential Library's Great Hall.