Mother's Day
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Free Museum admission for mothers

The Truman Library, in partnership with the Harry S. Truman Little White House in Key West, Florida, presents the 6th annual Harry S. Truman Legacy Symposium. The 2008 symposium takes on the timely topic of immigration and features presentations by Harry Truman's eldest grandson, Clifton Truman Daniel; National Archives staff; former Truman aides; and others. Learn more.

Lincoln: The Constitution & The Civil War
Exhibition Opening
May 16 - Sept. 14, 2008
Neither a traditional biography of Lincoln nor a conventional exhibit on the Civil War, Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War explores how Lincoln met the enormous challenges of the Civil War and why his very human struggle still matters to us today. From families with young children to Civil War buffs and history scholars, everyone will find something engaging in Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War.

The Truman Library is currently embarked on a project to preserve the office of former President Harry Truman and to improve the interpretive experience for the Library's museum visitors. The former President worked in this office from 1957 until 1966, meeting visiting dignitaries, handling correspondence, and directing many of the activities of the Truman Library. Learn about the three-step process to protect and preserve Truman's office and his legacy.

This program is included with Museum admission. Please arrive early; seats are not guaranteed, are limited by capacity, and are first-come, first-served.

One of several programs offered by the City of Independence to honor National Historic Preservation Month.

Free Civil War Film Series
Glory (1989)
7 p.m., Thursday, May 29, 2008
Missouri Auditorium, Truman Library

The second in a five-part film series complementing the temporary exhibition Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War. Glory, the Academy Award-winning Civil War drama, tells the story of Colonel Robert G. Shaw (Matthew Broderick), an officer in the Federal Army who volunteered to lead the first company of black soldiers. Shaw was forced to deal with the prejudices of both the enemy (who had orders to kill commanding officers of blacks), and of his own fellow officers. MPAA Rating: R; 122 minutes. Museum volunteers will serve popcorn and beverages; admission is free.

Join us as we mark the 60th anniversary of United Nations peacekeeping operations and pay tribute to U.N. peacekeepers who gave their lives in the line of duty. This public program features presentations by General Anis A. Bajwa, U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations, and Lt. Colonel Graeme Finney, who received a commendation for distinguished service for his peacekeeping service in East Timor.

Following the program, a wreath laying ceremony in honor of fallen peacekeepers will be held at the U.N. Peace Plaza, located near the Truman Library.

This program is co-presented by the Greater Kansas City United Nations Association and is included with regular Museum admission. Learn more.

This program is included with Museum admission. Copies of Jon Taylor’s book are available in the Museum Store. The program and book signing are included with Museum admission.

Free Civil War Film Series
The General (1927)
7 p.m., Thursday, June 5, 2008
Missouri Auditorium, Truman Library

The third in a five-part film series complementing the temporary exhibition Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War. The General is an imaginative masterpiece of dead-pan Buster Keaton comedy, generally regarded as one of the greatest of all silent comedies (and Keaton's own favorite). MPAA Rating: NR; 105 minutes.
Museum volunteers will serve popcorn and beverages; admission is free.

Free Civil War Film Series
Shenandoah (1965)
7 p.m., Thursday, June 12, 2008
Missouri Auditorium, Truman Library

The fourth in a five-part film series complementing the temporary exhibition Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War. Charlie Anderson (Jimmy Stewart) is a Shenandoah, Virginia farmer who finds himself in the middle of the Civil War. At first convinced this is not "his" war, Anderson is forced to respond when his youngest boy is taken prisoner by the North. MPAA Rating: NR; 106 minutes. Museum volunteers will serve popcorn and beverages; admission is free.

Father's Day
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Free Museum admission for fathers

Free Civil War Film Series
Ride with the Devil (1999)
7 p.m., Thursday, June 19, 2008
Missouri Auditorium, Truman Library

The final screening in a five-part film series complementing the temporary exhibition Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War. Starring Tobey Maguire and Jewel, and directed by Ang Lee, Ride with the Devil deftly depicts ordinary lives ambushed by history. Set and filmed along the Missouri-Kansas border, the familiar scenes of battlefields and plantation houses are absent in this telling. Instead, we see the war as an "improvised and largely blundering but very bloody feud among neighbors in the border state of Missouri." MPAA Rating: R; 138 minutes. Museum volunteers will serve popcorn and beverages; admission is free.

Fourth of July Weekend
Friday & Saturday, July 4-5, 2008
Harry S. Truman Library and Museum

Celebrate Independence Day at the Truman Library. Weekend events held in conjunction with the temporary exhibition Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War include $5 Museum admission on Friday, July 4 (you show us your Lincoln, we’ll show you ours!), and on July 5, 1860s “Make & Take” crafts, led by authentic re-enactors from Missouri Town. Bookmark this page to watch for further details.

Don't miss the inspiring story of the Cold War pilot who became affectionately known around the world as the Candy Bomber. To mark the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift, Candy Bomber Gail Halvorsen will make a special appearance at the Truman Library to share his personal stories of a chapter from Cold War history that will melt your heart.

Halvorsen became famous during the Berlin Airlift for dropping candy to the children of the besieged city using miniature parachutes. His personal mission brought him international fame and became an unofficial part of U.S. policy, as he received thousands of pounds of candy and other donations from home. Read a CNN interview with Halvorsen.

Seating for this program is limited, and reservations are strongly encouraged. General admission tickets are available for $8 (children under 16, $3) by calling (816) 268-8221; price includes Museum admission and entry to all exhibition galleries. Copies of both Halvorson's and Miller's books are available in the Museum Store and may be purchased at a discount when ordered in advance at the number above.

The Truman Library is throwing an 84th birthday bash for legendary pianist Roger Williams, and he's providing the entertainment! Known as the "Pianist to the Presidents," Williams has played for nine Chief Executives, beginning with Harry Truman. Still performing across the country, Williams has recorded 118 albums, 18 of them gold and platinum. With hits like "Born Free" and "The Impossible Dream," Roger Williams is Billboard Magazine's top charting piano recording artist in history. The 12-hour music marathon is designed to raise public awareness for the importance of music programs in schools.
Roger Williams' piano marathon is free and open to the public; regular admission rates apply for Museum visitors. Birthday cake will be served beginning at noon, and while it lasts.

Memories of World War II
Exhibition Opening
Nov. 11, 2008 - Jan. 11, 2009
Nearly 200 reporters and photographers fanned out around the globe to cover World War II for The Associated Press, the world's largest news service. Five lost their lives. Seven others won Pulitzer Prizes, including Joe Rosenthal, who clambered up Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi to take the flag-raising photo that became the emblem of American victory and one of the most famous photos of all time. This exhibition is a spectrum of over 100 photos from all theaters of the war and the home front, culled from tens of thousands of pictures in The AP Archives, including material from AP photo files in Europe and Asia that have not been seen since the war. This traveling exhibition, originally organized by the Smithsonian Institution, will open at the Truman Library on Veterans Day 2008.