A Marine One Helicopter will be on display at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum starting in 2021.
Helicopters operating under the Marine One call sign are famously used for presidential travel, often landing on the White House lawn. The current fleet of Marine One helicopters, including some over 40 years old, are set to be retired a year and a half from now. The Bush Presidential Library Foundation requested one of the first retired helicopters as an addition to the library grounds.
The helicopter will be shipped out by the Marine Corps on permanent loan to the National Archives and Records Administration, which oversees the presidential library and museum.
David Jones, Chief Executive Officer of the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation, said a new structure would be built on the library grounds to house the helicopter.
“It will be a building behind the library on our lake,” Jones said. “It will contain a restaurant in addition to the display area.”
Presidential Library Director Warren Finch said the museum always wanted a full-scale, full-service restaurant.
“It would be a destination restaurant, both when the library is open and when it is not,” Finch said.
While visitors will not be allowed inside of the helicopter, they will still be able to see it up close. The exhibit built around the aircraft will show videos of it landing on the White House lawn.
“We have a couple of videos of President Bush getting on and off the helicopter and actually dictating some notes one day on a very important issue while he was on the helicopter,” Jones said.
With the helicopter on display, the library has another way to share the 41st president’s story with visitors. Director of Marketing and Communications David Anaya said Marine One is essential to presidential travel, and to have one on display at the presidential library is a tremendous honor.
“It adds on to the exhibits we have available to our visitors to learn about the legacy of President Bush,” Anaya said.
Bush Library expansion to add helicopter display and restaurant
February 12, 2019
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