The wait is over! Our reimagined permanent exhibit is now open. Learn more here and be among the first to experience it.
February 2026
Every day now, the 4th floor is alive with activity. Electricians, painters, fabricators, installers, and media teams are all working together, sometimes literally side by side, to bring the new exhibit spaces to life. It’s not unusual to see four or five different crews here at once, each focused on a different piece of the larger puzzle. What might look like chaos at first glance is actually a carefully choreographed effort to transform the exhibit space. Cases are being set into place. Lighting is going in overhead, one fixture at a time, each one carefully aimed to ensure the objects and stories will shine. Around every corner, something new has taken shape since the day before. Every cable run, every panel installed, every final adjustment brings us one step closer to welcoming visitors back into a renewed and reimagined museum experience.
January 2026
We are officially at one of our favorite moments in the Exhibit Refresh process! We are seeing ideas turn into reality. This week, our fabricators are on site and have begun installing some of the larger graphic elements throughout the galleries. Watching these pieces go up on the walls has been incredibly energizing for the team.
For the first time, we’re getting a true sense of how the design, interpretation, and space will come together as a cohesive experience. After months of planning, writing, and refining, seeing these elements take physical shape is both exciting and motivating. And it makes us even more eager to share the finished exhibit with you.
December 2025
Behind the construction walls, the refresh has entered a phase that may be less dramatic to see, but is deeply important to the experience we’re building. This is the moment when plans slow just enough to be deliberate. Work in the space continues, with carpet being laid and construction wrapping up ahead of the installation of exhibit elements.
As we prepare these spaces for what comes next, our focus remains on stewardship and clarity. We’re actively working with our volunteers to ensure they feel comfortable and confident in the space before it opens to the public, while also finalizing objects and preparing them for installation.
November 2025
November was a big month behind the construction walls of our museum refresh, and we’re finally seeing the new spaces take shape. Seven of our ten galleries now have brand-new sheetrock (we’ve never been so excited about walls!), electrical work is underway, and our AV plans are locked and ready to bring the stories of the LBJ era to life. All major structural changes are complete, and if you look closely, you might even spot the small metal clips in the wall framework—early hints of the new exhibit features on the way. It’s starting to feel less like a construction site and more like the vibrant, reimagined museum experience we can’t wait to share!
October 2025
In October, the permanent exhibit officially closed to the public as we began the much-anticipated refresh. Museum staff removed and stored each artifact, ensuring pieces were safely handled and documented for reinstallation. Once the construction crew arrived, demolition began in earnest. They carefully protected the elements that will remain (most notably the Context of the Times area) before pulling up carpet and dismantling major graphic structures. And while the team has been working hard, they’ve found steady entertainment in the Civil Rights film looping nearby, now a familiar soundtrack to the transformation underway.
Vision
The LBJ Presidential Library is renewing its permanent exhibition to bring history, civics, and public service to life for a new generation. The redesigned experience will deepen engagement with LBJ’s presidency, offering a more comprehensive and interactive look at his leadership, legislation, and the civic movements that shaped his era. By connecting the past to present-day issues, the exhibition will make history relevant and inspire visitors to reflect on the responsibilities of democracy. It will also enhance educational offerings with new multimedia features and resources aligned with national and Texas learning standards.
