The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, opened in 1957 in Independence, Missouri, is the presidential library and museum dedicated to Harry S. Truman’s presidency (1945–1953). It is operated by the National Archives and Records Administration and serves as the burial site for Truman and his wife Bess.

Summary

The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library at 500 W. U.S. Highway 24 in Independence, Missouri. The Library:

  • Was dedicated July 6, 19571
  • Is located in Independence, MO, approximately 12 miles east of downtown Kansas City
  • Is operated by the National Archives and Records Administration2
  • Preserves Truman presidential papers and Truman-era artifacts
  • Serves as the burial site for Harry S. Truman and Bess Truman
  • Reopened July 2, 2021 after a $29 million renovation, the most extensive in its history3
  • Constitutes a primary commemorative anchor of Truman’s presidential legacy in the KC area

Background

Truman presidential legacy

Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) served as the 33rd President of the United States from April 12, 1945 (upon FDR’s death) through January 20, 1953. Key decisions and events of his presidency included:

  • The August 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
  • The 1947 Truman Doctrine to contain Soviet expansion
  • The 1948 Marshall Plan for European reconstruction
  • The 1948–1949 Berlin Airlift
  • The 1949 founding of NATO
  • The 1950–1953 Korean War
  • Executive Order 9981 (1948) desegregating the U.S. armed forces

The scale of Truman’s presidency justified the establishment of a dedicated presidential library.4

1957 Library opening

The Truman Library was the first presidential library created under the federal Presidential Libraries Act of 1955. The city of Independence donated the land. The building and Truman’s presidential papers were transferred to the federal government at a dedication ceremony on July 6, 1957, at which Chief Justice Earl Warren gave the principal address.1 The building was designed by architect Edward F. Neild; after Neild’s death in 1955 the work was completed by Alonzo H. Gentry of Gentry and Voskamp.5

1972 death and burial

Truman died on December 26, 1972, at age 88. His funeral was held in the Library auditorium and he is buried in the Library courtyard alongside his wife Bess Wallace Truman (who died in 1982).5 The burial site adds a personal commemorative dimension to the institution.

Renovations (2001, 2019–2021)

The Library was re-dedicated on December 9, 2001 following a $22.5 million renovation — at the time the most extensive undertaken at any of the nation’s presidential libraries. Funding combined $16.5 million raised by the Truman Library Institute (including $2 million from the State of Missouri) with $8 million in federal funds through NARA.6

The museum closed on July 22, 2019 for a second, larger renovation, delayed further by the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened to the public on July 2, 2021 after a $29 million transformation — the most extensive since the building opened in 1957 — financed by a capital campaign that raised $39 million against a $25 million goal.3

Programming

The Library maintains a permanent exhibition on the Truman presidency featuring artifacts, papers, photographs, and interpretive displays covering major events and decisions.

It provides archival research access to Truman’s presidential papers and administration records for scholars and the public; the Research Room remained open even while the museum galleries were closed for the 2019–2021 renovation.2 Kansas City-area repositories hold complementary Truman material.7

Educational programming includes school visits, public events, lectures, and community outreach.

Long-term significance

The Truman Library is the primary Truman commemorative anchor in the greater KC area. It preserves his presidential legacy through ongoing exhibitions, research access, and public programming. It stands as an early example of the American presidential library tradition and serves as a civic-cultural landmark in Independence alongside the Truman National Historic Site.

Sites associated with the Library

Sources

Footnotes

  1. Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum (NARA) — “History of the Truman Library & Museum.” ↩ ↩2

  2. National Archives and Records Administration — Presidential Libraries: Harry S. Truman Library and Museum ↩ ↩2

  3. Truman Library Institute — “Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum Reopens after $29 Million Transformation.” ↩ ↩2

  4. David McCullough, Truman (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992), ISBN 0-671-45654-7 ↩

  5. Wikipedia — “Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum.” ↩ ↩2

  6. National Archives, Prologue (Spring 2002) — “Updating Harry Truman’s Library.” ↩

  7. Kansas City Public Library Missouri Valley Special Collections — Truman-related archives. ↩

See also

Categories
  • Building
  • Postwar
  • Modern
  • Ksc

On the record — ks.city/wiki/buildings/harry-s-truman-presidential-library · last revised 2026-08-01