The Herbert Hoover Presidential Museum and Library in West Branch opened its doors to the public in 1962 on the former president’s 88th birthday. It was last renovated in 1992, and now, is facing its biggest renovation yet. Construction began in mid-January and is expected to be complete by the summer of 2026.
People are familiar with the name Herbert Hoover, but not many know he was from Iowa. Hoover was born on Aug. 10, 1874, in the small town of West Branch to Jessie Clark Hoover and Huldah Minthorn Hoover. He was then elected president in 1928 and served through the Great Depression until 1933.
Herbert Hoover’s life story is one of loss, love, grief, and determination. Tom Schwartz has been the Hoover Museum director for over 10 years and knows the history like the back of his hand. Schwartz said a lot of people aren’t familiar with Hoover’s story and the connection with West Branch.
“People don’t believe this, but the Hoover story is just as big and powerful and as inspiring as Lincoln’s. People just don’t know it,” he said. “The Hoovers worked quietly to empower individuals to achieve the most they can with their talents and ambitions. They didn’t want people to feel indebted to them for their help.”
The Hoover Museum is a place that people visit from all over the world to honor the former president’s memory. Schwartz recalled a story from over 10 years ago, reminiscing about an elderly German couple who traveled to the town of West Branch.
“They left a note at the front desk indicating that they had left something at the grave site, and they didn’t know if it was permissible. The next day, I went up, and they left a solar-powered lamp with a note that said, ‘A little light to shine on your grave, you fed us in our time of need, and we are grateful,’ and they signed their names. Turns out they were children after World War II, and Hoover fed them,” he said, smiling at the memory.
Since the Hoover Museum hasn’t been renovated since 1992, there is a lot of new information that is not present in the exhibits. This is a big motivator for the renovations as well as updating the museum’s technology. Schwartz is avid about these coming updates.
“In 1992, they did not use immersive exhibits,” he said. “In the old exhibit, it shows Hoover sitting in front of a mine that he oversaw, while the new exhibit will recreate that mine that visitors will be able to walk through.”
Schwartz said these immersive exhibits will increase traffic across varying age ranges.
“The sensory experience makes it more memorable not only for adults but especially for kids. Growing up, when I went to the museum, the rule was ‘do not touch.’ Everything was in a glass case or behind a barrier. Museums today are much more inviting because when you can create immersive experiences, it allows the visitor to have that interaction,” he said.
The Hoover Presidential Library and Museum partnered with BRC Imagination Arts, a design firm in Glendale, California, to bring their ideas to life. BRC not only designs and develops immersive exhibits but is also able to install them. Matthew Solari, vice president of Creative and Story at BRC, explained how they plan to work with the Hoover Museum to bring the story into the modern era.
“We want to transform the audience,” Solari said. “Inspiring them [visitors] to take the flame of service and leadership that the Hoovers amplified and try to apply it in their lives, either in a personal or public way.”
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The majority of these new exhibits are currently in design detail, getting final approval before the production phase begins. This next phase is expected to start around June of this year and is mainly collaborative. Exhibit construction, technology procurement, specialty items, and production media are all parts of the next stage and are expected to last anywhere from nine months to a year. Solari explains the timeline of these renovations and the different stages the museum is currently in.
Solari said about four to six months before opening is when employees start to appear on site and work with contractors to integrate their work into the physical world. Around three months before opening is what is called “dust-free,” when the bulk of the construction is done.
“This is when we can start bringing in the artifacts and the technology, completing those final details. After this is when we will do the soft opening, then the grand opening, and that will take you to opening day,” Solari said.
The Hoover Presidential Foundation, also located in West Branch, is responsible for raising the funds for this project. The foundation recognized the outdated exhibits and began fundraising in 2021. They were able to raise a total of 20.3 million dollars for the renovations. Mundi McCarty, president and CEO of the Hoover Foundation, said she’s looking forward to all the new changes in the museum.
“The expectations of museums are higher than they used to be,” she said. “What we will be doing is implementing more interactivity and opportunities for engaging. The museum might be a little bit stagnant, but the Hoover story is still amazing. It resonates with people…We just want to bring it into modern times and expectations for visitors.”
These exhibits are not the only thing being changed. The museum lobby will be expanded by 2,200 feet, allowing the gift shop and admissions to be moved to the front. The old gift shop space will be renovated into another gallery for the Hoovers.
A flex space is also being added, meant for school groups and students, giving visiting students a chance to be split up into more groups and allowing them to see the museum as well as the historic grounds surrounding it.
Every year, the museum gets around 10,000 to 15,000 visiting students and teachers.
While these renovations are just beginning, the museum will continue to share the stories of Lou and Herbert Hoover. The research room will continue to be open by appointment, and educational programming will continue. The Hoover National Historic Website will be active throughout the renovations.