Typically, every visitor’s last stop at the Museum is the full-size replica of the Oval Office. Clinton Center guests now have the opportunity to experience the Oval Office exhibit from inside the room. Previously, the exhibit was accessible for viewing only through the office’s two doors and large windows; the “opening” creates a more interactive experience for guests who, at no additional charge, can tour the inside of the Center’s full-scale reconstruction. Additionally, a professional photographer is on-site to capture keepsake photos, which are available for purchase.
As for almost everyone who steps foot in it, being in the Oval Office always gave Bill Clinton a feeling of standing on democracy’s hallowed ground. For many of us this replica is as close as we will ever get to the Oval Office. For that reason, Bill Clinton wanted each and every visitor to this Center to feel the majesty and the mystique of this cornerstone of our republic. Flooded with natural light, this replica, like its true-life counterpart, never fails to suggest the sense of possibility, optimism, and determination to make tomorrow better than today that are the enduring hallmarks of America’s 42nd president.
The modern-day Oval Office was created in 1909, when President William Howard Taft expanded the West Wing. In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had the room moved to its current location in the southeast corner of the West Wing.
Since then, every President has regarded the Oval Office as both a ceremonial room and a working office. President Clinton used the Oval Office as a place to conduct the daily business of the nation, sign legislation, meet with foreign heads of state, and deliver important addresses to the American people. While he also maintained a working office in the Residence, President Clinton preferred to work in the Oval Office, often late into the night and on weekends.
