It’s a huge week at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum as they prepare to host a “Mega History Weekend.”

Dr. Jim Ginther, Eisenhower Library Supervisory Archivist joined in on the KSAL Morning News Extra with a look ahead at the events planned in Abilene.

The exhibit “Opening the Vault at the Presidential Libraries” celebrating America’s Semiquincentennial opens on Tuesday, June 2nd and runs through Sunday, July 5th, in the museum’s special gallery. This limited-time engagement brings national history directly to Kansas. Admission to the exhibition is included with standard museum entry.

“Opening the Vault” features original, history-making documents, directly curated from the secure vaults of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). These iconic records, rarely displayed outside of Washington, DC, offer visitors a unique opportunity to engage with the documents that have profoundly shaped our nation, including:

Louisiana Purchase
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Treaty of Paris
Brown v. Board of Education
Korean War Armistice Agreement

The on-air visit also provided a chance for Dr. Ginther to look back in time and expand on an iconic photo taken on the eve of the D-Day invasion.

According to Dr. Ginther what appears to be a pep talk about the mission – may have centered more on catching fish.

Coinciding with the opening weekend of the “Opening the Vault” exhibit is the Symphony at Sunset D-Day Commemoration Concert on June 6th, marking the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. In addition to the D-Day concert activities, the museum is offering complimentary admission and extended hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is the final year of the concert series since its inception in 2012.

The 2026 programming season is dedicated to celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. Throughout the year staff will showcase President Eisenhower’s top accomplishments in the continual pursuit of a more perfect Union.