The American Experiment

As the United States marks 250 years since its founding, the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library is joining in on the celebration. Through an ongoing series of exhibits, events, and activities, they are inviting visitors not simply to look back, but to step directly into the ongoing story of American democracy. 

The American Experiment, as they are calling it, is the Library’s current exhibit designed to explore our country’s history as a living, evolving narrative of identity, civic participation, and national debate that continues to be written today. 

Rather than presenting history as something fixed behind glass, the LBJ Library is intentionally centering dialogue between past and present, archives and audience, national milestones and individual experience. The goal is to create experiences that feel open and accessible, whether a visitor arrives as a seasoned historian or simply someone curious about how their own life fits into the broader American narrative.

“We’ll be bringing together exhibitions, public programs, conversations, educational initiatives, and community partnerships that invite visitors to think about how the American story is still being shaped today,” says Lara Hall, Head Museum Curator. “One of the things I’m most excited about is the opportunity to place original historical documents and personal stories into conversation with contemporary questions about belonging, citizenship, public service, and participation.” 

That spirit of accessibility carries through the library’s ambitious public programming lineup. Sarah McCracken, Director of Public Programs, describes a series of evening events designed to bring major thinkers and cultural voices into conversation with the public. 

“We are hosting a free series of substantive evening events exploring American history and culture,” McCracken says. “Our first will be on June 30 with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Beverly Gage and First Light Books co-founder Taylor Bruce taking a road trip across America, exploring 13 places and moments that define America’s successes and failures.” 

Later in July, the series continues with a conversation between James Beard Award-winning author Adrian Miller and Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn, examining how food, tradition, and regional identity have helped to shape the American story. 

The programming reflects a broader intention: to make history tangible, relevant, and rooted in lived experience. And for McCracken, that means designing for all ages and entry points, including families, students, lifelong learners, and first-time visitors alike. “Throughout the exhibit’s run, we will host public programming to explore the ideas, tensions, and traditions that continue to shape American life,” she says. 

Behind the Exhibit 

Few figures embody the complexity of those themes more than Lyndon B. Johnson himself. His presidency, marked by sweeping domestic reforms and deep national conflict, serves as both backdrop and guidepost for the Library’s America 250 approach. 

“The Johnson years remind us that democracy is not abstract,” Hall says. “It is deeply personal, complicated, and constantly evolving.” LBJ governed during a period of profound transformation during which time civil rights, voting access, poverty, education, immigration, and war all converged in national debate. Many of those same questions, Hall notes, continue to resonate today. 

As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday, the LBJ hopes to emphasize the central idea that democracy is not a completed project but a continuing one, which is shaped not only by presidents and policymakers but by citizens across generations. 

We want to encourage visitors to think about democracy as an ongoing experiment,” Hall says. “The story is unfinished, and every generation helps define what the country becomes next.” 

That invitation extends beyond the museum walls and into the surrounding community. In a city as dynamic and civically engaged as Austin, the goal is to make the LBJ feel like a shared civic space that fosters conversation, reflection, and participation. People can see the library not just as a place that preserves history, but as a place where meaningful conversations about democracy, culture, and community can happen. 

“I hope our neighbors in Mueller as well as the greater Austin community will make a point to stop by,” McCracken says. “We’ll have something for everyone, whether it’s history about our founding fathers, talking about barbecue and its place in our culture, or family-friendly crafts and activities that help tell the story behind the documents on view.” 

Ultimately, both curators are passionate about this programming and understand the impact it can have on the hearts and minds of Austinites. They both highlight the shared hope that visitors leave with a deeper understanding of American history not as a fixed narrative, but as a collective, ongoing process. “I hope visitors leave with a deeper sense that American history is both shared and unfinished,” Hall says. “If visitors walk away feeling more curious, more empathetic, and more invested in their role within their community and civic life, then I think we’ve done something meaningful.” 

McCracken echoes that sentiment, framing the America 250 initiative as both a commemoration and a call to action. 

“This special exhibit and related programming will show our struggle toward becoming a ‘more perfect union,’ often traveling forward, sometimes falling backward,” she says. “As we consider our past and look toward our future, we hope visitors will think about what role they might play in our American Experiment going forward.”