Clinton Library Attendance Disappointing

NewsMax ^ | 1/18/05

[NRA1995]

When it opened two months ago, Bill Clinton's presidential library was supposed to draw so many visitors that the city of Little Rock would become a tourist mecca.

However early reports claiming that over 100,000 had visited in just the first six weeks have turned out to be bogus.

The National Archives and Records Administration, which operates the facility, tells U.S. News & World Report that only 42,054 paid to enter. The rest were guests of the former president and freebies to VIPs. Despite wall-to-wall television coverage of its opening, and a deluge of favorable press, attendance figures for the $162 million compound are even less than the attendance at the Reagan and Bush 41 libraries immediately after they opened.

"I thought it would be better," a disappointed Clinton told the magazine.

[Gritty]

Please post the pics when you get a chance.

[mewzilla]

The local media blew it, too. Pity.

[cloud8]

Yes, thanks for the report. Any pix?

If I make it to one Presidential library, it will be President Reagan's. Where attendance is up...

"The Reagan library has not needed any intense marketing efforts this summer. More than 110,000 visitors have poured into the mission-style complex northwest of Los Angeles since the facility reopened on June 14 after a weeklong memorial to the late president.

That is more than half the attendance that the most popular library -- Lyndon Johnson's in Texas -- sees in an entire year. The Reagan library, which had seen a 31 percent drop in visitors until the former president's death, expects to log an unprecedented 400,000 visitors by the end of the year." (SF Examiner http://www.examiner.com/article/index.cfm/i/081904b_libraries)

[Coldwater Creek]

I told you that it would be tacky!!!!!

[YoungBlackRepublican]

"An old couch on the porch and an old pickup on cinder blocks completes the picture!!! And don't forget the astroturf in the truck bed."
ROFLMAO!! Astroturf...ha..These are the kinda images I see when I think about the Clinton Library.......

[GOP_Proud]

< You just can't getthat many people into a double-wide....
>

Nope...it may be built bigger, but it certainy looks like a single wide. A double wide is much more upscale.

I live in a single wide (16x80) and, trust me, even it beats the heck outta that monstosity.

[Peach]

Did you see my #40? The attendance at Clinton's library is well below Reagan's and Bush's libraries when they opened.

[Major_Risktaker]

You just can't get that many people into a double-wide....

If I'm not mistaken, its a single wide. Looks like it anyway.

Oh its a double-wide alright, if not Hillery couldn't get around in it.

Please No Pictures.

[aShepard]

....The National Archives and Records Administration, which operates the facility,.....

The gift that just keeps on giving!

?????I wonder what percent of the attendance gate our government gets to operate presidential libraries????

I wonder that if the facility operates at a loss, who picks up the tab, or who has the authority to shut it down for lack of interest??

[TheSpottedOwl]

Oh now that REALLY is disgusting! Why couldn't they have done necessary restoration to that building, instead of building the ugliest single-wide in America?

An African American historical site, demolished by our first black president....

[dfwgator]

However early reports claiming that over 100,000 had visited in just the first six weeks have turned out to be bogus.

Must be that Calypso Louis "Million Man" math again.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Hey, that looks a heck of a lot better than that trailer they threw together. Better stuff inside too ;-)

[newfrpr04]

How many times did they have the guard turn the counter meter as you enter to reach the magic 100,000 visitor

[spectre]

The Architect who designed it is from New York. Can't really blame Arkansas for that eyesore.

They held a ceremony honoring the "estimated" 100,000th visitor and lavished the female High School Principal with a gift basket, etc..

It is appropriately called the Clinton LIEbrary. sw

[Prince Charles]

They could gin up the attendance by opening a display featuring the stained blue dress and the wet cigar.

[spectre]

When the bogus 100,000 figure was celebrated, they said that it was only an "estimate" since they didn't have an official counting system in place. I kid you not.

sw

[dead]

The peep shows suck. They need new material.

I’ve heard that they also neglect to clean the booths between “visitors.”

[bmwcyle]

The trouble is the sign on the front. Since there is no "Ws" on the keyboards, the sign reads, "Velcome".

[Fresh Wind]

I'll wait to visit him when the bury the Slug in Arlington. I will leave with a sense of fullfullment after I "water the flowers" on his grave.

It's little things like this that give you incentive to stay healthy and take care of yourself so that you are sure to outlive the bastard. You might have to wait in line, though, when the day comes to deliver your tribute!

[highimpact]

So ED (while they're talking, scenes from the trailer/library are being shown) says she has one of the inauguration plates they just showed, then defends the low attendance that is much less than the rates after the opening of the Reagan and Bush 41 libraries, as "harder to get to".

The population of Little Rock is right around 200,000. One would think a Presidential Library for a home-state president would be of interest to the people who live in Arkansas! But according to ED, Little Rock'ians are too stupid and/or lost to find their way to the giant single-wide in the sky. Only 42,000 visitors from a city of nearly 200K...how pathetic is that!?