The White House Situation Room
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy determined that future presidents would need a dedicated crisis management center and ordered the construction of a secure communications site. This became the first White House Situation Room.
The historic room pictured above and below was used by nine sitting United States Presidents including Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush to make decisions that still affect us today. In 2006, the Situation Room complex was removed and two of the key rooms - the Main Conference Room and the Secure Video Transmission Site - were preserved and reinstalled at the George W. Bush and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Libraries.
The Situation Room Experience
The Situation Room installations at the Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush Libraries now offer an exceptional educational opportunity for participants who must work together in this high stakes environment to examine a multitude of critical sources and make important decisions about developing events. Participants form teams who manage, report on, or legislate during fast-paced crisis simulations.
This award-winning 21st century educational experience is aligned with national and state standards for high school.
Locations
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California (just about one hour from Los Angeles), offers Constitutional Crisis and Washington’s Cabinet simulations to students, corporations and other interested organizations.
Mt. Vernon’s Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, located in metropolitan Washington, D.C. is home to the “George Washington’s Cabinet” scenario, which is offered to students, corporations and other interested organizations.