New ‘Reagan’ movie museum planned for president’s hometown

FIRST ON FOX — Young America’s Foundation is partnering with the "Reagan" movie to showcase some of the sets and props from the biopic.

The materials from the movie about President Ronald Reagan’s life will become permanent exhibits at the new museum in Dixon, Ill., complementing YAF’s stewardship of Reagan’s boyhood home in Dixon and the historic Reagan Ranch , also known as "Rancho del Cielo," in Santa Barbara, California.

The collection includes a full-scale replica of the Oval Office, the Situation Room, the office of the Soviet leader and the wall of the Hilton Hotel where Reagan was shot, along with hundreds of artifacts from the film.

It is expected to open in 2028.

YAF President and former Wisconsin Gov.

Scott Walker said it’s been meaningful to bring students and families to Dixon over the years to learn about President Reagan and said the movie museum will help guests discover even more about the beloved actor-turned-president.

NEW DIRECTOR'S CUT OF 2024 ‘REAGAN’ BIOPIC WILL RETURN TO THEATERS FOR AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY "There’s a great series of stories about what he learned in the Midwest and how that impacted the rest of his public life," Walker told Fox News Digital .

"And our hope now is with the connection with the ‘Reagan’ movie, we helped them film a number of the things, particularly at the ranch, created this bond, and then after the movie was done, I thought how cool would it be to connect [with] things like the Oval Office, and have students and families and other guests come in and have a chance not only to take a picture and see what it was like, but then ask questions about, ‘What did he learn here in the Midwest, what impact, what influences, what books, what life experiences shaped not just him becoming President of the United States, but one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century in the entire world?" "Bringing down communism, bringing patriotism back to America, and revitalizing our economy," Walker added of Reagan.

"So those will be a part of, taking not just the sets, but then tying them in with virtual and photographic and video images of President Reagan so that young people in the end will feel a connection to Ronald Reagan, but more importantly to his ideas." "Young America’s Foundation has done extraordinary work preserving Ronald Reagan’s physical legacy," "Reagan" producer Mark Joseph said in a press release.

"By bringing these artifacts from our film to them, we are ensuring that visitors to Dixon can experience the story of Reagan’s humble beginnings.

We hope this museum will be a place where fans of the movie can gather and enjoy the sets that our team worked so hard to build." When Dixon hosted its own premiere of "Reagan" in 2024, it seemed like nearly the entire town had turned out to celebrate.