I visited Jimmy Carter’s presidential library. Here are 6 things that surprised me, including a ‘West Wing’ celebrity cameo.

• I visited the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta last year.
• I was surprised by the historical significance of the artifacts on display and a celebrity cameo.
• I also didn’t know that presidential libraries have stamps you can collect in a special passport.

As someone who often writes about US presidents, first families, and White House history, I’ve wanted to visit a presidential library for a while.

Not every former US president has built one — only 15 have done so since Congress established the practice with the Presidential Libraries Act in 1955. Maintained by the National Archives, the libraries preserve documents and artifacts from a president’s time in office. Some also include museums with exhibits about their administrations.

On a trip to Atlanta in 2023, I spent the afternoon at The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, which opened in 1986. The library stores millions of documents, photos, and hours of video from Carter’s time in the White House, and the museum features 15,269 square feet of exhibits about his life and presidency, according to the organization’s official website.

Carters’s presidential library and museum will continue to preserve his legacy following the former president’s death on Sunday at the age of 100.

Here’s what I found surprising during my visit.