News Release

Hanger Visitor Center Closed in Preparation for Upcoming Rehabilitation Project

While the Hangar (in background) is closed,  visitors can continue to enjoy viewing the JetStar and the Texas White House grounds until construction begins.

NPS Photo/Cynthia Dorminey

News Release Date: July 14, 2023

Contact: Cynthia Dorminey, 830-868-7128

STONEWALL, TEXAS – The Hanger Visitor Center at Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park has closed in preparation for the construction phase of the Texas White House Rehabilitation Project funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund. The driving tour of the LBJ Ranch and other points of interest remain open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and rangers will be at the ranch to provide visitor information.

Park staff will spend the next several months dismantling, removing, and storing exhibits, furniture, and other fixtures from the building in preparation for the rehabilitation of the Hanger Visitor Center. Built in 1959 to store aircraft and ranch supplies, the hangar later served as a location for press conferences during Johnson’s presidency. It has served as the National Park Service visitor center on the LBJ Ranch since 2008. The project will correct the hangar’s structural issues and repair critical components of the aging building and adjoining carport. The hangar will remain closed for the duration of the Texas White House Rehabilitation Project with an anticipated reopening in 2025.

No formal programs are being offered at the Texas White House Complex. However, until construction begins in the fall, park visitors are welcome to walk the grounds and step inside the Lockheed JetStar once used by President Johnson. Temporary restrooms (but no drinking water) will be available at the hangar; before starting the 7-mile loop drive around the ranch, visitors may wish to use the restrooms and water fountains at the reconstructed birthplace just inside the LBJ Ranch entrance gate. Restrooms and water are also available at the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site on the opposite side of the Pedernales River across from the LBJ Ranch. 

While the Hangar Visitor Center is closed, Western National Parks Association has moved the park's bookstore into the National Park Service Visitor Center in Johnson City. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the visitor center features exhibits and movies about President and Mrs. Johnson and is the meeting point for tours of President Johnson’s Boyhood Home. 

The architectural and engineering firm is scheduled to complete the project's design by the end of July. Once the design is finalized, the park anticipates awarding a construction contract by the end of September. 

GAOA and other construction funding sources are part of a concerted effort to address the extensive deferred maintenance and repair backlog in national parks. Supported by revenue from energy development, GAOA’s National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund provides National Park Service with up to $1.3 billion per year for five years to make significant enhancements in national parks to ensure their preservation and provide opportunities for recreation, education, and enjoyment for current and future visitors.