For most Simi Valley households, the better day to see Princess Diana's dresses at the Reagan Library is Saturday, Nov. 14, a week after they arrive, and the reason is on the ticket.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library at 40 Presidential Drive has two special exhibitions opening seven days apart. "Diana: Love Life Legacy, A Life of Giving" opens Saturday, Nov. 7, and runs through May 31, 2027. "An American Christmas" follows on Saturday, Nov. 14, and stays up through Jan. 3, 2027. These two dates set the shape of the month, and nearly everything else on the local calendar falls around them.
A World Premiere Opens First, a Few Miles From Home
The Diana show is opening in Simi Valley before anywhere else. The Reagan Foundation calls the Library the exhibition's first stop anywhere in the world, with more than 700 original artifacts covering her whole life. The Ventura County Star reported the world premiere when it was announced in September, and Artsy singled out two gowns, the "Travolta" dress and the "Final Goodbye" dress.
The Foundation's list of featured pieces includes:
- The "Travolta" dress, on loan from Historic Royal Palaces
- The "Final Goodbye" dress by Jacques Azagury, which the Foundation says was the last gown she tried on and is being shown publicly for the first time
- The "Black Sheep" sweater and the "Caring" dress she wore while visiting hospitalized children
- Her wedding slippers and the official program from the royal wedding
- The invitation to the 1985 White House State Dinner
Only the Simi Valley stop adds a section from the Reagans' own archive. It pairs Diana's pieces with dresses and personal items belonging to Nancy Reagan to tell the story of the U.S.–U.K. relationship. When the tour moves on, that pairing stays behind.
One Admission Covers Both Exhibits Once the Trees Go Up
The Library's ticket system shows the change plainly. Visits through Nov. 6 are sold as regular museum admission. Starting Nov. 7, the ticket period is labeled "Diana: Love Life Legacy Exhibition + Regular Museum Admission." Checkout also includes a "Day & Time" step, so buying online before you go is the easier route.
A week later the Christmas exhibit opens under that same admission. The Library's page for An American Christmas puts it directly:
"Admission prices to the Reagan Library include entry into both the Princess Diana and An American Christmas special exhibitions."
That line, from the An American Christmas exhibit page, is why the second Saturday wins. Go on Nov. 7 and your ticket gets you Diana and the permanent galleries. Go any day from Nov. 14 on and the same kind of ticket also covers 26 decorated trees, one for each decade of American history from 1770 to 2020 and beyond, plus a display of hand-crafted menorahs given to President Reagan while he was in office. One tree is a Gold Star Family Memorial Tree, and the front desk can explain how to add a loved one's name. Another, "Totally '80s," covers the Reagan years and the decade's pop culture.
The Plan Your Visit page lists general admission at $16, seniors 62 and older at $13, youth 11 to 17 at $9, children 3 to 10 at $6, and children 2 and under free. Because Diana is sold as its own ticket period, check the Library's ticket site for the rate on the day you pick. The Library is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Foundation Membership Covers Less Than You Might Expect
Reagan Foundation membership covers less this season than the free-entry benefit suggests. Members and their guests get in free, but the Plan Your Visit page says an additional fee is required for any special temporary exhibit. Both Diana and the trees are special exhibits, so members should expect to pay at least that extra fee. The page doesn't give the amount, so ask the front desk or check when you book.
Military visitors have it simpler. Active-duty service members with ID get in free, need no online reservation, and can walk up for museum entry that includes special exhibits. Veterans with valid military ID get $3 off when buying in person.
Nov. 11 Falls Between the Two Openings, and Veterans Get In Free
Veterans Day lands on Wednesday, Nov. 11, after Diana opens and before the trees go up. The Library's Veterans Day Commemoration starts with a flyover over the South Lawn at 10:30 a.m., weather permitting. The program begins at 11 a.m., and a documentary screening, Atomic Echoes, follows at 1 p.m. Musical performers include Santa Susana High School, the Royal High School Wind Ensemble, Project Peace by Piece Ensemble, and Note 4 Notes Chamber Ensemble. The grounds also host a Civil War encampment and a military vehicle display.
The outdoor events and the program are free, and reservations are recommended for the program. Museum admission still applies for Diana, but veterans with valid ID get free museum entry on Nov. 11. For a veteran in the family, that Wednesday may be the best day of the month to see Diana, even before the trees arrive.
Lunch on the Hill, and the Pub Reopens on Diana's Opening Day
Diana's opening day is also the day the Ronald Reagan Pub reopens. The Pub is an actual pub from Ballyporeen, Ireland, Reagan's ancestral home, which he visited in the early 1980s. It was taken apart and shipped to the U.S. in 2004, and it now sits on the first floor of the Air Force One Pavilion beneath the plane. It has been closed on weekends since Sept. 19 and reopens Nov. 7, open Saturdays and Sundays only. You need museum admission to visit it.
The Library's bistro works differently. The dining page says you can eat at The Gipper's Bar + Bistro without a ticket to the exhibits. It's open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and the grill serves from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays and until 2:30 p.m. on weekends. It doesn't take reservations. The kitchen closes two hours before the galleries do, so on a weekend visit, a late-morning start leaves time for lunch at the grill before an afternoon in the exhibits.
Parking is free, and if the visitor lot fills, the National Archives' visitor information page says a complimentary shuttle runs from Presidential Drive.
The Rest of November Builds Out From Nov. 14
The holiday season in Simi Valley begins on the same Saturday the trees open. Santa Town at Simi Valley Town Center starts photos with Santa that weekend, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 14 and 3 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 15, and reservations are required. Town Center's Tree Lighting Celebration had no date or time yet in Visit Simi Valley's holiday roundup, published Oct. 16.
From there, the month fills in like this:
- Thursday, Nov. 19, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. "From Grass to Garden: Turf Removal Fundamentals," a city class at the Simi Valley Public Library, 2969 Tapo Canyon Road. Walk-ins are welcome.
- Monday, Nov. 23, 3 to 7 p.m. Pet Photos with Santa at Simi Valley Town Center, repeated Monday, Nov. 30, with reservations required.
- Thursday, Nov. 26, 8 a.m. The On Track Running Turkey Trot 5K starts and finishes at 4593 Ish Drive, Suite 340. Registration is listed at $48.70, including a $3.70 fee. The Reagan Library is closed that day.
- Friday, Nov. 27, through Sunday, Nov. 29, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Santa visits An American Christmas at the Library, and the exhibit page says admission includes the holiday exhibit.
Thanksgiving weekend is the first time Diana, the trees, Santa and the Pub's weekend hours all line up at the Library. Weekdays from Nov. 16 through Nov. 25 offer both exhibits on one ticket without the Santa schedule.
If you're hosting family this month and want help planning a day around the Library, or if you'd like to talk through what's happening with your own home this season, Karen Sandvig is glad to help. Request a Complimentary Home Valuation & Marketing Plan.
