Young America’s Foundation to Open Reagan Movie Museum in Illinois in 2028

Young America’s Foundation announced plans to establish a museum in Dixon, Illinois that will house sets and artifacts from the “Reagan” biographical film, expected to open in 2028. The partnership between YAF and the film’s producers will create permanent exhibits showcasing materials from the movie about President Ronald Reagan’s life, complementing the organization’s existing stewardship of Reagan’s boyhood home in Dixon and the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, California.

The museum collection will feature a full-scale replica of the Oval Office, the Situation Room, the Soviet leader’s office, and the wall of the Hilton Hotel where Reagan was shot, along with hundreds of artifacts from the production. The displays will incorporate virtual images, photographs, and video content featuring President Reagan alongside the physical sets constructed for the film.

Scott Walker, president of Young America’s Foundation and former Wisconsin governor, told Fox News Digital that the museum will help visitors understand Reagan’s formative years in the Midwest and their influence on his political career and presidency. Walker emphasized that the exhibits will connect Reagan’s humble beginnings—his parents rented multiple homes while his father struggled with alcoholism—to his later achievements as a leader.

A director’s cut of the “Reagan” film featuring 10 additional minutes will release nationwide on September 25. Walker noted the stark contrast between critics and audiences upon the film’s original release, with a Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 18 percent versus a 98 percent audience score.

Actor Dennis Quaid attended the film’s 2024 premiere in Dixon, drawing large crowds from the community. Producer Mark Joseph said the museum will allow visitors to experience the story of Reagan’s early life through the sets and artifacts his team created for the production.