ABILENE, Kan. — The Eisenhower Foundation celebrated the groundbreaking of the Eisenhower Education Center, a new educational outreach hub designed to immerse students in the leadership, legacy, and enduring relevance of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Developed in partnership with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the 14,000-square-foot Education Center will be built on the presidential campus in Abilene. Construction is expected to begin this summer, with the facility projected to open in June 2027.
Designed by Multistudio, the Education Center will feature flexible learning environments, a full-scale recreation of Eisenhower’s Oval Office, an Immersive Theater, and advanced digital production spaces that support virtual and in-person programming for K-12 students nationwide.
The building is located between the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Eisenhower’s family burial site, directly across the quad from the Eisenhower Boyhood Home. The design was developed to complement the historic presidential campus through an architectural approach grounded in humility, simplicity, and efficiency — qualities that defined Eisenhower’s leadership style.
Compositionally, the floor plan responds to the surrounding Kansas landscape through a series of ellipses and rectangles that echo forms found throughout the presidential campus and the plains beyond. The building’s scale and proportions align with existing campus structures, reinforcing continuity across the site while respecting the significance of the presidential grounds.
The exterior façade is constructed from regionally sourced Kansas limestone, placing the building in direct dialogue with neighboring campus architecture. Floor-to-ceiling windows positioned behind the stone façade bring natural light and outdoor views into every programming space.
A continuous roof overhang creates a 360-degree “front porch” effect that welcomes visitors into the building while blurring the boundary between interior and exterior space. At the center of the facility, an “Exploration Hub” serves as the connective core for collaborative and inquiry-driven learning experiences.
The Education Center’s physical learning environments are paired with robust digital infrastructure designed to expand the Foundation’s national reach. A Global Studio will allow educators to produce and distribute virtual lessons, podcasts, and educational broadcasts to schools across the country and around the world.
The Immersive Theater will use projected media environments to transport students into key moments of Eisenhower’s presidency and provide historical context for contemporary civic discussions.
“This Education Center represents an investment in the future,” said Meredith Sleichter, Executive Director of The Eisenhower Foundation. “It will give students and public audiences a place to engage with history in meaningful and relevant ways while inspiring leadership, civic responsibility, and service.”
“Our work on the Education Center advances the organization’s mission to expand learning experiences inspired by Dwight D. Eisenhower’s life and legacy,” said Sean Zaudke, principal at Multistudio. “The design immerses visitors in hands-on, inquiry-driven exhibits that spark curiosity and reward exploration. Grounded in Eisenhower’s values of leadership, character, and service, the facility is conceived as a place of discovery where learning is active, personal, and enduring.”
You can learn more about the Eisenhower Education Center by visiting www.EisenhowerEducation.net.
