The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri, 15 miles east of downtown Kansas City, is one of the better presidential libraries — and Independence itself is worth visiting for the historic town center, the Truman home (a separate National Historic Site), and its significance as the official departure point of the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails.
The Truman library underwent a major renovation completed in 2020 and now offers an excellent survey of Truman's presidency, with particular strength on the end of World War II, the decision to use atomic weapons on Japan, and the early Cold War. Truman remains a figure who polarizes historical opinion, and the museum handles the controversies with reasonable honesty. The adjoining cemetery holds Truman and his wife Bess. Allow three hours for the library and the home visit combined.