The Billy Graham Library is a public museum and library documenting the life and ministry of Christian evangelist

Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (; November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American Evangelism, evangelist, ordained Southern Baptist minister, and Civil rights movement, civil rights advocate, whose broadcasts and world tours featuring liv ...

. The complex opened to the public on June 5, 2007. The library is located on the grounds of the international headquarters of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

, a few miles from where Graham was reared. The library is styled after a dairy barn, with a mechanical "talking" cow, to reflect Graham's farm-based childhood.

Exhibits

The main galleries within the library showcase numerous presentations, pictures, music, artifacts, and voices from throughout Graham's ministry. One gallery is entirely devoted to Ruth Bell Graham, the wife of the evangelist. There is a dairy bar café and bookstore called "Ruth's Attic." All visitors enter the Library through doors at the base of a glass cross. Also located on the Library grounds is the Memorial Prayer Garden, where Ruth Graham was buried on June 17, 2007.

Memorial Prayer Garden

Ruth Graham was initially opposed to being buried at the library, and instead preferred her home at the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove near Asheville to be her final resting place until just before she died. In March 2009 Wilma "Billie" Barrows, the wife of Billy Graham's longtime Music Director Cliff Barrows, was interred on the Library grounds. In April 2013, Gospel singer and Graham's regular featured soloist George Beverly Shea was interred there as well. Barrows was buried next to his wife on the grounds after his death in November 2016. Graham's funeral following his February 21, 2018 death was conducted on March 2, 2018 in a tent, similar to the tents where he held his first crusades, on the grounds of the Library. Prior to the funeral, Graham had laid in repose in his childhood homeplace next to the library as well as lying in honor at the United States Capital in Washington, D.C. Following the funeral, Graham was buried next to his wife in the Library's Prayer Garden.

Gallery

Appreciation Walkway at Billy Graham Library IMG 4232.JPG, Appreciation Walkway at the Billy Graham Library leads to the graves of

& Ruth Bell Graham Home of Morrow Coffey Graham, Charlotte, NC IMG 4203.JPG, The home of Morrow Coffey Graham, the mother of Billy Graham, has been preserved at the Graham Library Desk of Billy Graham, Charlotte, NC IMG 4230.JPG, Replica of the desk of Billy Graham Graham Bros. Dairy truck in Charlotte, NC IMG 4229.JPG, Model Graham Brothers Dairy truck on display at the Billy Graham Library

Notes

References

Reuters
* * https://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-05-31-billy-graham-library_N.htm?csp=34 * * http://news14.com/content/special_edition/billy_graham_library_dedication/Default.aspx

External links

*
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

Samaritan's Purse
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham Library, Billy

Library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...