Each December, as Simi Valley settles into the winter season, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum prepares for one of its most anticipated traditions: the elegant New Year’s Eve Celebration held beneath the majestically outstretched wings of Air Force One. This year’s hallmark extravaganza, taking place on Wednesday, December 31st, 2025, invites guests 21 and over to usher in the coming year with gourmet dining, festive décor, lively dancing, and, best of all, rare after-hours access to the Reagan Library.
From the minute guests arrive, the Air Force One Pavilion’s signature ambiance will set an unmistakable tone. The aircraft overhead — the meticulously restored Boeing 707 officially retired in 2001 after serving seven U.S. presidents — lends the evening a distinguished grandeur, while the soft lighting and polished tables below cultivate a sense of intimacy. Before dinner even begins, attendees may explore both Air Force One and An American Christmas, a merrymaking installation boasting 26 spectacular trees representing American folklore and culture from 1770 through 2020.
Offered from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m., the An American Christmas private viewing window gives guests the chance to wander at an unhurried pace, taking in holiday trees that chart distinctly American vestiges — from late-18th-century displays adorned with replicas of the Bill of Rights or Declaration of Independence, to an 1890s tree honoring the Wright brothers, a 1970s vignette highlighting the cultural wave of Jaws, and a 1980s tree tableau that reflects both the Reagan era and the dawn of the personal-computer age. It’s an experience meant to be leisurely absorbed, allowing guests to linger among the displays before the evening’s festivities take an actively rejoiceful turn.
The culinary experience is central to the event’s appeal, and this year’s menu is poised to be especially memorable. Dinner will begin with a classic shrimp cocktail (with zesty cocktail sauce) — chilled, succulent, and brightened with a crisp lemon wedge. It’s the kind of opener that will satisfy in the moment and simultaneously set the stage for an odyssey of flavors to come. The transition to the panzanella salad will offer a welcome contrast: heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella adding a creamy counterpoint, and sourdough croutons adding rustic crunch. The salad’s grapes and basil, too, should lift this course into something lighter and more aromatic, with the champagne vinaigrette providing just the right amount of tangy zeal.
Guests will then settle into the entrée, a dual presentation of beef fillet and pan-roasted salmon plated with an eye toward both richness and balance. The savory fillet will be complemented by a doubtlessly holiday-inspired red wine reduction apple cider cream sauce; together they promise a sweet warmth reminiscent of winter conviviality. Main dish accompaniments of white cheddar potato purée, asparagus, blistered heirloom tomatoes, and wilted winter greens will round out the presentation with color and comfort, resulting in a meal appropriately emblematic of the occasion. Dessert, a Dark Chocolate Fantasy Cake served with fresh berries, will lean headlong into mouthwatering decadence by being smooth, velvety, and just rich enough to feel like a reward for the year’s final hours.
Throughout the evening, servers will remain attentive to beverage preferences. While ice water, coffee (caffeinated and decaffeinated), as well as iced and hot tea are readily available, the night’s crowning touch arrives at midnight when each guest receives a champagne toast — a ceremonious custom that unites the room in shared anticipation. Martinelli’s is offered as a non-alcoholic alternative, ensuring everyone participates in the ritual, fizz in hand. Additional drinks, among them featured wines, imported and domestic beer, soft drinks, and full-service bar selections, are available for purchase via the cashless Ronald Reagan Pub.
Once dinner has settled, the New Year’s Eve revelry will shift toward the dance floor, where The Platinum Groove — the dynamic ensemble returning with its blend of precision musicianship and high-energy charisma — will give the night an instrumental dose of adrenaline. Known for their vivacious mix of Motown, ballroom standards, disco classics, and chart-toppers stretching from the 1950s to today, the group has been lauded for their ability to guide crowds through decades of musical nostalgia. Whether it’s the recognizable hits of “My Girl,” “I Will Survive,” “September,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” or well-honed interpretations of contemporary favorites such as “Uptown Funk,” their sets are designed to keep guests moving long past the midnight toast. Their reputation for seamless transitions and joyful interaction lends the evening the atmosphere of a private concert rather than a formal gala, ensuring even reluctant dancers find themselves swept into the rhythm.
As the final hour before 2026 draws near, the Air Force One Pavilion will invariably transform into a full-fledged bash. Party favors, ranging from hats, horns, streamers, and so on, will be accessible at the arrayed tables, adding an exultant visual to the evening’s refined setting. When the clock finally strikes midnight, the voluminous space will invariably erupt with applause, each guest aglow with the hope and resolution of an even better year ahead. Not to mention, 2026 is a milestone marker — a sobering confirmation that we’re officially more than one quarter into the current century.
General Admission pricing is $195 per person (early bird tickets were $185). VIP packages — originally offered at $215–225 and including the perks of preferred seating, private tables for groups of four or more, and a bottle of wine per couple — have already sold out. Special dietary needs can be accommodated with at least seven days’ notice. Cocktail attire is suggested. Space is limited, and with the reservation deadline set for Monday, December 22nd, those considering attending will want to secure their seats soon.
Ultimately, in a region filled with New Year’s Eve options, the Reagan Library stands apart for offering an evening that feels at once celebratory and meaningful — a night where delectable food, live music, and historic surroundings blend into a happening uniquely suited for triumphantly closing out 2025.
Cover image caption: Guests eat and mingle as a band performs in the last hours of 2023 inside the Air Force One Pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum. Photo courtesy of Eamon Murphy and the Acorn.
For more information about the New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum on December 31st, 2025 (8:00 p.m. through 2:00 a.m.), call (805) 577-4057 and/or visit reaganfoundation.org.
