Money woes may force Ronald Reagan's boyhood home to close

DIXON, Ill. - Ronald Reagan's boyhood home may have to close its doors due to financial woes.

WREX-TV reports the Ronald Reagan's Boyhood Home and Visitor's Center seeks donations to stay afloat.

Patrick Gorman, the center's executive director, says the house in Dixon generates $30,000 annually through tours and the gift shop. Operating expenses cost about $70,000 a year, creating a $40,000 annual deficit.

The home is listed on the National Register of Historical Places but receives no government funding.

Jerry Schnake, the center's assistant director, says it borrowed $100,000 from the home's board of directors in 2016 for a restoration project, leaving it $70,000 in debt.

Gorman says having to close the home would be a loss to the community and to anyone interested in history. Reagan was the 40th U.S. president.