Saying Goodbye to Nancy: Casket Carrying Former First Lady Arrives at Reagan Library

Nancy Reagan has begun her final journey.

The former first lady's secret service detail served as pallbearers as her casket left a funeral home in Santa Monica, California.

Read: Reagan's Daughter Slams 'Shameful' Critics Who Called Her Reaction to Her Mom's Death 'Terse'

With news helicopters hovering overhead, the motorcade procession made a 40-mile journey to the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, where she will be buried beside her beloved husband.

Her funeral invitation bears the presidential seal and says "The Honor of Your Presence Is Requested at the Funeral Service for Nancy Davis Reagan On Friday, The Eleventh Of March."

She will lie in repose at the Reagan Library until the funeral so mourners can pay their last respects.

Executive director John Heubusch said: “They'll be able to circle round the casket -- almost be able to reach out and touch it. We hope many people do come out to recognize her contribution to America.”

Talk show host Larry King, a close friend of Nancy’s, told People magazine: "She was very ready to go. She didn't like her condition. She'd fallen a few times and she was feeling 94."

Read: The Dilapidated New York Home Where Nancy Reagan Grew Up

The Reagan Library is now featuring an exhibit about her life.

Among the memorabilia on display in the Nancy Reagan Gallery are a bronzed baby shoe, her christening dress and the 1950 script from one of her favorite films, Night Into Morning.

Also on display at The Reagan Library are dresses and gowns she wore as first lady, and some of the spectacular jewelry she wore on official occasions.

The Obamas will not be attending the funeral. The president and first lady are speaking at the annual SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas.

Watch: Tour the California Ranch Where Nancy and Ronald Reagan Lived For 23 Years