Obama Presidential Center to open on Juneteenth in Chicago

The Obama Presidential Center will open to the general public June 19 on Chicago's South Side, unveiling an $850 million, nearly 20-acre campus anchored by the nation's first fully digital presidential museum.

The complex, built near where Barack Obama launched his political career, is expected to draw up to 1 million visitors a year and departs from traditional presidential library formats — most of the campus is open at no cost, with community programming placed at the center of its mission.

Admission to the museum tower is priced at $30 — the highest ticket cost of any U.S. presidential museum, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Only four floors inside the tower require tickets; the remainder of the campus, which includes a public library branch, a professional basketball court and communal grilling areas, is free.

The tower's centerpiece is a life-sized Oval Office replica. Josh Harris, vice president of public engagement for the Obama Foundation, described the exhibit's purpose during a recent tour with The Associated Press. "We want to make sure that people from all walks of life have the opportunity sit behind the Resolute Desk," Harris said. "You think about the possibilities that if a young organizer from the South Side of Chicago can be president, you can be president too."

Harris also framed the campus's broader role. "This is a safe space for people to come and, yes, reflect on the historic moments of this presidency and the campaigns, but also to come together as a community to think about what change you can bring to your own neighborhood," he said.

Museum Director Louise Bernard described a mission centered on action over archives. "We're passing that baton and inviting people to bring change home, however change may be defined, both small or large," Bernard told The Associated Press.

The campus carries personal touches from the former first family. Michelle Obama designed a garden planted with lettuce and strawberries. A 70-foot mural inside the library depicts literary figures including Toni Morrison and James Baldwin. The central gathering space has been named John Lewis Plaza, honoring the late congressman and civil rights leader.

At the 2021 groundbreaking, Barack Obama laid out his ambitions for the project. "We want this center to be more than a static museum or a source of archival research. It won't just be a collection of campaign memorabilia or Michelle's ballgowns, although I know everybody will come see those," Obama said.

"The idea behind this institution, this campus, was to make it accessible to as many people as possible," Harris said. The center opens June 19 — Juneteenth — in the South Side neighborhood where Obama first built his career as a community organizer.