One of the most anticipated cultural openings in the country, the long-awaited Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago is set to open to the public on June 19 with a full slate on opening weekend activities.
Built in Jackson Park, on the South Side where the Obamas’ journey began, the 7-hectare campus features a one-of-a-kind museum, public library, athletics centre, auditorium, and great lawn gathering place.
As a transformative investment in Chicago’s South Side, the Center positions the city as a global destination for civic engagement, cultural storytelling, and community-driven development.
“From around the block to across the world, this is your home for hope and change,” the Museum declares, with the promise of exploring “the promise and power of democracy through the legacy of President and Mrs. Obama.”
In the museum, visitors can journey through four levels of dynamic exhibits that tell the story of the First Family and the social movements that made their work possible. Exhibits include memorabilia from the Obamas’ time in the White House, stories of iconic moments from the President’s administration (2009-2017, and interactive activities for visitors of all ages and abilities, including a replica Oval office.
The roughly $850-million campus will also play host to sports, music, workshops, talks, exhibits, tours, dining, and more.
In a city known for its architecture, the design of the museum – a 69-metre-high granite monolith with a nearly windowless exterior – has split opinion, with some claiming it is more suited to a sci-fi film set than the state-of-the art presidential museum held within.
Nevertheless, atop the building is a glass-enclosed “Sky Room,” with panoramic views of Chicago, including north-facing perspectives of downtown, which are uncommon from that height.
Obama chose the stone design and wanted a high tower for city views not far from where he raised his family and taught law at the University of Chicago.
The tower’s design is meant to depict four hands coming together in solidarity. Wrapped around one side are 1.5-metre concrete capital letters, an excerpt of Obama’s 2015 speech commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery march. It begins, “You are America.”
While museum entry will be ticketed with timed admissions, much of the campus, including park areas and the library, will remain free and open to the public.
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