Key facts
- The Obama Presidential Center is opening in Chicago's Jackson Park.
- The project is a $850 million development funded by the Obama Foundation.
- The center includes a museum dedicated to Barack Obama's presidency, a library, gardens, and performance spaces.
- It is designed to be a hub for civic life and culture, drawing an estimated 750,000 to 1 million visitors annually.
- The center opens to the public on Juneteenth, June 19.
The Obama Presidential Center is set to open in Chicago's Jackson Park, marking a significant investment in the city's South Side. The $850 million campus, funded privately by the Obama Foundation, is designed to serve as a hub for civic life and culture, celebrating the legacy of the 44th U.S. president.
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are expected to lead the ceremonial opening. The center, which opens to the public on Juneteenth, features a museum dedicated to Obama's personal story and his two terms in office, alongside gardens, a library, an athletic center, and a performance space. The architecture, including an eight-story granite museum nicknamed the 'Obamalisk,' has drawn varied reviews.
Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation, described the center as a source of hope at a time of "toxicity in the air." Organizers anticipate 750,000 to 1 million visitors annually. The site's design incorporates elements of the original Jackson Park landscape by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, with architecture by Billie Tsien and Tod Williams. The center's opening comes as President Donald Trump has reportedly rolled back civil liberties protections and diversity programs, a contrast to Obama's legacy.