Statue of Barack and Michelle Obama outside the Obama Presidential Center in the Hyde Park neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, May 29, 2026.
Joshua Lott Washington Post | getty images
For the first time, the public is getting an inside look at the long-awaited Obama Presidential Center Before its Juneteenth opening on Chicago’s South Side.
The expansive, 19.3-acre, $850 million complex houses museum exhibits chronicling former President Barack Obama’s political rise and presidency, as well as contemporary art, public meeting spaces, athletic facilities, and a branch of the Chicago Public Library.
The center is also set to redefine the scale of the modern presidential project, setting new marks for construction time, cost and admission price. would be a normal museum ticket cost $30Which makes it the most expensive presidential museum or library worth visiting.
Unlike other modern presidential libraries, the Obama Center will not be operated by the National Archives and Records Administration. Instead, it will be privately run by the Obama Foundation. This difference gives the center more freedom in presenting stories and less red tape regarding funding.
The center is also intended to serve as an economic engine for the surrounding community, from hiring local contractors to build the complex and attracting new investment into Chicago’s South Side and West Side neighborhoods.
– CNBC frank holland Contributed to this report.
A drone image of the Obama Presidential Center on June 3, 2026, just weeks before it opened to the public in Chicago, Illinois.
Eric Cox | reuters
People visit the Obama Presidential Center.
Scott Olson | getty images
A hope poster from former President Barack Obama’s campaign.
Scott Olson | getty images
Dresses worn by former First Lady Michelle Obama are displayed.
Scott Olson | getty images
Obama Presidential Center branch of the Chicago Public Library.
Kamil Krzyzynski AFP | getty images
The Obama Presidential Center’s Museum Tower is seen in Chicago on June 3, 2026.
Kamil Krzyzynski AFP | getty images
People visit the Obama Presidential Center.
Scott Olson | Getty Images News | getty images
A replica of the Obama-era Oval Office is seen in the Obama Presidential Center complex’s museum.
Kamil Krzyzynski AFP | getty images
A magazine cover featuring former President Barack Obama.
Scott Olson | getty images
Interior of the Museum Tower at the Obama Presidential Center.
Kamil Krzyzynski AFP | getty images
A basketball court in the main court of the Obama Presidential Center’s Home Court building.
Joshua Lott reuters
Obama Presidential Center branch of the Chicago Public Library.
Kamil Krzyzynski AFP | getty images
Interior wall of the Museum Tower.
Kamil Krzyzynski AFP | getty images
The playground at the Obama Presidential Center.
Kamil Krzyzynski AFP | getty images
A drone image of the Obama Presidential Center on June 3, 2026, just weeks before it opened to the public in Chicago, Illinois.
Eric Cox | reuters
