A statue of Barack Obama and Michelle Obama outside the Obama Presidential Center in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, on May 29, 2026.
Joshua Lott | Washington Post | Getty Images
The public will get a first look inside the long-awaited Obama Presidential Center ahead of its June 10 opening on Chicago’s South Side.
The sprawling 19.3-acre, $850 million campus combines exhibits chronicling former President Barack Obama’s political rise and presidency with contemporary art, public gathering spaces, athletic facilities, and a branch of the Chicago Public Library.
The center is also poised to redefine the scale of modern presidential projects and set new standards for construction time, cost, and admission fees. General ticket prices for the museum are $30, making it the most expensive presidential museum or library you’ll visit.
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 distinction gives centers more freedom in how they present their stories and reduces red tape when it comes to fundraising.
The center is also intended to serve as an economic engine for the surrounding area, from hiring local contractors to build the campus to attracting new investment to Chicago’s South Side and West Side neighborhoods.
—CNBC’s Frank Holland contributed to this report.
A drone image of the Obama Presidential Center on June 3, 2026, weeks before it opened to the public in Chicago, Illinois.
Eric Cox | Reuters
People tour the Obama Presidential Center.
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Hope poster from former President Barack Obama’s election campaign.
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On display are dresses worn by former first lady Michelle Obama.
Scott Olson | Getty Images
Chicago Public Library’s Obama Presidential Center Branch.
Kamil Krzaczynski | AFP | Getty Images
Museum Tower at the Obama Presidential Center photographed on June 3, 2026 in Chicago.
Kamil Krzaczynski | AFP | Getty Images
People tour the Obama Presidential Center.
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A replica of the Oval Office from President Obama’s era is on display at a museum on the campus of the Obama Presidential Center.
Kamil Krzaczynski | AFP | Getty Images
A magazine cover featuring former President Barack Obama.
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Inside the Museum Tower at the Obama Presidential Center.
Kamil Krzaczynski | AFP | Getty Images
A basketball court located on the main court in the home court building of the Obama Presidential Center.
Joshua Lott | Reuters
Chicago Public Library’s Obama Presidential Center Branch.
Kamil Krzaczynski | AFP | Getty Images
The inner wall of the museum tower.
Kamil Krzaczynski | AFP | Getty Images
The playground area of the Obama Presidential Center.
Kamil Krzaczynski | AFP | Getty Images
A drone image of the Obama Presidential Center on June 3, 2026, weeks before it opened to the public in Chicago, Illinois.
Eric Cox | Reuters
