The Obama Presidential Center, a museum and public campus dedicated to former US President Barack Obama, is scheduled to open to the public on June 19. The facility is located on Chicago's South Side.
Campus and Cost
The campus covers 19.3 acres and includes a museum, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, parkland, a basketball court, a playground, ball fields, and gardens. The main museum building is a 225-foot granite obelisk, sometimes referred to as "Obamalisk."
Construction costs were approximately $850 million, funded by donations. The museum charges a $30 admission fee; the outdoor campus grounds are free.
Exhibits and Artifacts
The museum entrance features an art installation with the word "hope," as described by Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation. The exhibits cover U.S. history from the Declaration of Independence through the suffrage movement, slavery, Reconstruction, and the civil rights movement. One floor is dedicated to President Obama's first presidential campaign, including the primary election, displaying campaign buttons and signs.
Artifacts on display include Obama's Nobel Peace Prize, a handprint art project from his elementary school, a replica of the Oval Office, and dresses of former first lady Michelle Obama, including a sleeveless dress from Target. According to Jarrett, a tan suit that drew criticism during Obama's presidency is not on display, as Obama stated he gave the suit away and was unsure of its location; only photos of the suit are displayed.
Accomplishments Timeline
A timeline lists accomplishments, including the raid that killed Osama bin Laden and the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Some listed items, such as the Iran nuclear deal, the Paris climate agreement, and the lifting of the ban on transgender military service, were later reversed by the subsequent administration.
"The museum charges a $30 admission fee; the outdoor campus grounds are free."