The Obama Presidential Center, a roughly $850 million project, officially opens to the public on Juneteenth after a celebratory dedication in Chicago. The museum explores both the political and personal realms of the nation’s first Black president, featuring a life-sized Oval Office replica, campaign memorabilia, and personal touches chosen by the Obamas.
President for a Day
Obama's presidential museum is the first fully digital museum of its kind, with no official papers on display. Instead, visitors experience high-tech, hands-on exhibits spanning the campaigns, key moments of Obama's presidency, and life at the White House. One of the largest attractions is a life-sized replica of the Oval Office, where visitors can sit behind the Resolute Desk and pose for pictures. The top drawer holds a copy of a handwritten letter from President George W. Bush and Obama's beloved BlackBerry phone. Josh Harris, the Obama Foundation’s vice president of public engagement, said, 'We want to make sure that people from all walks of life have the opportunity to sit behind the Resolute Desk. You think about the possibilities that if a young organizer from the South Side of Chicago can be president, you can be president too.'
Michelle Obama's Iconic Gowns
Roughly a dozen outfits on mannequins are behind glass, including a black and red dress by Narciso Rodriguez that Michelle Obama wore on Election Night in 2008. Visitors can touch swatches of fabrics, such as the rose gold chain mail Atelier Versace evening gown she wore at her final state dinner in 2016.
Personal Touches
The museum’s location on Chicago's South Side is near where Barack Obama started his political career, taught law, and lived. Michelle Obama grew up there as well. A lifelong basketball lover, Obama requested a glass-paneled, professional-grade basketball court for community programs. The former first lady designed a garden with lettuce and strawberry plants, and there are charcoal grills available for public use. The campus features dozens of commissioned works of art, a 'John Lewis Plaza' named after the late congressman, and a Chicago Public Library branch with a 70-foot mural depicting literary figures. The presidential reading room includes thousands of books chosen by the Obamas and high-backed striped chairs similar to ones in their home.
Admission and Accessibility
Tickets are $30, the highest of any U.S. presidential museum or library, but most of the campus is free. Only four floors of the museum tower require tickets, while the campus, playground, library, sledding hill, and grilling area are open to all. The tower's top floor, with panoramic views of Chicago, is also free. Harris emphasized, 'The idea behind this institution, this campus, was to make it accessible to as many people as possible.'
