(Staff Writer Seba Siciliano ([email protected]) got an exclusive tour of the Obama Presidential Center with Executive Vice President Robbin Cohen.)
In 2008, Barack Obama made history as the first African-American President in the United States. Obama was also the first and only president to primarily reside in Chicago prior to his election. After planning since 2014 and construction since 2021, the Obama Presidential Center is officially slated to make its grand opening on June 19, 2026.
The History of the Campus
The OPC is an expansive 19.3-acre campus including a museum, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a playground, a basketball court, two restaurants, a fruit and vegetable garden, and much more. The campus lies on the site of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair in Jackson Park.
Notably, the OPC is near where First Lady Michelle Obama grew up and where former President Obama taught at the University of Chicago Law School prior to being elected president. Executive Vice President of the OPC, Robbin Cohen, says the OPC contains “many opportunities to do a million things here.”
Recreation and Relaxation
At the south end of the campus lies Home Court, where there is an NBA-sized basketball court with accessible seating and a mural painted by local Chicago artists. Outside lies the playground, which Cohen described as “unique, colorful, [and] inclusively designed.”
Other outdoor areas and activities include the Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit & Vegetable Garden, The Great Lawn, which offers a space for movie nights, concerts, and sledding in the winter, the Women’s Garden, as well as six Courtyards named after six inspirational figures who were influential to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Connection to the Chicago Public Library
The OPC includes its own branch of the Chicago Public Library, complete with a Presidential Reading Room which contains 4,000 books, hand-selected by President Obama. The library features several art pieces, which, according to Cohen, were curated by the Foundation with input from former President Obama and Mrs. Obama.
Each of these spaces in the OPC is named after civil rights and social justice leaders who inspired the Obamas. This is unlike other Presidential museums, which tend to name their buildings and spaces after donors. Instead, the Obama Foundation worked with its donors to select honorees for each space.
The OPC has two dining options. There is a quick-service cafe located in The Forum, a community and leisure space that includes a theater, a recording studio, seating, and artwork. The cafe features a Kailua Blue tile background, a color originally used for Obama’s china dishware at the White House, representing his home state of Hawaii. Additionally, there is a full-service restaurant with outdoor seating and private dining rooms available.
The Obama Presidential Museum is an eight-floor building with a four-floor chronological exhibit detailing the before, during, and after of Obama’s presidency.
The first level is titled “Toward A More Perfect Union,” which briefly details U.S. history and examples of our expanding democracy through interactive and educational exhibits. Each aspect of the floor is carefully curated to show how President Obama’s life and values were shaped, as well as including various memorabilia from Obama’s presidential campaigns.
The second level, “Working For The Common Good,” includes interactive quizzes and lessons that detail the civics and values behind the most memorable wins of Obama’s presidency. Some aspects of this exhibit include trinkets and visuals of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign, letters written to Obama during his presidency, and videos touching on Obama’s approach on issues such as gun violence and marriage rights.
The third level is labeled “The People’s House,” featuring several displays that portray the Obamas’ lives in the White House. This floor includes an exact replica of the Oval Office, a display of several dresses worn by Michelle Obama during her tenure as First Lady, and miniature models of White House events.
The final exhibit is named “We The People,” and according to Obama’s quote outside the display, this floor is intended to “inspire a new generation to pick up the baton and continue the work of perfecting our union.” Some displays include an artistic display of protest pins from U.S. history, a video of Obama meeting with and fostering relationships with dozens of countries, and several other inspirational quotes and artworks.
Inside the museum building is Obama’s private suite, which is not available to the public and is currently under construction. The top floor of the building contains The Sky Room, which provides beautiful views overlooking the OPC campus and Chicago skyline. Finally, displayed across the top exterior of the building is an excerpt from a famous Obama speech, delivered on the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in 2015.
With such an expansive campus, there were roadblocks in the building process. A six-lane highway on Cornell Drive was eliminated in order to create more green space and foster a safer, friendlier environment. This change resulted in public pushback from the 5th Ward’s former Alderman, Leslie Hairston, as well as from some members of the local community.
Additionally, deciding on the number of windows in the museum was a challenge. Cohen says, “There’s not a lot of windows (in the museum tower) as a lot of light coming through could obstruct views of the films and artifacts on display.”
The Obama Presidential Center represents a diverse collaboration of artists, visionaries, architects, and President Obama himself. It’s an incredible addition to the Chicago museum circuit and a new opportunity for all Chicago students to learn more about Chicago, the United States, and former President Obama.
Tickets for tours of the OPC go on sale May 6, and the OPC opens to the public on June 19.
