President Barack Obama’s $850 million Chicago library opening
Statue of Barack and Michelle Obama outside the Obama Presidential Center in the Hyde Park neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, May 29, 2026.
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For the first time, the public gets a look inside the long-awaited Obama Presidential Center ahead of its Juneteenth opening on Chicago’s South Side.
The sprawling 19.3-acre, $850 million campus museum showcases former President Barack Obama’s political rise and presidency along with contemporary art, public gathering spaces, athletic facilities and a branch of the Chicago Public Library.
The center is also preparing to redefine the scale of the modern presidential project, setting new marks on construction time, cost and entry price. General museum ticket will be given costs $30This makes it the most expensive presidential museum or library to visit.
Unlike the libraries of other modern presidents, the Obama center will not be operated by the National Archives and Records Administration. Instead, it will be privately managed by the Obama Foundation. This distinction gives the center more freedom to present 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 for campus construction to attracting new investment to Chicago’s South Side and West Side neighborhoods.
— CNBC’s frank netherlands contributed to this report.
A drone image taken weeks before the Obama Presidential Center opened to the public on June 3, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois.
Eric Cox | Reuters
People tour the Obama Presidential Center.
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A Hope poster from former President Barack Obama’s campaign.
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Dresses worn by former First Lady Michelle Obama are on display.
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Chicago Public Library’s Obama Presidential Center Branch.
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The Museum Tower at the Obama Presidential Center is seen on June 3, 2026 in Chicago.
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People tour the Obama Presidential Center.
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A replica of the Obama-era Oval Office appears in the museum on the Obama Presidential Center campus.
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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 on Main Court in the Obama Presidential Center’s Main Court building.
Joshua Lot | Reuters
Chicago Public Library’s Obama Presidential Center Branch.
Kamil Krzaczynski | Afp | Getty Images
Inner wall of the Museum Tower.
Kamil Krzaczynski | Afp | Getty Images
The playground at the Obama Presidential Center.
Kamil Krzaczynski | Afp | Getty Images
A drone image taken weeks before the Obama Presidential Center opened to the public on June 3, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois.
Eric Cox | Reuters
