- The public is getting its first look inside the $850 million Obama Presidential Center before it opens June 19 on Chicago’s South Side.
- The 19.3-acre campus combines museum exhibits about Barack and Michelle Obama with art installations, a Chicago Public Library branch, athletic facilities and community gathering spaces.
- General admission to the museum will cost $30, making it the most expensive presidential museum or library to visit.
The sprawling, 19.3-acre,
$850 million campus blends museum 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 the modern presidential project, setting new marks for construction time, cost and admission price. A general museum ticket will cost $30, making 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 run by the Obama Foundation. The distinction gives the center more freedom in how it presents stories and less red tape around funding.
The center is also intended to serve as an economic engine for the surrounding community, from hiring local contractors to build the campus to drawing new investment to
Chicago's South and West Side neighborhoods.
CNBC's
Frank Holland contributed to this report.<small>Source: CNBC</small>
Business
Inside the $850 million Obama Presidential Center ahead of its Juneteenth opening
CNBC
June 04, 2026
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