Outdoor venue rentals

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A high-angle view shows a green lawn and winding dark paths next to a tall stone building at dusk. Small trees and plants line the paths under a glowing sky.

Outdoor venues on the Obama Presidential Center Campus are one-of-a-kind. Your guests will enjoy a sustainable landscape, brimming with new life and unique opportunities to engage with nature.

Outdoor rental spaces at-a-glance

Rental spaceCapacityAvailability
Great Lawn 2,000+ Subject to city permits and approvals
The Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden and Garden Classroom 30-60 people Daytime and evening

Great Lawn rental

Wow your guests with sweeping views of the Obama Presidential Center’s campus and Jackson Park’s beautiful lagoon when you rent this sprawling, gently sloping space designed to bring large groups of people together – perfect for weddings and concerts!


Overview

  • 58,000 square feet

  • Availability subject to city permits and approvals

A wide green lawn slopes gently downward toward a paved walking path surrounded by trees under a cloudy sky. On the right, a modern silver building sits beyond a small paved walkway.

Perfect for:

  • Weddings receptions or ceremonies

  • Concerts

  • Outdoor dinner

The Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden and Garden Classroom rental

Located on top of the Obama Presidential Center’s Chicago Public Library branch, your guests will enjoy picturesque views in this warm and welcoming space inspired by Mrs. Obama’s White House Kitchen Garden! 

The Garden Classroom is an ideal backdrop for smaller-scale dining events and hands-on workshops

Overview

  • Classroom: 30 capacity

  • Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden: 60 capacity, seated 

  • 800 square feet

  • Available for day or evening events.

Raised wooden garden beds filled with dark soil and small green plants sit outdoors under a clear blue sky. In the background, a tall stone building features carved text near the top.

Perfect for:

  • Experiential corporate events

  • Social celebrations

Audiovisual amenities:

  • Assisted Listening System (ALS)

  • Ceiling microphone array

  • Ceiling-mounted PTZ cameras

  • Distributed ceiling speakers

  • Rack-mounted computer

  • 98” wall-mount display

  • Above-display PTZ camera

  • Google Meet hardware

  • Wireless microphones

  • Wall-mount touch panel

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