Museum

Opening this June, the Obama Presidential Museum presents the remarkable story of President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, America’s first Black president and First Lady. Dynamic exhibits will highlight the events, policies, challenges, and accomplishments of the Obama Presidency, explore the promise of democracy, and inspire us to do our part to create change.

An aerial view of the Obama Presidential Center. People are seen on the lawn in the distance.

Museum Admissions

Entry to the Museum is by timed ticket. Sign up for news and updates to be the first to know when tickets go on sale.
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Museum highlights

Yes We Can

Journey back to Election Night 2008 and learn how the election of President Obama was made possible by people like you. Take in the stories of everyday citizens who mobilized for change and worked together to make history.

Credit: Chuck Kennedy

The Oval Office

Ever wonder what it’s like to sit in the seat of the President? Now’s your chance to find out! Walk through a full-size replica of President Obama’s Oval Office: sit behind the president’s desk and examine items that are unique to his presidency.

The Sky Room

Head to the top of the Museum for a view like no other. The Sky Room offers soul-stirring perspective and panoramic views of Chicago’s South and West sides, surrounded by the iconic words of one of President Obama’s most memorable speeches. 

Read more about the text on the exterior of the Museum building.

Architecture

The architecture of the Museum building echoes movement upward from the grassroots. Its form is inspired by the idea of four hands coming together, a recognition that many hands shape a place. Like these hands, each facade of the four-sided building will be a little different from the next, providing a unique but engaging view from each angle.

The exterior of the Museum building will feature words taken from President Obama’s speech marking the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches, and will be cast into the structure in such a way that visitors will be able to look out through the words onto the South and West sides of Chicago.

The building will serve as a historic landmark in Jackson Park, welcoming visitors to the South Side and the rest of the Center’s campus.

"You are America" is shown in the design of how it will appear on the Obama Presidential Center Museum Building, and it glows.
A rendering of the remarks President Obama delivered in 2015 on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, a historic civil rights protest, that will be carved into stone along the exterior of the Museum Building.
The image is an aerial image of a conceptual rendering of the Museum tower. In the center of the image is the museum structure: it is a tall beige building. On the roof of the building is grass. On the side of the building are the words from President Obama’s speech on the 50th Anniversary of the March from Selma to Montgomery. Surrounding the building is an aerial of the grassy areas of Jackson Park.
Aerial image of the exterior of the Obama Presidential Museum featuring a portion of President Barack Obama’s speech on the 50th Anniversary of the March from Selma to Montgomery.

Dining and Shopping

On the Lower Level, visitors can gather and discuss their time on campus, enjoy a snack or drink in the cafe, or shop in the retail store. Visitors will be able to participate in experiences that will encourage them to think about how to engage with their own communities, or walk over to the nearby program rooms and media suite in the Forum building.