Obama Presidential Center Launches Official Digital Guides on Bloomberg Connects
Exclusive guides voiced by President Obama, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Stephen Curry, Cree Summer, and other renowned voices
June 4, 2026 at 9:00 AM CDT
Chicago and New York – June 4, 2026 – The Obama Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced that Bloomberg Connects (Opens in a new tab) , the free arts and culture app, will provide exclusive mobile digital guides for the Obama Presidential Center, a 19.3-acre campus and museum opening on June 19 in Chicago’s Jackson Park. The campus is designed for community use and includes the Obama Presidential Center Museum, a new Chicago Public Library branch, a dynamic playground, a garden classroom, an NBA regulation-sized basketball court, and green spaces with commissioned works by leading artists, along with other amenities.
As the first presidential library on the platform, the Obama Presidential Center’s digital guides, presented exclusively on Bloomberg Connects, shed light on the Center’s mission, exhibitions, and commissioned art through compelling narratives intimately voiced by artists, cultural figures, and everyday people whose stories are woven together with those of the Obamas. Narrators include both President and Mrs. Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks and Cree Summer, with a special appearance by Stephen Curry. Fourteen of the 30 commissioned artists featured at the Center are included in their own audio guide, with remarkable commentary from the late luminary Richard Hunt.
The guides are available via a user’s own mobile phone to enhance onsite visits and can also be used to explore the institution’s collection and artwork from anywhere in the world.
“We are excited to enhance the visitor experience at the Obama Presidential Center through our campus audio guide, created in partnership with Bloomberg Connects,” said Valerie Jarrett, CEO of The Obama Foundation . “Throughout our campus visitors will experience how ordinary people who work together are able to do extraordinary things through exhibits, storytelling, interactive exhibits, art, and programs. Whether our visitors come from across the street or around the world, they will see themselves reflected, and be inspired to help change the world.”
“President Obama and Mike Bloomberg have long shared a belief in the power of technology to bring people together and promote understanding," said Patricia E. Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies . "Bloomberg Connects will help visitors to the Obama Presidential Center – and everyone around the world who is interested in experiencing it – engage with its extraordinary art, history, and stories.”
Guides include:
Campus Guide: The Campus Guide explores the history and vision of the Obama Presidential Center and its roots on Chicago’s South Side. Narrated by Oprah Winfrey , the guide features President and Mrs. Obama alongside perspectives from the Obamas’ friends and collaborators – from late artist Richard Hunt providing insight about his final commission, to Tafari’s Kitchen chef Cliff Rome talking about food’s power to bring people together and Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry speaking about basketball and democracy from Home Court. The guide offers a comprehensive look at the Center’s 19.3-acre campus and is also available in American Sign Language signed by Jeremy Lee Stone, April Jackson-Woodard, Alexandria Wailes, Tyrone Giordano and Amelia Hensley, and Christina Hopewell-Albert.
Family Guide: This interactive and imaginative version of the Campus Guide narrated by the Obamas’ dogs, Bo and Sunny (as voiced by Cree Summer), is geared toward elementary schoolchildren and includes prompts to inform and entertain the youngest visitors as they explore the Center.
Art Guide: Michelle Obama introduces the Art Guide, which explores 14 commissioned artworks, each representing what Mrs. Obama calls the “strong link between art and democracy.” Users can hear from artists including Mark Bradford , Nick Cave and Marie Watt, Njideka Akunyili Crosby , Nekisha Durrett , Theaster Gates , Maya Lin , Julie Mehretu , Aliza Nisenbaum , Martin Puryear , Alison Saar , and others, on the inspiration behind each piece and the steps it took to bring them to fruition. A dedicated mini-tour highlights the works by Jenny Holzer , Carrie Mae Weems , and Idris Khan in the Museum’s Sky Room, which provides panoramic views of Chicago's South and West Sides. Details on all of the commissioned artists can be found here .
Museum Guide: Introduced by President Obama and narrated by Tom Hanks , the Museum Guide provides an up-close-and-personalized look at the stories, moments, and artifacts that shaped the Obama administration. Users will be able to explore key exhibits and learn more about President Obama’s vision for the Center, the Obama family's time in the White House, and key moments from the Obama campaigns and presidency from contributors including Michelle Obama and archival audio from campaign volunteers, White House visitors, and the media. The Museum Guide will also be available on free loaner devices for those who don’t have or want to use their own smartphone.
Audio Described Guide: As part of a shared commitment to making the Obama Presidential Center welcoming to all, the Museum and Bloomberg Connects have created an Audio Described Guide, introduced by President Obama and guided by Kareem Dale , who served as President Obama’s Special Assistant for Disability Policy – the highest-ranking position on disability ever created by a president. Audio descriptive tours are developed specifically for visitors with low vision or who are blind. This tour will focus on the Museum exhibits and will provide detailed narration of over 40 exhibit cases in the Museum.
The guide will be available on June 19 with the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. Obama Presidential Center content on Bloomberg Connects will be available in English and Spanish; translated text will be available in Chinese, French, Polish, and Tagalog.
The Bloomberg Connects app is available for download from Google Play (Opens in a new tab) or the App Store (Opens in a new tab) or by scanning the QR code here:
About The Obama Foundation:
The Obama Foundation is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world. That mission begins on the South Side of Chicago, where the Foundation is building the Obama Presidential Center. But that approach extends to all our work, whether it’s holding leadership training sessions in communities throughout the U.S., bringing local leaders together in countries around the world, working to support the global education of girls, or ensuring young men of color have pathways to opportunity. From every corner of the globe, our program participants are working together to address some of the biggest challenges of our time—from renewing our democratic institutions, protecting LGBTQ+ rights, fighting climate change, and so much more.
About Bloomberg Connects:
Bloomberg Connects is a free app that helps museums, galleries, historic sites, and cultural spaces around the world deepen engagement with their audiences. An initiative of Bloomberg Philanthropies – one of the largest charitable organizations in the world and, since 1999, a supporter of technology that transforms the visitor experience at cultural institutions – Connects combines audio guides, wayfinding, accessibility tools, and visitor insights on one easy-to-use platform. Today, Bloomberg Connects has grown to offer over 1,400 guides in 57 languages to cultural organizations in 49 countries – reaching millions of people with world-class content. The result is a tool that handles the technology so partners can focus on what they do best: creating exceptional experiences with arts and culture.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2025, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $4.3 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, (Opens in a new tab) sign up for our newsletter (Opens in a new tab) , or follow us on Instagram (Opens in a new tab), LinkedIn (Opens in a new tab), YouTube (Opens in a new tab), Threads (Opens in a new tab) , Facebook (Opens in a new tab), and X (Opens in a new tab) .
Media Contacts:
Rebecca Carriero, Bloomberg Philanthropies, rebeccac@bloomberg.org
Emily Bittner, The Obama Foundation, press@obama.org