CHICAGO — Tickets to the long-awaited Obama Presidential Center museum will go on sale to founding members on April 21, with general public sales opening on May 6, the Obama Foundation announced Monday as it moved closer to the center’s public debut on June 19.
The museum sits on a 19-acre campus in Jackson Park that has been under construction for years and carries an $850 million price tag. The broader facility — whose opening has been delayed several times from an original 2021 target and later 2025 — will include a main museum building, a forum with an auditorium and media suite, a Chicago Public Library branch, and a 45,000-square-foot multipurpose athletic center. The campus will also feature a playground and a landscaped park the foundation says connects with the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.
Museum admission will be time-ticketed. The initial batch of tickets being released covers visits from June 19 through Nov. 30; the foundation said tickets for later dates will be posted at obama.org. Officials set general admission at $30 for adults aged 12 and older and $23 for children ages 3 to 11, with children 2 and younger admitted free. Illinois residents will receive discounts — $26 for adults and $15 for children — and can visit free of charge every Tuesday with proof of residency beginning June 23.
Visitors who enter the museum will have access to all four levels of the exhibition, which includes a full-scale replica of President Barack Obama’s Oval Office and the opportunity to sit behind a recreation of the Resolute Desk. Exhibits will also spotlight former first lady Michelle Obama’s fashion through a dedicated display and feature a program of special short films. Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation, said the museum “allows visitors to explore the history and impact of the Obama presidency,” while the campus “creates a place where the community can gather, learn, and imagine what’s possible next.”
Former President Obama, in a video shared on X last month announcing the center’s opening date, noted an inscription visitors will see on the museum building: “You are America.” The foundation emphasized that the majority of the center’s amenities will be free and accessible to the public, with museum ticketing intended to align with pricing for other major Chicago cultural institutions.
The center will host a livestreamed opening ceremony on June 18 featuring performances described by organizers as coming from “global icons” alongside remarks from prominent leaders. Public celebrations, including live performances, food, art and storytelling, are planned for June 20 and 21.
All museum entry will be organized via scheduled time slots to manage visitor flow, the foundation said. Potential visitors are being urged to monitor the foundation’s website for ticket releases and further announcements on programming and special events tied to the center’s summer launch.