Everything We Know About Obama’s Presidential Museum
The Obama Presidential Center Museum’s soft opening has revealed what guests can expect when it officially opens in Chicago on June 19.
Black News 
After a decade of planning and carrying a price tag of approximately $850 million, the Obama Presidential Center Museum will open on June 19. Thanks to the center’s soft opening period currently underway for Chicago residents and schools, we’ve gained more insight into what the 225-foot-tall museum tower and expansive, nearly 20-acre campus hold.
Some Familiar Voices Will Guide The Tours
According to the Hollywood Reporter, several stars and athletes will narrate different areas of the tour through the presidential library. Oprah Winfrey will narrate the center’s campus guide, detailing the creation of the Obama Presidential Center and its relationship to Chicago’s south side. Barack and Michelle Obama, Golden State Warriors’ star Stephen Curry, and chef Cliff Rome are among the names included in the campus guide.
Tom Hanks will narrate portions of the museum guide that detail President Barack Obama’s campaign and key moments of his tenure in the Oval Office. A Different World star Cree Summer will voice the Obama family’s dogs through an exhibit aimed at elementary school-aged children.
The Presidential Center Is A Library, Museum, and Community Center
With the aforementioned $850 million price tag, the Obama Presidential Center is without a doubt the most expensive presidential library in history. While the center’s imposing stone tower, dubbed the “Obamalisk” by locals, is the focal point, the center is a sprawling, multi-use facility.
AP reports that Obama’s presidential library will boast approximately 3,500 books. CNN adds that the presidential archive will be fully digitized for the first time, which represents nearly 30 million pages related to Obama’s presidency.
One of the more impressive displays is a life-size replica of the Oval Office designed to represent how it looked when Obama was in office, with none of the, uh, “renovations” made by our current president.
Another notable feature of the campus is the “Home Court” recreation facility. The Home Court area features an NBA-regulation-sized basketball court, which should come as no surprise considering Obama’s longtime love of the sport. The Home Court area will also feature several conference spaces intended for community organizing and wellness workshops.
The sprawling campus also includes a fruit and vegetable garden, a plaza dedicated to the late civil rights activist and congressman John Lewis, as well as a playground. The campus will also feature a new branch of the Chicago Public Library, along with several educational resources designed to teach K-12 students about civics and how democracy works.
The Center Will Include Several Free Amenities Open to the Public
While entry to the museum will require paid admission, many of the amenities provided by the center will be accessible to the public free of charge. Most of the outdoor amenities will be open to the public free of charge. Most of the art installations at the site are free and easily accessible. The Forum is designed to be a mixed-use space, with both paid performances and free events. The Forum, in particular, is designed to feature various lectures from notable voices in literature, journalism, and pop culture.
So if you happen to be in Chicago for Juneteenth, what better way to celebrate than the opening of the presidential library dedicated to our first Black president?
SEE ALSO:
‘It’s Just Amazing!’: Visitors Rave About The Obama Presidential Center
Michelle Obama Announces Exhibit Inspired By Her Mother
