JAMES HOECK
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Evolving Nostalgia
View of the Obama Presidential Center's campus from the Sky Room located on the eighth floor of the museum on June 3, 2026.
On June 3, 2026, prior to The Obama Presidential Center's opening weekend, miniature-scale figurines of former United States President Barack Obama, alongside his wife and former First Lady Michelle Obama, sit as part of an exhibition recreating infamous moments from Obama's term as President.
Construction workers and landscapers work on the Women's Garden and the Obama Presidential Center on June 3, 2026, leading up to the official opening of the campus later in the month.
A staff member of the Obama Presidential Center museum stands between the entrance and exit of the building.
Mark Bradford's “City of the Big Shoulders,” displaying a vibrant map of Chicago, spans the wall of the Obama Presidential Center's first and lower levels.
Signs, merchandise and iconic campaign material from former United States President Barack Obama shines on display on June 3, 2026, as it is hosted at the Obama Presidential Center's museum.
A room inside the third level of the Obama Presidential Center exhibit, “Working for the Common Good,” a look at the challenges former President Barack Obama’s administration faced, projects images across the walls.
Lakeside Alliance construction workers take a look at the escalators leading to the fifth floor of the Obama Presidential Center Museum on June 3, 2026.
16 days before the Obama Presidential Center opens to the public, a hallway within the “The People's House” exhibit on the fourth floor of the presidential center is illuminated by an installation of windows replicating the White House’s Rose Garden, leading visitors to the Oval Office replica.
The line leading to the Obama Presidential Center's Oval Office sits empty on June 3, 2026, two weeks before it opens to the public. A staff member at the lobby entrance said the Oval Office space held a unique appearance before the center's official opening because of the high level of activity expected within the space once it available to the public.
A replica of former United States President Barack Obama's Oval Office located on the fourth floor "The People's House" exhibit.
The fifth floor of the Obama Presidential Center displays a digital purple ring made up of dots projecting images within the “We the People” exhibit. The intent of the floor is to show the work of “everyday people” and leaders today.
The Obama Presidential Center museum features a room dedicated to visitors sharing their stories privately. Outside the room, a digital display indicates whether the room is in use. Prior to the center’s opening the space stands quiet waiting for attendees.
The Obama Presidential Center's Sky Room quietly overlooks the campus and surrounding area in Jackson Park, located on the South Side of Chicago, two weeks before its opening to the public.
An Obama Foundation Center employee heads down the stairs towards the lower level of the building.
Obama Presidential Center Museum Shop staff unpack merchandise to stock the store on June 3, 2026, before its opening to the public in two weeks. The shop is located on the lower level of the museum building across from the floor's cafeteria.
The Chicago Public Library located on the campus hosts a room designated to selected books from the President for visitors to read.
Nia Cunningham, a staff member of the Chicago Botanic Garden, observes the plants of the Fruit & Vegetable Garden on June 3, 2026. Cunningham is a South Shore resident.
The Great Lawn located on campus just by the Fruits & Vegetable Garden silently stands empty during a sunny day on June 3, 2026, 16 days before the campus’ opening.
Construction of an art piece takes place at the Obama Presidential Center's garden center on June 3, 2026, 16 days before the center becomes accessible to visitors.
The Obama Presidential Museum towers over the center's botanical space during a sunny afternoon on June 3, 2026. The center is located on the south side of Chicago, Ill. in Jackson Park.
Beginning development in Jackson Park five years ago, the Obama Presidential Center opens its doors to the public this year on Juneteenth, June 19. Throughout the month of its opening, contractors and the Presidential Center’s staff prepare the museum, located at 6001 S. Stony Island Ave., and the wider campus for its opening.
Inside the museum 16 days before its opening to the public, and 15 days before the privately invited opening featuring the Obamas, contractors, staff and volunteers, many of whom come from the South Side of the city, travel across the multilevel building and the larger campus. The museum features eight levels accessible to visitors, documenting the former president’s tenure as well as historical movements and events leading up to and impacting him and his run, among other features inside the building for the public.
On June 3, two weeks before the opening of the center, administrative and architectural staff shared the intended goals and development of the center. With $850 million invested in the center, Obama Presidential Center staff estimate 750,000 to 1,000,000 annual visitors to the campus, with 600,000 of those attending the museum.
Rooms of the exhibit display are dim, with gallery lighting illuminating the quite floors floors with low activity inside each exhibit, contrasting the upcoming traffic upon public visitation from the June 18-20 opening weekend and beyond. The Obama Presidential Center tickets sold out through November during year of opening.
View more about the Obama Presidential Center at South Side Weekly