Overview
- Barack Obama announced the Obama Presidential Center will open in June 2026, noting no exact date has been set.
- The 20-acre Jackson Park campus is anchored by a 225-foot museum tower and will feature an auditorium, a Chicago Public Library branch, gardens, and the Home Court athletic facility slated for next year.
- Project funding is private, with total costs reported around $800–$850 million, making it the most expensive presidential center to date.
- Construction began in 2021 after years of lawsuits and federal reviews over the Jackson Park site, with key legal challenges dismissed in 2022.
- The center will feature a fully digital presidential library, with records maintained off-site rather than overseen by the National Archives.