Tickets for Obama Presidential Center museum open to public on May 6, officials announce

Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune on Apr 6, 2026

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CHICAGO — With just over two months to go until the long-awaited Obama Presidential Center opens to the public, patrons will soon be able to secure their entry to the campus museum.

Museum ticket sales will kick off later this month, going live for founding members on April 21, the Obama Foundation announced on Monday.

Tickets will open to the general public on May 6.

“When visitors look up at the Obama Presidential Center’s museum building, they’ll see three simple powerful words: You are America,” former President Barack Obama said in a video shared on X last month announcing the center’s public opening on June 19.

Spanning 19 acres, the $850 million center in Jackson Park, which was first slated to open in 2021, then again in 2025 and now officially in summer of 2026, will feature a newly minted main building and museum; a forum building that includes an auditorium, media suite and other programming rooms; a Chicago Public Library branch; and farther south, a 45,000-square-foot multipurpose athletic center. The campus will also feature a playground and a landscaped park that connects with the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.

The vast majority of the center’s amenities will be free and accessible to the public. As for museum tickets, officials have said entry will be priced in line with other Chicago cultural institutions.

Tickets announced Monday put general admission pricing at $30 for adults 12 and older and $23 for children between 3 and 11 years old. Children 2 and younger will have free admission.

The museum will also offer free admission every Tuesday to Illinois residents with proof of residency starting June 23. Otherwise, Illinois residents will have discounted tickets — $26 for adults and $15 for children. General admission tickets provide access to all four levels of the museum, which spans a full-scale replica of Obama’s Oval Office — and a chance to sit behind a recreation of the historic Resolute Desk — an exhibit dedicated to the former first lady’s fashion and a series of special short films.

“The Museum allows visitors to explore the history and impact of the Obama presidency, while the broader campus in Jackson Park creates a place where the community can gather, learn, and imagine what’s possible next,” Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation, said in a statement.

This initial round of ticket sales includes dates between June 19 and Nov. 30. Tickets for future dates will be announced online at obama.org. All museum entry will be time-ticketed.

The center’s opening ceremony will be livestreamed on June 18, featuring performances from “global icons” and “prominent” leaders’ remarks, according to its website. Celebrations featuring live performances, food, art and storytelling are open to the public and planned on June 20 and 21.

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