CHICAGO — As anticipation builds for the inauguration of the Obama Presidential Center, set to welcome visitors in a little over two weeks, we’re offering a sneak peek into this monumental addition to Chicago’s landscape.
Situated on Chicago’s South Side, the Obama Presidential Center stands proudly adjacent to the Museum of Science and Industry, just off Stony Island Avenue. This prestigious center promises to be a beacon of history and learning in the community.
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Before even stepping inside, visitors are greeted by the John Lewis Plaza, a tribute to the legendary civil rights leader and Congressman. This space sets the tone for the center’s dedication to honoring impactful figures in history.
Inside the plaza, the Forum building invites exploration, notably featuring Tafari’s Kitchen. The eatery is a heartfelt homage to Tafari Campbell, the Obama family’s private chef who tragically lost his life in a paddleboarding accident in Martha’s Vineyard in 2023. The menu, featuring comforting favorites like grilled cheese and red beans, reflects Campbell’s culinary talent.
A commitment to accessibility is a cornerstone of the center’s design. Valerie Jarrett, a long-time advisor to the Obamas, emphasizes this inclusivity: “Our campus is open to the public,” she explains. “Everything from our gardens, walking trails, playground, to the women’s garden at the front is free for people to explore, with only four floors of the museum requiring an admission fee.”
“So our campus is open to the public,” Valerie Jarrett said. “All but four floors of the museum are free for people to explore from our gardens to the walking trails to the playground and to the women’s garden in the front. All of it is free.”
Also on campus is a library and it is a real working public library. People from the neighborhood can just walk right in on these grounds that have been dedicated to the legacy of a president. They made sure to include this quiet space full of books for the people who live here.
The President’s Reading Room, gorgeous space in the library, a curated collection of titles and texts from the president himself and the Obama Foundation. And all of those books live here.
There’s also space inside the library branch reserved for interactive media, where you can record podcasts and more, but there’s one more thing the kids will love.
You know, Michelle Obama said, every day kids wake up believing in the magic of what might be. And what more magical place than a playground.
And the one here on campus is huge. Opens up at 6 a.m. and closes at 9:00 p.m.
Inside the Presidential Center is the Sky Room. Taking a look at this towering ceiling, what you look at are hand stamped words, from one of the president’s speeches.
There are incredible views. Stoney Island, Home court, Jackson Park golf course and continue on over west. And it goes all the way around with gorgeous lake views.
And there are ways to use this space for events, in fact some people are already thinking about having weddings here.
Level five of the museum is almost at the top, and it’s called, “We The People.” This interactive exhibit has thousands of little dots. Each one of the dots represents one person.
The idea is that one dot does not do much but you put it all together and you’ve got a movement, and that’s not it. You can also type your name and your name will pop up on the screen. Strangers that all ended up in this space and place together.
On the fourth floor of the museum is called, The People’s House. It’s dedicated to how the Obama’s opened up the White House over those two terms.
One of those moments in the East Room in 2014- the Women of Soul concert And then the next year, this is 2015 the Obama invited the girl scouts there and they camped out on the lawn.
Another highlight on the floor – the fashion of First Lady Michelle Obama, including dresses from inaugurations state visits, state dinners even the one she wore here in Chicago back when the president officially won the White House in 2008.
And the space that gets all of the talk, replica of the Oval Office, from the area rug on the floor – all the way up to the ceiling, everything that you see in this room is exactly like it was when the president was in office, down to the pictures that are behind the resolute desk.
Now, the resolute desk itself isn’t exactly the same. It’s now ADA compliant. It’s a little wider. But what’s inside the desk is exactly as it was, down to the presidents Blackberry, his pet rock and then the letter that was written from president George Bush to Barrack Obama when he took office here.
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