The Obama Presidential Center

Virtual tour of the Obama Presidential Center

People explore the sky room of the future Obama Presidential Center

Visitor experience at the museum

Listen to Dr. Louise Bernard, Director of the Museum at the Obama Presidential Center, share more about what visitors will experience at the museum

Listen to Dr. Louise Bernard (Opens in a new tab)

Take a tour of our future home

Progress and milestones

In 2023, the Obama Presidential Center achieved significant milestones: workers completed substantial structural construction of the parking garage, Chicago Public Library branch, Forum Building, and the Museum Building. The design of the Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center, the athletic center, was also substantially finalized.

To date, we have committed $1.35M to have 645 residents enroll in construction pre-apprenticeship programs.

36% Percentage of spend to date

52% Percentage of hours performed by city of Chicago residents 

35% of the workforce hours on the project will be performed by workers from the South and West Side communities.

54% Percentage of contract amounts committed to diverse vendors

38% Percentage of workforce hours performed by South & West Side residents 

50% of the construction amounts with be spent with diverse vendors 

163 Number of contracts at all tiers to date

385 Number of candidates placed in trade and non trade positions across the city 

President Obama gave his stamp of approval for the museum exhibit designs and we're in the process of building our museum collection and producing the exhibits’ films and interactive media. In addition, strides were made in developing the programming strategy and finalizing a slate of incredible artists who will create commissioned artworks for the Obama Presidential Center as we prepare for opening in 2026.

Our construction manager, Clayco, created this 360-degree rotational view of the Museum Building, showing what it looks like currently to what it will look like when it is completed. 

Watch the video (Opens in a new tab)

Sustainability at the Obama Presidential Center

The Obama Presidential Center embodies President Obama’s commitments to environmental protection and energy conservation and builds on Mrs. Obama’s priorities of health and wellness.

The Obama Presidential Center will tackle climate change through comprehensive energy strategies. The Center’s heating and cooling needs are met by an underground geothermal system, completely eliminating the use of fossil fuels. Electricity for the campus comes exclusively from renewable sources, with a goal of achieving nearly 40% better energy performance than national standards.

To ensure a healthy indoor environment for all guests, we will implement green cleaning methods and integrated pest management practices. High-efficiency entryway systems and filters will capture airborne contaminants, contributing to our standard of a clean and safe atmosphere.

Water stewardship is a key feature of the Obama Presidential Center. The Center repurposes captured rainwater for landscape maintenance and eco-friendly toilet flushing, ensuring that 98% of stormwater is retained on-site with no runoff sent to the sewer.

In addition to water conservation, the landscape design not only promotes wellness but also respects native ecosystems in Jackson Park. We plan to plant nearly 1,000 trees and shrubs—more than double the number removed during construction—while restoring 30% of the site with native or adapted plants. The use of pesticides and fertilizers will be minimized to further protect the environment.

We are pursuing several sustainability certifications, including Platinum LEED Certification, Silver SITES Certification, and the WELL Health-Safety Rating. Additionally, the team is considering Zero Energy certification through renewable energy purchases, reinforcing their commitment to a sustainable and healthy future. 

Explore our sustainability efforts
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Sustainability at The Center

Listen to David Reynolds, Vice President of Operations at the Obama Presidential Center, share more about the Center’s sustainability.

Listen to David Reynolds (Opens in a new tab)

The Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center

Located at the southwest corner of our Jackson Park campus, the Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center will be a hub for vibrant community engagement and enrichment. This 45,000 square foot multipurpose venue will host a range of activities, from youth and adult programs to professional conferences and community events for various organizations.

The design of Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center reflects two of President Obama’s personal passions: basketball and community building. Its sleek metal and fritted glass façade draws inspiration from the pattern of a basketball net, symbolizing community connection. Additionally, the building aligns with the Foundation’s sustainability goals, utilizing geothermal energy for heating and cooling as part of a broader strategy to eliminate fossil fuel use on the campus.

Watch the video (Opens in a new tab)
A rendering of the outside front of Home Court from Stony Island Avenue. It is daylight in the picture. Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center is a large silver and glass building, with large rectangular windows covering the majority of the front of the building and two large inverted silver triangles of metal cladding interrupting the glass on the side. In front of the building are green shrubs and trees planted along a pedestrian walkway. To the left of the building is a large patch of grass surrounded by a pedestrian walkway. To the right of the building are tall green trees. On the pedestrian pathways are several people walking, standing, and sitting. There is a bicycle rack on the pedestrian walkway. The image is a rendering of our Home Court, a . The gymnasium has a wooden floor with basketball court markings and the Obama Foundation logo in blue at center court. The walls of the gymnasium are paneled in wood and light-colored metal trusses span the ceiling. The wall furthest from the photo is made of rectangular glass windows. Through the windows you can see Jackson Park. In the gymnasium are people playing on the basketball court, people sitting in seats on the court, and people sitting in bleachers. An aerial rendering of Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center. The building is silver and glass with a sloped white roof and an array of dark gray solar panels on the roof. The front of the building has several glass windows and a rectangular awning over the entrance on the left. Surrounding the building is Jackson Park. On the right side of the building are tall green trees. On the left side is a park path with patches of green grass and tan placeholders where playground equipment will be. In front of the building is a sidewalk leading out to the street. Walking along the sidewalk path in front of the building are several people.
A rendering of the Obama Presidential Center campus.

Reflecting the values and mission

Listen to Lori Healey, Senior Vice President and Executive Project Officer at the ObamaPresidential Center, explain how the center’s design and architecture reflect the values and mission.

Listen to Lori Healey (Opens in a new tab)

Local mural initiative

Eva Bradley, a young woman with a light medium skin tone, stands and points at a mural at the site of the Obama Presidential Center. Eva is wearing a flannel t-shirt and has curly brown hair with pink tips. The mural in the background features illustrations of young people.
Brandon Breaux, a Black man with a deep skin tone, stands over five seated students. On the table is an iPad and illustrations. He is wearing a mint beanie. Space art is on the wall in the background.

In 2023, Chicago artist Brandon Breaux partnered with 15 students at Dyett High School to create a mural on the construction fence at the site of the Obama Presidential Center that represents the rich culture and community that surrounds Chicago’s South and West sides. 

For weeks, students worked with Brandon to create a piece that would inspire passersby. To him, the project was more than a collection of collage images and colors, and more than a tribute to the Obamas. It is a powerful statement of community, opportunity, and of the enduring legacy of the city. 

“The mural is a collage of our collective experiences. It’s an homage to the legacy of Chicago and the Obamas,” Brandon Breaux reflected. “I’m proud of the work we did—to create art that communicates to different kinds of people, allows them to see themselves in it, and respond to it.”

Brandon says he hopes the Obama Presidential Center does what it sets out to do. 

“I hope [the Center] helps people imagine what kind of future they want to live in—what future they want to see for their community and people in their lives,” Brandon shared. 

The mural is available for all to see at 62nd and Stony Island at the site of the Obama Presidential Center. 

The Obama Foundation 2023 Annual Report