Fri 7/24
The Obama Presidential Center opened in Chicago on June 19, 2026, and it’s proven to be like no other presidential “library” in existence. It’s a true community center, a place of joy where people come to hang out and simply be in the presence of other people of all types.
While tickets to the museum in the tall tower that serves as its focal point are sold out until the end of the year, don’t let that stop you from going if you have a trip to Chicago in the near future. The museum comprises only a small piece of the campus, which centers around a sprawling plaza with a large statue of President Obama and his wife Michelle — and a long line waiting to take photos with it. The plaza is packed with people just hanging out, eating ice cream and drinking cold drinks provided by nearby vendors. We spotted several family reunion groups. There’s also a branch of the Chicago Public Library which features a room filled with the books from Barack and Michelle’s own library on display for viewing — but the spacious main room is like any library, with books you can check out, comfortable chairs for browsing and places to sit and work on your computer.
If you go, be sure to walk out the back, through the Ann Dunham Garden (named for Obama’s mother) where there’s a striking Maya Lin water sculpture, and out the back where you have a view of Jackson Park Lagoon and the Wooded Island where I did many of my Girl Scout nature badges as a kid, identifying trees and birds. Then follow the path and stairs lined with flowers and herbs to a rooftop space containing the fruit and vegetable garden. And watch the faces of people as they realize they can stand there and soak in nature for as long as they want. The OPC is truly a gift to the people of the Woodlawn neighborhood, the south side of Chicago (where I’m from), the city of Chicago and the country, maybe even a few foreigners if the current president will allow them in!
View the PHOTOSTREAM here.
