What to know about the Obama Presidential Center
The Obama Presidential Center opens its doors to the public on Friday.
When the Obama Presidential Center opens its doors to the public Friday, visitors will learn not just about the personal journey of former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama but also how it connects to the broader story of American grassroots movements that have broken glass ceilings and led to fundamental political and social changes since the nation's founding.
The $850 million center, a sprawling campus in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, goes beyond the established model for presidential libraries to date. While there are artifacts on display -- from dresses worn by Michelle Obama to campaign buttons and handwritten speech notes by the former president -- the bulk of the 19-acre campus is rooted in connecting fundamental pivot moments in history to ordinary people and their capacity for serving as catalysts for the common good.
The intent, Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett told ABC News, is that visitors will "leave with a stronger conviction that we are all responsible for continuing to improve our great nation of ours."
"Most importantly," she added, "they're going to have fun."
See Robin Roberts' extended interview with the Obamas, "The Obama Legacy" -- including more on the Presidential Center -- tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC News Live, then on Disney+ and Hulu.
The most striking difference between the center and other presidential libraries is that, for the first time in history, the records from the Obama presidency will be fully digital, which will make them more accessible and allow the center to reconfigure its physical space to accommodate a wider array of interactive material and programming. That includes a recording studio, auditorium, newly opened branch of the Chicago Public Library, a 60,000-square-foot multipurpose space that includes a basketball court, and an 88-foot-tall signature digital installation featuring former speeches, poetry and music grounded in the former president's two terms in office.
The center's buildings are set inside Jackson Park, a historic swath of public park land that connects the neighborhood to the neighboring Griffin Museum of Science and Industry and Lake Michigan beachfront. The 3.7 acres of outside space include a public plaza, walking trails, a fruit and vegetable garden, and over an acre of playground space. Twenty-eight commissioned works of art -- 23 of which are free and accessible without a ticket -- are also on display throughout the campus.
Jarrett, a former Obama adviser, said while the center is designed for visitors from all walks of life, it has a unique appeal to nearby Chicagoans. Like her, the Obamas lived within walking distance during the early years of their marriage, and Michelle Obama spent much of her childhood just one neighborhood away.
"It was important to give back and give to this community, a community to which they owe a great deal," Jarrett said.
The center's museum is segmented by four floors, starting with the nation's founding, a survey of 20th century social movements, and a focus on civil rights and labor leaders. There is also a special focus on the grassroots political movement in Chicago that culminated in the 1983 election of Harold Washington, Chicago's first Black mayor, who was also a Hyde Park resident. Barack Obama's connection to that coalition of leaders is also explored through a section dedicated to his early political career in Illinois and as a U.S. senator.
From there, the museum moves into the former president's achievements across his two terms, including the Paris Accord, the Affordable Care Act, and work related to gun violence and immigration.
The fourth floor is designed with a more personal touch, with exhibits including memorabilia from sports legends, gifts from foreign heads of state, a full-scale replica of the Oval Office during his tenure, and videos of musical performances and other civic events.
A full tour has its share of nostalgia, but many of the same issues, such as immigration and Middle East negotiations for peace, strike a chord today. Jarrett said that despite the harsher political division of the current climate, she hopes that the center will help people "appreciate the fact that change is always hard, it is often incremental, and it takes a long time."
"So, when we talk 'hope and change,' those are not easy words," Jarrett said, referencing Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign theme. "They are intended to be timeless."
She added, "We hope people find inspiration [from the Obama Presidential Center campus] and continue that glorious journey in working to improve this nation of ours."
Another notable detail spotted on a recent visit to the museum: the presence of Kleenex boxes in different spots. Jarrett said a decision was made to put them out, because for many visitors, revisiting the Obama years "has been very emotional."
For people seeking hope, Jarrett said the message is simple: "Democracy is not a spectator sport. All of us have to get involved. We all can do something to be mighty forces for good."
See Robin Roberts' extended interview with the Obamas, "The Obama Legacy" -- including more on the Presidential Center -- tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC News Live, then on Disney+ and Hulu.
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