Barack Obama Presidential Center, Presidential museum and library complex in Jackson Park, Chicago, United States
The Barack Obama Presidential Center is a four-building complex in Jackson Park: a museum tower, forum, library and separate athletic center, clad in light New Hampshire granite. The tower rises above a plaza, with a glass window running down its facade and a quotation cut into a dark panel at the top.
In 2014 the Obama Foundation invited bids; Columbia, the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa applied. In May 2015 the board chose the University of Chicago, then picked Jackson Park over Washington Park. The center opened on June 18, 2026, with public access from June 19, Juneteenth.
The center is named after Barack Obama, the 44th US president, who taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. Its site in Jackson Park, chosen over Washington Park, sits near the Museum of Science and Industry. The complex functions as a community center rather than a traditional archive, and its main entry is at John Lewis Plaza.
The complex sits in the southern part of Chicago and is reachable by public transit, with visitors advised to allow time for security checks. The outdoor areas are freely accessible, while entry to museum spaces varies by availability.
The design comes from the New York architecture firm Tod Williams Billie Tsien, known for its restrained forms and integration of nature and buildings. The landscape plan uses native plants and aims to respect and extend the natural setting of the park.
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