Obama Presidential Center Sets Spring 2026 Opening on Chicago’s South Side

After years of planning and construction, the Barack Obama Presidential Center is slated to open in spring 2026 in Chicago’s Jackson Park, the Obama Foundation announced Oct. 20. The foundation also released a virtual preview of the 19-acre campus, while former President Barack Obama shared new footage of the museum rising on the city’s South Side.

“When the Obama Presidential Center opens next year, it will be a hub for change—a place for people from all over the world to come together, get inspired, and take what they learn back to their own communities,” Obama said, framing the project as both a destination and a catalyst for civic engagement.

Designed as a “global center for change,” the site will blend cultural, educational, and recreational spaces. Plans call for a world-class museum chronicling the lives and legacy of the nation’s first Black president and first lady; landscaped gardens; an athletic and events facility; and a library and learning spaces aimed at students, families, and community groups.

The museum will anchor the campus with exhibitions tracing Obama’s path from Chicago organizer to two-term president. Its exterior will feature words from his 2015 address marking the 50th anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery march. Inside, galleries will highlight milestones of the Obama years and situate them within the broader story of U.S. democracy, including the work of predecessors and movements that paved the way.

Beyond exhibitions, the center is slated to host workshops, community programs, and public events intended to equip visitors with tools for local action. The foundation says the project is also designed to spur economic activity on the South Side through jobs, tourism, and partnerships with neighborhood institutions.

With opening targeted for next year, the Obama Presidential Center is positioning itself as both a new civic landmark and a working campus—meant to attract global visitors while investing in the surrounding community where the Obamas forged their political and personal roots. Chicago now awaits the debut of a campus built to inspire, educate, and convene.