{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreie3rnmubrbu54llvkg33jshgsedxaaq2dfnn3wirvry2x23yxqrmu",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:ha7wpngv4f2qwrk5hta4ktbb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgizne2656a2"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreign3gvn6gbajqb3o3zqriqnt5zozybvx7ach2w4y3jqdn2y4o7boy"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/jpeg",
    "size": 506218
  },
  "path": "/chicago/2026/03/07/obama-presidential-center-opening-juneteenth-chicago",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-07T22:30:27.156Z",
  "site": "https://chicago.suntimes.com",
  "textContent": "<p>Chicago will get its first full look at the Obama Presidential Center during a full slate of grand-opening celebrations over Juneteenth weekend, officials announced Saturday.</p><p>A dedication ceremony will be held June 18 for former President Barack Obama’s namesake museum and campus in Jackson Park, which will open to the public on June 19 <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/architecture-design/2025/11/13/obama-presidential-center-jackson-park-delays-construction\" >after a decade of planning, fundraising, delays and construction</a>. Additional community celebrations will be held on campus June 20-21.</p><p>The 44th president, who launched his political career in Chicago and has a home in Kenwood, announced the opening date in a social media video.</p><p>\"Here on the South Side of Chicago, hope is getting a permanent home. Starting on June 19, you can visit the Obama Presidential Center,” Obama said. “This is not a monument to the past; it is a living destination for people who refuse to accept the status quo. If you feel that way, this is your invitation to join us.”</p><p>The Obama Foundation made the announcement on the 61st anniversary of the civil rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama — the subject of the Obama speech that’s partly inscribed on the exterior of the building on Stony Island Avenue near Midway Plaisance.</p><p>Scheduled to open to the public on the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery, the Obama Center includes a playground, green space, public art installations, a public forum and a Chicago Public Library branch. The campus connects to the Museum of Science and Industry as well as the Jackson Park lagoons.</p><p>Most of it will be free, except for museum tickets. They’ll go on sale in May with pricing “in line with other Chicago cultural institutions,” foundation officials said.</p><div class=\"RelatedList Enhancement\" data-module data-align-center> <div class=\"RelatedList-title\">Related</div> <ul class=\"RelatedList-items\"> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/architecture-design/2025/12/08/obama-presidential-center-home-court-building-opened-exclusive-look\" >Obama Presidential Center’s first building is complete — Here’s an exclusive look</a> </li> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/03/06/read-barack-obamas-eulogy-for-rev-jesse-jackson\" >Read Barack Obama’s eulogy for Rev. Jesse Jackson</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p>Opening celebrations will include live performances, family activities, food, art and storytelling across campus.</p><p>Obama announced plans in 2015 for the $800 million center and its 225-foot museum tower, which take up 19.3 acres of the National Register-listed Jackson Park. It was originally expected to open by 2021 before being held up by lawsuits and federal reviews.</p>",
  "title": "Obama Presidential Center's opening date set for Juneteenth on South Side",
  "updatedAt": "2026-03-07T22:30:27.156Z"
}