The Museum at the Obama Presidential Center, a four-floor cultural and civic space opening June 19 on Chicago’s South Side. Photo: Courtesy of the Obama Foundation
The Museum at the Obama Presidential Center, a four-floor cultural and civic space opening June 19 on Chicago’s South Side. Photo: Courtesy of the Obama Foundation

With the opening of the Obama Presidential Center weeks away, tickets to its highly anticipated museum will be released to the general public Wednesday morning, setting up what organizers expect to be a rush for summer dates.

The Obama Foundation said sales will begin at 9 a.m. CT on May 6, with high demand expected when the online queue opens. Summer weekends are likely to sell out first, officials said, urging prospective visitors to prepare alternate dates and times before entering the ticketing system.

The release follows an earlier presale period offered to founding members of the foundation, part of a phased rollout announced last year as interest in the project intensified.

The museum is scheduled to open June 19, one day after the center’s formal dedication, and will anchor a 19.3-acre campus in historic Jackson Park that is otherwise free and open to the public. While general access to the grounds does not require a ticket, entry to the museum itself will be timed and must be reserved in advance.

General admission tickets are priced between $23 and $30, with discounted rates for Illinois residents. The foundation also said Illinois residents will be able to reserve free admission on designated Tuesdays.

Visitors to the museum will encounter a four-floor exhibition space featuring interactive installations, historical artifacts and immersive storytelling centered on the presidency of Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, as well as broader themes of civic engagement and democracy.

The broader campus includes public amenities such as a library branch, athletic facilities, gardens and public art, much of which will be accessible without a ticket.

The foundation said tickets released this week will cover visits from June 19 through Nov. 30, with additional dates expected to be announced later.

Disclosure: The author is a founding member of the Obama Foundation.

Author

  • Born and raised in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, Tom is the Founder, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Mshale which has been reporting on the news and culture of African immigrants in the United States since 1995. He has a BA in Business from Metro State University and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

    He was the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABN-America), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dish Network satellite service. On the show, he interviewed Nobel laureates such as 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Professor Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the peace prize and heads of states. Tom has served and chaired various boards including Global Minnesota (formerly Minnesota International Center), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. He has previously served as the first Black President of the Board of Directors at Books for Africa. He also serves on the board of the Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium. He has previously served two terms on the board of the United Nations Association.

    An avid runner, he retired from running full marathons after turning 50 and now only focuses on training for half marathons.

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About Tom Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief

Born and raised in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, Tom is the Founder, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Mshale which has been reporting on the news and culture of African immigrants in the United States since 1995. He has a BA in Business from Metro State University and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He was the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABN-America), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dish Network satellite service. On the show, he interviewed Nobel laureates such as 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Professor Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the peace prize and heads of states. Tom has served and chaired various boards including Global Minnesota (formerly Minnesota International Center), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. He has previously served as the first Black President of the Board of Directors at Books for Africa. He also serves on the board of the Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium. He has previously served two terms on the board of the United Nations Association. An avid runner, he retired from running full marathons after turning 50 and now only focuses on training for half marathons.

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Tom Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief
Tom Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief
http://www.mshale.com
Born and raised in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, Tom is the Founder, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Mshale which has been reporting on the news and culture of African immigrants in the United States since 1995. He has a BA in Business from Metro State University and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He was the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABN-America), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dish Network satellite service. On the show, he interviewed Nobel laureates such as 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Professor Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the peace prize and heads of states. Tom has served and chaired various boards including Global Minnesota (formerly Minnesota International Center), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. He has previously served as the first Black President of the Board of Directors at Books for Africa. He also serves on the board of the Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium. He has previously served two terms on the board of the United Nations Association. An avid runner, he retired from running full marathons after turning 50 and now only focuses on training for half marathons.

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