Obama Presidential Center Ultimate Construction Recap Update: A look at 2025 so far
- The Center
- Building the Center
- First Look
Picture this: It’s August 2026, and you've just arrived at the Obama Presidential Center. As you walk across the campus, you look ahead and see children laughing as they enjoy a game of tag on the Great Lawn. As you wind through new walking paths among lush landscape, you hear the vibrant sounds of a card game being played at a table on the John Lewis Plaza. And as you round the corner of the Playground you can just make out a group of teenagers shooting hoops at Home Court as the sun reflects off the building’s metal panels.
This is the Obama Presidential Center vision and we can't wait to share it with you.
We’re eight months into 2025 and gearing up to welcome visitors to the 19.3-acre South Side Chicago campus. As we inch closer toward opening, construction crews are working tirelessly to build a new home for hope. From winding pathways through lush native landscaping to an inclusive playground, the Presidential Center is taking shape in real time. Read below to learn about progress in 2025.
The Obama Presidential Center Museum Building
At the heart of the Obama Presidential Center campus is the Museum Building, an immersive space where visitors will have the opportunity to dive into the history of the Obamas and the extraordinary people who helped shape their legacy. The construction team has made exciting strides on the Museum Building, continuing granite and glass installations on the exterior of the building. The exterior also features a one-of-a-kind glass art installation by Julie Mehretu, entitled “Uprising of the Sun (Opens in a new tab).”
Inside, contractors have begun exhibition installations across several floors. When open, the Museum will feature exhibits showcasing important moments in President Obama’s administration, memorabilia from his campaigns, and stories from inside the White House. Work across other levels of the Museum will feature films, interactive displays, and an 88 foot tall media installation, Power of Words (Opens in a new tab).
At the very top of the Museum building sits the Sky Room, which is free and accessible to all. There, visitors can take in views of Jackson Park, the Museum of Science and Industry and Lake Michigan. Construction crews are currently framing the walls around the sloped cone ceiling while completing granite installation around windows in the adjoining Sky Room Vista. Stay tuned for a tremendous art installation in this space!
Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit & Vegetable Garden
Hear from members of the South Side as they share excitement about the upcoming Presidential Center
Atop the newest branch of the Chicago Public Library will be the Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden, a community-centered space named after one of the country’s most beloved First Ladies. Last month, the hardscape for the Garden took shape, with new retaining walls outlining the garden planting zone and picnic area. Gravel beds were laid nearby to connect the Garden walkways with 3.5 miles of new walking paths across the campus. Additionally, solar panels on the roof of the Garden Pavilion are set and ready to help power the campus.
Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center
A sneak peek at what’s to come at Home Court
At Home Court —a center for sports and play— drywall is nearly complete, and in the building’s two-story entry lobby, temporary handrails have been added to the stairs. The lobby also features a steel staircase: once completed, these stairs will be painted and finished with terrazzo tile. Inside Main Court, our NBA regulation-size gymnasium, the ceiling and walls are getting their first coats of paint.
This is a little sneak peek into what’s happening across the campus today. Keep an eye out for more updates as we build the Obama Presidential Center!
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Celebrate Sustainability Month with us and take a look at the latest developments at the Presidential Center
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Get a peek at the basketball hoop-shaped exterior wedge walls.
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The Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center was topped out —which means the steel skeleton of the building is complete!
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- Building the Center
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The Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center was topped out —which means the steel skeleton of the building is complete!
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Get a peek at the steel framing for the athletics facility, museum building stone installation and an update on the latest artwork.
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Concrete construction across the site is complete. The Sky Room and Oval Office are taking shape.
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The Museum Building at the Obama Presidential Center has reached its final height of 225 feet.
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See the latest photos and stay up-to-date on the building process.
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The days may be getting cooler, but things are heating up at the Obama Presidential Center!
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Construction has reached the third floor, where a reconstruction of the Obama Oval Office will be on exhibit.
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It has been a season of great progress! The height of the stair and elevator wells have passed the halfway-point of the building.
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Work on the Museum building has reached an exciting milestone with the placement of the street level deck to form the concrete floor at this level.
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Major structural work on the underground parking garage is complete!
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As the Center continues to take shape, we are thrilled to reach a new milestone in its construction.
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Construction at The Center has picked up considerably since the holidays, aided by the unseasonably mild weather.
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As construction of the Obama Presidential Center enters its second year, the focus is almost entirely on concrete.
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The organization is on track to meet its ambitious workforce and business diversity goals for construction.
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The majority of columns for the lower level of the parking garage have been cast and construction of the concrete walls is nearly complete.
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Watch as President Obama surprises the construction crew and tours the site.
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Mass excavation and earth retention is complete and the focus is now squarely on concrete operations.
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Two tower cranes were installed to facilitate the construction of the Garage and Museum Building.
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A metal perimeter around the subterranean level of the main buildings and parking garage will prevent water from infiltrating the buildings.
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Progress on constructing the Obama Presidential Center continues with relatively few inclement weather delays.
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Drilling for geothermal wells is nearly complete, and work to connect the wells through a series of lateral ducts is about a third of the way finished.
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Drilling began for the first caissons that will support the underground parking garage.
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This event will bring members of the disabilities community up to speed on the current approach to inclusive design at the OPC.
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Mayor Lightfoot and Governor Pritzker joined President and Mrs. Obama for the ceremony, each sharing remarks.
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Roadway improvements will continue and construction will begin within the 19.3 acre site of the Center that sits within Jackson Park.
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- Building the Center
- Chicago
Expect lane closures as preparatory work to remove the existing median on Cornell Drive and install a new one begins.
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