Obama opens $850 million presidential center in Chicago
Why it matters: The South Side campus doubles as a museum and community hub, tying Obama's legacy to civic engagement in his hometown.
Former President Barack Obama opened the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on Thursday, capping a yearslong effort to build an $850 million campus on the city’s South Side. Joined by Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Obama framed the center as a civic space rather than a traditional presidential library. The 19.3-acre Jackson Park site includes museum exhibits, a reading room and public amenities such as a playground, basketball court, recording studio and library. Obama said the center belonged in Chicago because of his roots there, while Michelle Obama urged visitors to use it as a place to gather, talk and reconnect. Musicians including Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder performed at the opening ceremony.