Obama Center Opens

Barack and Michelle Obama opened the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Jackson Park, marking the culmination of a project more than a decade in the making and nearly five years after groundbreaking. The $850 million campus, funded through private donations raised by the Obama Foundation, drew former Presidents Joe Biden, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, along with Hillary Clinton, Jill Biden, foreign dignitaries, athletes and celebrities. Performers including Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Bono, Jennifer Hudson, Common and John Legend helped turn the dedication into a major cultural and political event on the South Side. Obama used the ceremony to reflect on his presidency, Chicago roots and democratic ideals, while Michelle Obama delivered an emotional tribute that moved her husband to tears. The center officially opens to the public after the invite-only dedication ceremony.