The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago will open on June 19 with the highest admission fees among U.S. presidential libraries, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Adult tickets cost $30, surpassing others and exceeding the average since John F. Kennedy by 59%. The project also holds records for construction cost and time since leaving office.
The Obama Presidential Center, spanning 19 acres, charges $30 for adults including those aged 12 and up, $23 for children aged 3 to 11, $26 for adult Illinois residents and $15 for child residents. Illinois visitors must show proof of residency such as a valid photo ID, driver's license or state ID. Critics have highlighted this requirement amid Democratic opposition to voter ID laws, as noted in the Wall Street Journal report. Foundation spokeswoman Emily Bittner said the campus is free except for the museum's four floors, adding amenities like an NBA-regulation basketball court, playground, recording studio and over two dozen public art pieces not found elsewhere. Other libraries charge less: $29 at Richard Nixon's, $26 at George W. Bush's, $25 at Ronald Reagan's, $24 at John F. Kennedy's, down to $12 at Jimmy Carter's and Bill Clinton's. The center cost over $850 million, far above the initial $300 million estimate, compared to $500 million for George W. Bush's. It opens 3,427 days after Barack Obama left office, longer than George H.W. Bush's 1,751 days. Meanwhile, Joe Biden faces fundraising challenges for his center, while Donald Trump's Miami waterfront library plans advance with a tower design by Bermello Ajamil accommodating a presidential jet.
