There are a host of locals who acted as the behind-the-scenes cast to prepare the Obama Presidential Center for its opening ceremony.

Tickets will become available to the general public on July 8. Founding members of the Obama Foundation will receive presale access starting one week earlier on July 1.

At the end of the Obama presidency a question was posed to architects around the world: Who wants to design the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side of Chicago? More than 140 architecture firms applied, but only one got the proverbial golden ticket. Geoffrey Baer has the story.

Valerie Jarrett was a senior advisor to President Barack Obama for the entirety of both his terms, making her the longest-serving senior advisor in history. Now she is the CEO of the Obama Foundation and one of the key players in the creation of the Obama Presidential Center.

WTTW News visited the Obama Presidential Center for a firsthand look at the exhibits, installations and everything in between.

The Obama Presidential Center hosted a grand opening ceremony complete with a host of musical acts and notable guests.

Despite years of organizing and city ordinances being put in place, rising housing costs and investor activity continue to threaten gentrification in neighborhoods surrounding the Obama Presidential Center.

The portrait by artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby is on display at the Obama Presidential Center. The unveiling of the portrait — which weaves together archival images, family albums and symbolic elements — comes ahead of the center’s grand opening celebrations this week.

The campus, sprawling across historic Jackson Park, houses basketball courts, gardens, a branch of the Chicago Public Library and an eight-story museum. The multi-use space is in sharp contrast with traditional presidential libraries.

WTTW News got a sneak peek of the Obama Presidential Center: Here’s what visitors can expect from the museum and the broader campus.

The Obama Presidential Center is kicking off its public programming with a three-day grand opening festival, June 19-21.

All entry to the museum is timed-ticketed, and visitors are strongly encouraged to reserve tickets online in advance, according to the center. Every Tuesday, the museum is free for Illinois residents.

Tickets to the highly anticipated Obama Presidential Center, which opens June 19, will go on sale to the general public May 6, the Obama Foundation has announced.

Announced in 2015, the Obama Presidential Center will open to the public June 19 at its 20-acre campus in Chicago’s historic Jackson Park.

The employees will serve as the public face of the Obama Presidential Center, helping to support the visitor experience for the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected each year, according to a news release. Applications are open until Jan. 31.

The unanimous vote by the City Council’s Housing and Real Estate Committee means a yearslong fight to prevent longtime residents from being pushed out of South Shore is one step away from victory.