Visitors get sneak preview of Obama Presidential Centre

Tens of thousands of people in the United States have been given a sneak preview of the Obama Presidential Centre in Chicago.

It opens on 19 June, coinciding with Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the US.

The roughly $850 million project covers both the political and personal realms of the nation’s first Black president.

Features include being able to take a photo of yourself in a life-sized replica of the Oval Office.

“Many presidential libraries and institutions have some of these iconic features. There are some that have the replica of the limousine or Air Force One, but President Obama chose the Oval Office,” said Josh Harris, The Obama Foundation’s vice-president of public engagement.

“If you remember, the White House was designed to be the people's house, and President Obama opened the White House to more people in our history than ever before,” he said

On a recent day, a stream of visitors, including school children, walked through the circular room, stopping to sit behind the desk and pose for pictures.

One drawer holds a copy of a hand-written letter from predecessor former President George W. Bush and Obama’s beloved BlackBerry phone.

The monolithic centre, located on the city’s South Side within the historic Jackson Park, is part of a 19 acre campus.

It features other things that are important to Obama including a new library, a basketball court, and picnic area with grills.

Harris said the exterior of the building was designed in the shape of four hands coming together.

“So with that, it's to hopefully have people reflect on the power of the collective we and people coming together to bring about change.”

It is the first fully digitised presidential museum where unclassified documents can be viewed through a website they are calling a “digital reading room.”

Visitors will also see how the Obamas influenced design, style and culture.

Several of the ballgowns Michelle Obama wore as first lady are displayed on mannequins behind glass, including a black and red dress designed by Narciso Rodriguez that she wore on Election Night in Chicago.

“I want people to know that this is a safe space for them to come and yes, reflect on the historic moment of his presidency and the campaigns, but also to come together as a community to think about what change you can bring to your own neighbourhood and your own community,” said Harris.

The centre has not been without controversy.

This includes concerns about its impact on gentrification of the low-income South Side and  the $30 cost for a ticket into the museum part of the campus, the highest of any US presidential museum or library.

Obama Foundation leaders say the prices are justified for the state-of-the-art facility.