See what the Oval Office looked like under the Obama presidency
Kinsey Crowley- The Obama Presidential Center has an Oval Office replica inside.
- Take the tour, and see how it compares to President Donald Trump's Oval Office.
A lot has changed since former President Barack Obama was in office.
Soon, visitors to the Obama Presidential Center will be able to walk back in time and right into a replica of the Oval Office during his terms at the White House.
A timestamp of his era, a Blackberry phone rests in the drawer of the mock Resolute Desk.
The Oval Office replica is just one feature of the museum, the monumental building that towers over the center's campus alongside a Chicago Public Library branch, a civic center and more. USA TODAY got a sneak peek of the museum and the center ahead of its public opening on June 19, which is also the federal holiday Juneteenth. Check out the Oval Office replica:
Tour the Oval Office replica at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago
Then and now: Trump has coated the office in gold
Walking through the museum, it's easy to notice some changes since Obama's presidency. For example, the museum contains a diorama of the White House and South Lawn, which now has a UFC arena on it for the Freedom 250 Fight on June 14, which is President Donald Trump's 80th birthday. Trump has said "the claw" could stay permanently, and he also demolished the East Wing of the White House to make room for his $400 million ballroom.
Perhaps the most stark difference is in the Oval Office decorations. See how the two presidents' Oval Offices compare:
Obama's Oval Office replica:
Trump's Oval Office in May:
When does the Obama Presidential Center open?
The Obama Presidential Center opens to the public on June 19. As of June 12, tickets were sold out through mid-October.
There will also be an invite-only grand opening ceremony on June 18 with performances and speeches.
Where is the Obama Presidential Center?
The museum and the surrounding campus are on Chicago's South Side in Jackson Park. It's near the University of Chicago and the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.
How much time and money went into the Obama Presidential Center?
The Obama Foundation announced in 2015 that the home of his presidential center would be in Chicago. The next year, it focused on Jackson Park, which prompted a yearslong federal review process because Jackson Park was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The Chicago-based nonprofit Protect Our Parks sued to stop construction on the historic site, but the lawsuits were ultimately dismissed. The center also faced concerns from some community groups that its presence would price out local residents. The foundation touts investment in the community through the estimated 750,000 campus visitors a year and 300 permanent jobs. The Chicago City Council also passed affordable-housing ordinances in the nearby neighborhoods.
When the Obama Foundation finally broke ground in 2021, it estimated the project would cost $500 million. More recent estimates from the foundation put the price tag at $850 million.
The center includes the ticketed museum, a civic center with a cafe and restaurant, an athletic center, a Chicago Public Library branch and more.
Contributing: Grace Hauck, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on X (Twitter), Threads, Bluesky and TikTok.