CHICAGO: The Obama Presidential Center, which documents the life and administration of former US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, officially opened to the public on Friday.
Thousands of visitors jammed the 20-acre plaza and building, which includes a museum and library featuring Obama-related relics and books, conference facilities, athletic spaces, gardens, walking paths, playgrounds and public art installations.
The Obamas kicked off the official opening with a special “story time for children and families” to “celebrate the power of imagination, curiosity, and storytelling.”
It began with a reading of the classic 1963 picture book “Where the Wild Things Are,” written by Polish-Jewish author Maurice Sendak.
“The event reflected one of the Center’s core goals: inspiring young people to dream bigger, explore new possibilities, and recognize their own potential to lead and create change in their communities,” according to a statement to Arab News from the center’s vice president of communications, Emily Bittner.
