Fannie Lou Hamer Walkway at the Obama Presidential Center
Chicago, Illinois
6001 South Stony Island, Chicago, IL | (773) 900-0044
(HOURS)
CAMPUS GROUNDS: SUN-SAT 6AM-9PM; MUSEUM: MON 1PM-8PM|TUES-SUN 10AM-5PM
June 18, 2026: Dedication and Grand Opening Ceremony June 19, 2026: Official Opening
The Obama Presidential Center (right) is more than a landmark—it’s a new space of possibilities. Built on the South Side where the Obamas’ journey began, this 19.3 acre campus was designed with you in mind. Find inspiration in a one-of-a-kind Museum, dive into a story at the public library, or hang with friends on the Great Lawn. From around the block to across the world, this is your home for hope and change. (Left) At nearly 7-feet tall, a statue depicting former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama waving during their 2009 inauguration parade is outside the entrance of the Museum Tower at the Obama Presidential Center. The sculpture was created by by StudioEIS, a Brooklyn-based sculpture and design companyThe Obama Presidential Center marks a milestone for Chicago’s South Side by creating a new civic, cultural, and educational destination rooted in community and public engagement.
As part of the broader vision for the campus and its surrounding public areas, a series of spaces have been created that honor the civil rights and democracy leaders who have inspired President and Mrs. Obama’s own leadership journeys. These include Mississippi-sharecropper and voting rights advocate Fannie Lou Hamer. The signage at the Fannie Lou Hamer Walkway at the entrance to the campus at the Obama Presidential Center. And an artist’s early rendering of the dedicated space honoring civil rights icon and humanitarian Fannie Lou Hamer. 
Construction on the Fannie Lou Hamer Walkway
The Walkway leads visitors to the campus entrance
The Fannie Lou Hamer Walkway taking shape
Situated at the entrance to the campus, the Fannie Lou Hamer Walkway serves as a “park within a park" that blends lush plantings and stone hardscapes to provide a contemplative transition between the Library and Forum buildings.Additional signage honoring Hamer appear on the north facing wall just inside the courtyard and features one of her quotes: “And it’s no easy way out. We just got to wake up and face it, folks. And if I can face the issue, you can too.” - Fannie Lou Hamer
