Obama Library’s $30 Ticket Shocks Visitors
Barack Obama’s new presidential center is almost ready to open, and one detail is getting a lot of attention: the price of admission. Adults will be charged $30 to get inside. That is not a small fee, especially for a museum-style visit that many families may have to budget around.
The center is set to open on June 19, and the cost does more than catch the eye. It puts the Obama Presidential Center at the top of the list for modern presidential libraries when it comes to admission prices. For a lot of people, that number feels steep before they even factor in Chicago traffic, parking, and the rest of the usual city expenses.
The Wall Street Journal reported: “The Obama Presidential Center is finally here. Prepare to pay up.” The paper also noted, “Barack Obama’s new presidential center isn’t a cheap date, and neither is his adopted hometown.” It went on to say that the $30 adult ticket is “more than at any other U.S. presidential library” and is “59% higher than the average for presidents from John F. Kennedy through George W. Bush.”
That price tag fits the larger story around the project. It has taken a long time to finish, and the final cost has drawn plenty of attention too. Supporters say the center will be a major draw for Chicago and could bring in hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. They also see it as a boost for the surrounding neighborhood.
Still, not everyone is convinced the numbers will work out so smoothly. John Nolte of Breitbart News offered a blunt take on what might happen after the first wave of interest dies down. He wrote: “My guess is that after the initial excitement, that $30 price tag combined with all the cost and hassle involved in driving and parking in Chicago will slow traffic considerably. That leaves an awfully expensive infrastructure to maintain. But, not to belabor the point, we are talking about Democrats here, so I’m sure there is some scheme planned where the presidential library becomes a “Learing Center” or a phony hospice that bilks we the taxpayers out of billions.”
Love it or hate it, the Obama Presidential Center is arriving with a premium price. For some visitors, that will be part of the experience. For others, it may be the reason they skip the trip entirely.