Check Out The Obama Center’s ‘Fully Inclusive’ Playground

WOODLAWN — Chicagoans can now explore the newly opened Obama Presidential Center, including a first-of-its kind playground.

The presidential center held its grand opening ceremony Thursday, giving residents access to the long-in-the-works campus in Woodlawn. The star-studded event included the unveiling of the center’s museum, a Chicago Public Library branch, athletics facility, 28 commissioned artworks and public outdoor spaces, including the playground.

The 21,000-square-foot playground is the first fully accessible play space in the city, and it is the first playground built as part of a presidential center, according to Bloomberg. Built in conjunction with the Chicago Park District and the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, the space features elements that support “physical, cognitive, sensory and social play,” according to the Park District.

Located on the Midway Plaisance and across Stony Island Avenue from the Obama Center campus, the playground has three themed play zones: stone creek, musical grove and picnic plaza.

Features include ADA-accessible swings, a slide with a platform for wheelchair users and “sensory nooks” including a mud kitchen, sound forest and fragrance garden.

Other features include a duck slide, an insect climbing space and climbing equipment.

The play space is funded by a $4 million donation from the Obama Foundation, officials said. The Park District, whose board of commissioners approved the project in 2024, made improvements to the grounds including drainage upgrades and restoration of the historic Cheney-Goode Memorial, one of Chicago’s earliest monuments honoring the civic contributions of women.

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“Play is fundamental – every child and every caregiver should have access to a space that supports exploration, imagination and fosters belonging,” Park District Superintendent Carlos Ramirez-Rosa said in a statement. “This new park amenity reflects the District’s ongoing commitment to play space stewardship and enhancing public spaces that connect people of all abilities.”

The ground is open 6 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. Check out more photos of the Obama center’s playground:

Maxwell Evans contributed reporting.