Inside Obama’s presidential museum opening this month: The cost, the books and a beehive

CHICAGO (AP) — The Obama Presidential Center will open June 19, more than a decade after the former president chose his hometown of Chicago for the project. The museum displays campaign memorabilia and presidential artifacts, while its campus showcases a new community basketball court, public library and playground.

A look at the numbers behind the former President Barack Obama’s presidential museum.

$850 million

The approximate cost to build the 225-foot-tall (70-meter-tall) museum tower and nearly 20-acre (8-hectare) campus, which the Obama Foundation is paying for with private donations. The cost ballooned from the initial estimates of $350 million.

600,000

The number of projected annual visitors to the admission-based museum. As many as 1 million people are expected to visit the free amenities on the campus each year.

3,500

The approximate number of book titles the Obamas personally selected for the “Presidential Reading Room” in a new public library branch on campus.

440

The number of different campaign buttons on display from Obama’s campaigns, including those designed for individual states.

28

The number of commissioned works of art from 30 different artists.

1

The number of beehives on campus. An apiary is part of the gardens and extensive landscaping on campus.