Obama Presidential Center sells out first month hours after tickets become available

Just hours after going on sale Wednesday morning, tickets for the Obama Center sold out for the first month, with more flying off the digital shelves as the day went on.

New Jersey-born Lake View resident Andres Chamorro said it still wasn’t as bad as trying to secure entry to local shows for big artists, such as Chappell Roan.

“I’d say this was less stressful than trying to get Geese tickets,” Chamorro said. “It was painful to lose out on opening weekend, but I was up against a good part of the city, if not the state.”

The Obama Presidential Center didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment or to provide figures on how many tickets were sold Wednesday.

The museum debuts June 18 with an invitation-only grand opening ceremony, then opens to the public the next day — Juneteenth. Donors were offered early access to tickets last month, however, so those looking to get in on opening day faced an uphill battle from the start.

Chamorro had intended to get opening weekend tickets for him and his boyfriend, but it had sold out by the time he got through the queue.

“I’ve seen how the area has been changed and revitalized over the years, and we’ve been watching the obelisk rise up,” Chamorro said. “So to see the culmination on opening day would've been cool.”

All of June and half of July have already sold out, though the calendar largely remains open into November. In October and November, that includes all Tuesdays, which are free days for Illinois residents.

Tickets cost $30, though there's a $4 discount for Illinois residents, a $3 discount for out-of-state kids and $11 off for in-state kids. Tickets can’t be returned, transferred or sold.

Chamorro plans to get tickets eventually, and suggests others try to land a weekday to make the whole process easier, even if the initial ticket rush seems to be over. He said he might try to avoid packed weekends or times when schools are likely to bringi students.

“For something like this, it’s something I want to take all of it at once,” he said.