Obama Presidential Center Opens on Chicago's South Side

For the first time, the public is getting a look inside the long-awaited Obama Presidential Center ahead of its Juneteenth opening on Chicago's South Side.

The sprawling, 19.3-acre, $850 million campus blends museum exhibits chronicling former President Barack Obama's political rise and presidency with contemporary art, public gathering spaces, athletic facilities and a branch of the Chicago Public Library.

The center is also poised to redefine the scale of the modern presidential project, setting new marks for construction time, cost and admission price. A general museum ticket will cost $30, making it the most expensive presidential museum or library to visit.

Unlike the libraries of other modern presidents, the Obama center will not be operated by the National Archives and Records Administration. Instead, it will be privately run by the Obama Foundation. The distinction gives the center more freedom in how it presents stories and less red tape around funding.

The center is also intended to serve as an economic engine for the surrounding community, from hiring local contractors to build the campus to drawing new investment to Chicago's South and West Side neighborhoods.

CNBC's Frank Holland contributed to this report.