Getting to the Center

Taxi and ride-sharing services may pick-up and drop off passengers at the drop off curb in front of the campus on Stony Island Avenue.

Coming from the West

We recommend that those in vehicles traveling from the West take the Garfield Blvd exit to our campus. 

Coming from the North 

We recommend that those in vehicles traveling from the North take the Hayes exit to our campus.  

Coming from the South

We recommend that those in vehicles traveling from the South take the Stony Island exit to our campus. 

If your GPS is having trouble, please use the address 6001 S. Stony Island Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637.

Metra (Opens in a new tab) is Chicago’s commuter rail transit system. The closest Metra stops are on the Metra Electric Line (Opens in a new tab) which also stops at Millennium Park and McCormick Place. 

The closest stops to the Center are the University of Chicago & 59th station (Opens in a new tab) (a 3 minute walk to the Museum) and the 63rd Street station (Opens in a new tab) (an 8 minute walk to Home Court). 

Although these stops are the closest to the Center, neither have elevator access. The closest Metra stop with elevator access is 55th - 56th - 57th Street Station (Opens in a new tab) . The walk from this station to the Presidential Center is 12 minutes. 

CTA (Opens in a new tab) is Chicago's public transportation agency operating the subway and several bus systems across the city. 

The #6 (Opens in a new tab) , #15 (Opens in a new tab) and #28 (Opens in a new tab) buses have stops directly in front of the campus.

Recommendations for CTA train 

While there are no direct CTA train lines to the Obama Presidential Center, we do recommend a few options for those who want to travel by train:

Coming from the South

For visitors coming from the South, we recommend that you take the 63rd Street Station stop (Red Line) or the Cottage Grove Station stop (Green Line) to connect to one of the bus routes noted above. 

Coming from the North

For visitors coming from the North, we recommend that you take the Garfield Blvd Station stop (located on both Red and Green Lines) to connect to one of the bus routes noted above. 

On-Campus Paid Parking 

• Entrance to the Garage is located off Stony Island between the Forum and Home Court. The garage has limited capacity. 

  • Daily from 7 a.m.-11 p.m. 

• The Obama Presidential Center has 18 EV charging stations that are available on a first-come-first-served basis. 

• The Garage height clearance is 8’2”. We are unable to accommodate oversized vehicles or RVs.

• Motorcycles are welcome; however, there are no dedicated spots.

Accessible parking is available in the on-campus parking garage and is subject to parking rates. Learn more information on our accessibility options . 

Divvy (Opens in a new tab) , Chicago's bike-sharing system, offers a convenient transportation option for both residents and visitors. Divvy rideshare stations and bike racks are available on Stony Island Avenue at 56th and 64th Streets.

For those looking to cycle, the Lakefront Trail runs near Jackson Park. Cross DuSable Lake Shore Drive by using the underpasses at 57th St., 59th St. or Hayes Dr. just north of the 63rd St. Beachhouse. Visit the Chicago Park District website (Opens in a new tab) for more details.