See inside the Obama Presidential Center, set to open in Chicago Friday

In a city famous for its architectural landmarks, the Obama Presidential Center's museum rises on Chicago's south side.

"I love it," said Deandre Coleman, who grew up in this historic neighborhood and lived here until joining the military. "Bringing this to Chicago is amazing. We don't really get too many opportunities like this, and when you see something like this, it's inspirational for everybody."

"We have multiple people who have come here and made Chicago what it is, Michael Jordan being one of them. We got Obama who changed what we thought was possible. We didn't see a Black president before him," Coleman said.

The presidential center is not just a building. It's a 19-acre campus with a public library, an indoor basketball court, public places and gardens.

Paul Schulhof, one of the key architects, describes the 225-foot museum structure as much inspirational as intentional.

"This is also a building that tells the story of the Obama presidency, the first Black president of the United States, and there is a time where things should stand out as well. And that was the idea of this museum. It is a tower. It is meant to be seen," Schulhof said.

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So are the words embedded at the top of two sides of the museum, from President Obama's speech on the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches.

The first line of the portion of the speech that's inscribed on the screen of this building is "You are America," and that is an inherent part of what that speech is about and it is also about what this building is about.

It's that experience that John Robertson says the Obama Foundations wanted to capture: Four floors that walk visitors through "yes we can," and more.

"I think that our museum presentation tells a phenomenal story of what the Obama presidency was all about, but more importantly, I want people to walk away seeing themselves in the presentation," Robertson said. "It's not just about a collection of artifacts."

The center came with a steep price tag of more than double original estimates, but it was 100% funded with private donations.

"The price tag of $850 million is what it took to put forth this tremendous presentation, and I don't think that there is anyone who will come to this presidential center and leave disappointed," Robertson said.

The center opens to the public on the Friday of Juneteenth, or June 19th. Tickets to the museum are sold out through the next four months.