In photos: a preview of the Obama Presidential Center

An exterior view of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Lucy Hewett for NPR hide caption

Later this month, the Obama Presidential Center will open on the South Side of Chicago. In a preview for the press, NPR and other media toured the building and grounds showcasing the Obama presidency.

It isn't a presidential library. It's a campus, with basketball courts, gardens, ball fields, a playground for kids, a Chicago public library branch and an eight- story museum that towers over it all.

The first thing visitors see when they walk into the museum is the word "hope." It's one of numerous art installations throughout the facility.

Visitors sit in front of Mark Bradford's "City of the Big Shoulders", a colorful multimedia piece that extends from the mezzanine to the first floor. LUCY HEWETT FOR NPR Lucy Hewett for NPR hide caption

Visitors pass through the center; artist Nick Cave's "This Land, Shared Sky" (in collaboration with Marie Watt) is on display. Lucy Hewett for NPR hide caption

Visitors can catch glimpses of Julie Mehretu's layered glass artwork while riding the escalators between floors. Lucy Hewett for NPR hide caption

Hope and change were guiding themes of former President Barack Obama's improbable 2008 presidential campaign that led to two terms in office.