The official portraits of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will be on display at the High Museum from January 14th through March 13th, 2022.
We’re lucky to have them here in Atlanta, as only five cities are included in the national tour. The tour is sponsored by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, where the paintings have a permanent home. The Portrait Gallery, located in Washington, D.C., holds the nation’s only complete collection of U.S. presidential portraits that is accessible to the public.
The special exhibit at the High also includes an 8-minute video about the portraits, including context about the national collection of presidential portraits.
Images of the portraits that you see here have been used with permission.
Obama Portrait ticket info
You must buy a special timed ticket to see the Obama portraits — NOT a museum general admission ticket.
The Obama Portrait ticket includes access to the entire museum, either before or after your time slot for the portrait gallery. Tickets are on sale now.
Tickets are $16.50 for the general public (age 6 and up), including Museum Pass holders.
Children age 5 and under will be admitted FREE, but will still need a ticket.
If you have a membership, you can buy tickets for $8.25.
There is a limit of 6 tickets per transaction.
Where to buy tickets:
You should purchase the Obama Portrait Tour tickets in advance through the High’s website.
Be sure to buy the special exhibit tickets. A general museum admission ticket will NOT get you into the portrait gallery.
There are no refunds or exchanges for exhibition tickets, and you can’t transfer the ticket to another person.
Walk-up tickets may be available daily, but are not guaranteed for any specific time slot.
A list of FAQs is posted online, and includes more specifics about ticketing and tips for planning your visit.
Reservations for the four FREE days open on Monday, January 24th, 2022.
See the Obama Portrait exhibit for FREE
The High Museum is hosting a total of four FREE days, when you don’t have to pay to see the Obama portraits.
NOTE that you’ll still need to reserve a ticket in advance — you just won’t have to pay for it.
Free dates include:
♦ Two Second Sundays (Feb. 13 and March 13)
♦ President’s Day (Monday, Feb. 21)
♦ Wednesday, March 9, 2022
To get your free tickets, go to the Portraits tour ticketing page and select one of the free dates above. You’ll then pick a time slot. Once you get the tickets in your cart, the price will show as $0.00 and you can check out for free.
IMPORTANT: Make sure you are reserving a Portraits Tour ticket, and NOT a regular museum admission ticket.
Obama Portraits: Know before you go
You”ll be limited to ten minutes in the actual portrait gallery, so that as many people as possible can enjoy the experience safely.
The exhibit will stay open for extended hours — till 7 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays. The main museum will still close at 5 p.m.
Please print your tickets at home OR be prepared to show them on your phone, upon arrival.
If you arrive late for your 10-minute time slot, your admission is not guaranteed. PLEASE don’t be late! You should build in lots of extra time for traffic and parking delays. Consider taking MARTA — the Arts Center Station is right across the street. We have details about getting there on MARTA just below.
A list of FAQs is posted online, and includes more specifics about ticketing and tips for planning your visit.
“Barack Obama” by Kehinde Wiley, oil on canvas, 2018. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian
Institution. The National Portrait Gallery is grateful to the following lead donors for their support of the Obama portraits: Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg; Judith Kern and Kent Whealy; Tommie L. Pegues and Donald A. Capoccia. © 2018 Kehinde Wiley. Courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.
“Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama” by Amy Sherald, oil on linen, 2018. National Portrait
Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. The National Portrait Gallery is grateful to the following lead donors for their support of the Obama portraits: Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg; Judith Kern and Kent Whealy; Tommie L. Pegues and Donald A. Capoccia. Courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.
Getting there & parking
The High Museum of Art is located at 1280 Peachtree St., in the heart of Atlanta’s busy Midtown area. If you drive, you can park in the attached parking deck, but it is pricey — usually a minimum of $15.
Considering the cost of parking, it often makes sense to take Uber or Lyft to get to the High Museum.
There’s also MARTA. With the Arts Center Station right across the street from the back of the Woodruff Arts Center campus, this is one of the simpler venues to get to on the train.
MARTA has a handy guide for getting to the High Museum.
Directions with MARTA
- Take any red and gold line train to the Arts Center MARTA station.
- Exit the train and follow the signs pointing to Arts Center Way, which requires going up three levels (avoid exiting via West Peachtree Street).
- Once you’ve reached street level, the High is just across the street. You’ll find a stairway and elevator that lead directly to the courtyard.
Note: If you are commuting from the blue or green line, you have to travel to the Five Points MARTA station and transfer to the first northbound train.
Reserve your FREE admission at the High, for the Second Sunday program.
