In Photos: Dedication ceremony for the opening of the Obama Presidential Center

Former U.S. President Barack Obama led a crowd of thousands on Thursday attending a music-filled grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center (Source: Photo by AP)

He was joined by his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, and their daughters, Malia Obama and Sasha Obama (Source: Photo by AP)

Many dignitaries also attended the dedication ceremony, including former presidents Bill ⁠Clinton, George W. Bush and Joe Biden — and their wives, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and Jill Biden (Source: Photo by AP)

Among the Grammy-winning musical stars who performed during the three-hour ceremony were hip-hop group the Roots, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Common, Eddie Vedder and U2's Bono and the Edge (Source: Photo by AP)

The $850 million landmark development, which opens to the public on Friday, ranks as the greatest single investment in a century for Chicago's long-neglected South Side, where the Obamas were married and made their family's home (Source: Photo by AP)

The sprawling museum complex, encompassing a performing arts hall, library and athletic center, ​was designed to cement the legacy of Obama's two terms in the White House and to serve as a hub of civic life and culture on the banks of Lake Michigan (Source: Photo by AP)

The Obama Center, occupying ​19.3 acres of historic Jackson Park, is an ambitious blend ⁠of landscaping and architecture encompassing such elements as a playground, gardens, a concert hall and NBA-sized basketball court (Source: Photo by AP)

In separate speeches at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama described the museum as a symbol of democratic ideals, civic engagement and public service (Source: Photo by AP)

"A lasting legacy isn’t in a war, or a name on a building or the number of zeros in a bank account, it's about the difference we make in one another’s lives," Michelle Obama said, ​pointedly noting her husband as a Nobel Peace Prize recipient and praising him for his "stubborn optimism" (Source: Photo by AP)