Groundbreaking ceremony kicks off construction of McCain library at ASU

PHOENIX – Officials and dignitaries participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for the John S. McCain III Library and Museum at Arizona State University in Tempe on Thursday.

The McCain library is being built on 22 acres of ASU land near Mill Avenue and Curry Road, north of Tempe Town Lake. It is expected to open in 2028.

NOW: Gov. Hobbs, ASU Pres. Michael Crow, AZ Cards owner Michael Bidwill, Larry Fitzgerald Jr., and Cindy McCain at groundbreaking for the “Senator John S. McCain III Library and Museum.”

Set to open in 2028, will educate about McCain’s life and protecting democracy. @KTAR923. pic.twitter.com/A0yxSBVzsJ

— Balin Overstolz (@balin_om) January 30, 2026

The venue will feature an archive and memorabilia from the career of the late longtime U.S. senator, along with immersive, interactive experiences.

It also will have a visitor center, conference center and an Arizona home for the McCain Institute.

ASU already houses an archive of McCain’s papers from his public career.

Who participated in McCain library groundbreaking?

Cindy McCain, McCain’s widow and the executive director of the World Food Programme, participated in Thursday’s event to commemorate the start of construction.

Gov. Katie Hobbs, ASU President Michael Crow, Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell and former Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald joined her for the ceremonial shoveling of dirt.

Plans for the McCain library were unveiled in September 2023, with then-President Joe Biden flying to Arizona for the announcement.

The project received federal funding from Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

Tempe-based Chasse is leading construction of the 80,000-square-foot campus, which was designed by New York firms SHoP Architects and Local Projects.

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