Today I am showing you one of the most iconic landmark in Chicago, The Cloud Bean at Millennium Park. Visiting the Millennium Park is one of the free activity that you can do in Chicago. Millennium Park is a 24.5 acres park with plenty of activities that you can do around. Although the Cloud Bean is the most visited landmark in the park, there are also other areas to visit. Here are what they have in the Millennium Park:

General Information

• Address: 201 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60602, USA
• Website: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park.html
• Hours of Operation:
• Entrance Fee: FREE
• Duration: 1/2 day
• Plan Your Visit: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park_-planyourvisit.html

10 things to explore when in Millennium Park Campus

1. Take a selfie and admire the “The Bean” structure. This structure is the no 1 favourite among tourist for taking photos, and you can probably tell why. The glistening archway and how the surrounding reflects is really fun to look at.
2. Once you’ve taken a selfie, head to the 2nd most visited area in Millennium park the Crown Fountain which is not your traditional fountain. In fact it doesn’t look that much of a fountain until the water starts coming out from the mouth of the image. It was entertaining to see the changes of the faces.
3. If you are visiting during Spring or Summer, take a stroll at the Lurie garden for some quiet time. I went there almost fall already so there was not much flower or lush greenery growing.
4. Feeling hungry? Grab a lunch at the Plaza Park Gill for a light snack or refreshment. No vacation is complete without a food. This outdoor dining is very easy to find. It is only steps away from the “Bean” and the Pritzker Pavilion.
5. Check out the schedule for Jay Pritzker Pavilion. During Summer, there are plenty of outdoor shows happening here.

How long do you need to allocate for the visit?

Depends on what you want to do. If you just want to walk around, I’ll say 1 1/2 hrs should be enough. In my case I walked around and continue walking to the Buckingham Fountain and then to Navy Pier which basically made it a whole day activity.

The Cloud Bean

The Cloud Bean is the most visited structure in Millennium Park. If you search for attractions in Chicago, this will always comes up as a suggestion.

I was really excited to see it in person, but it was not my lucky day. There was an on-going construction on Grainger Plaza surrounding Cloud Gate (aka “The Bean”) in Millennium Park which begun August 15, 2023 and will continue through the spring of 2024.  So far, this is the best I could get close to take the photo.

The Crown Fountain

The Crown Fountain in the Millennium Park was designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plesa. This is the 2nd most visited areas in the park. The fountain consists of two 50-foot glass block towers at each end of a shallow reflecting pool. The towers project video images from a broad social spectrum of Chicago citizens, a reference to the traditional use of gargoyles in fountains, where faces of mythological beings were sculpted with open mouths to allow water, a symbol of life, to flow out.

Plensa adapted this practice by having faces of Chicago citizens projected on LED screens and having water flow through an outlet in the screen to give the illusion of water spouting from their mouths. The collection of faces, Plensa’s tribute to Chicagoans, was taken from a cross-section of 1,000 residents. 

The fountain’s water features operate during the year between mid-spring and mid-fall, while the images remain on view year-round.

Source: Chicago.gov

The Jay Pritzker Pavilion and Great Lawn

Jay Pritzker Pavilion is one of the most popular destinations in Chicago for a diverse array of free cultural performances. The Pavilion hosts audiences who come to enjoy its annual Summer Music and Film Series, as well as Gospel, Jazz, Blues, Mariachi, and World Music Festivals, Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me, Broadway in Chicago, Lyric Opera, and Grant Park Music Festival.

Designed by Frank Gehry, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion stands 120-feet above ground, with a billowing “headdress” composed of individual brushed stainless-steel ribbons that frame the stage opening and connect to an overhead trellis of crisscrossing steel pipes. The stage area of the Pavilion is sheathed completely with Douglas fir and features a series of portable risers and a choral terrace that can accommodate up to a 120-member collective orchestra and choir. Large glass doors that can enclose the stage area when shut, allow the Pavilion to be used during winter months for an assortment of public functions such as banquets, receptions, and lectures. An additional feature is a system of decorative colored lights that when projected onto the proscenium, transform the face of the Pavilion.

Source: milleniumparkfoundation.org

Walk the BP Pedestrian Bridge

Frank Gehry’s BP Pedestrian Bridge is clad in brushed stainless-steel panels, complementary to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in design as well as function by creating an acoustic barrier from the traffic noise from the adjacent Columbus Drive.

BP Bridge connects Millennium Park with Maggie Daley Park over Columbus Drive – a multi-lane thoroughfare presenting a significant physical barrier between both spaces. The Bridge creates accessibility for people with disabilities, linking the eastern and western areas of Grant Park.

his 925-foot-long winding bridge is Gehry’s first and provides incomparable views of Millennium Park, the Chicago skyline, Maggie Daley Park and Grant Park. The design and construction of the BP Pedestrian Bridge was completely underwritten by the Millennium Park Foundation using funds from private donors.

Source: milleniumparkfoundation.org

This was one walk that I really enjoyed. It was not a long walk but it was nice with the view of the surrounding beautiful architecture. I walked late morning, almost close to noon and it was a nice sunny 😎 hot day. I definitely would like to walk this bridge early morning or late after once the sunsets so as it is not too hot.

Chicago Video Playlist

Featured Video: Crown Fountain 

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