Millennium Park, Chicago

Millennium Park, Chicago

Inaugurated in 2004, Millennium Park quickly rose to become Chicago Loop's biggest attraction.

Inaugurated in 2004, Millennium Park quickly rose to become Chicago Loop's biggest attraction. Spread over 24.5 acres in northwestern Grant Park, it features landscaped gardens with modern sculptures, pavilions, and fountains. At the heart of the park is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion designed by Frank Gehry, which is home to the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and hosts the Grant Park Music Festival, a free outdoor classical music series. It also hosts several other concerts and performing arts events. To its south is the AT&T Plaza with Anish Kapoor's 'Cloud Gate' sculpture, nicknamed The Bean because of its shape. Inspired by liquid mercury, the polished stainless steel surface of the 10 m x 20 m x 13 m Cloud Gate reflects a warped view of Chicago's skyline.

At the southwest corner near the intersection of Monroe Street and Michigan Avenue stands the interactive art installation of Crown Fountain by Catalan artist Jaume Plensa. It comprises a pair of 50 feet tall glass brick towers with LED displays (sometimes of visitors' faces), along which water runs down from top and spouts out of a nozzle on the façade. The towers stand in a black granite reflecting pool.

Wrigley Square in the northwest corner has the Millennium Monument, a replica of the peristyle of Roman Doric columns that originally stood in this area of Grant Park. At its base is a bronze fountain.

The southeast end has the Lurie Garden, comprising 2 'plates' outlined by hedges – a darker plate of plants that need shade under a canopy of trees, and a lighter plate of sun-loving perennials. It is part of the world's largest green roof. A boardwalk running along the canal dissects the garden.

The northeast end of the Millenium Park is occupied by the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance which is largely underground. It hosts ballet, dance, opera and theatre performances.

The Millennium Park has various other elements such as the McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink, BP Bridge, McDonald's Cycle Center, Exelon Pavilion, and open-air Boeing Galleries.