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Millennium Park

Parks ·Chicago ·Open now
4.8119K
#1Parks in Chicago#2Parks in the USMost reviewed in Chicago
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About

Millennium Park is a 24.5-acre public park for art, gardens and performances in Chicago’s Loop, in Grant Park’s northwestern corner.

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Millennium Park

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Why go

  • Cloud Gate was Anish Kapoor’s first public artwork in the United States.
  • Crown Fountain displays videos on two 50-foot glass-brick towers beside a reflecting pool.
  • The Pritzker Pavilion’s sound system and trellis help recreate indoor concert hall acoustics outdoors.
  • Lurie Garden’s dark plate represents Chicago’s history; its treeless light plate represents the city’s future.

Opening hours

Today06:00 – 23:00Show all
Monday06:00 – 23:00
Tuesday06:00 – 23:00
Wednesday06:00 – 23:00
Thursday06:00 – 23:00
Friday06:00 – 23:00
Saturday06:00 – 23:00
Sunday06:00 – 23:00

Entrances

  • Randolph and Washington entrancesTents near these entrances may offer park guides.

Don't miss

  • Cloud GateWalk around Anish Kapoor’s 110-tonne stainless-steel sculpture, nicknamed “The Bean,” and beneath its 12-foot-high arch. The concave chamber underneath, called the omphalos, distorts and multiplies reflections.Grainger Plaza, between the Chase Promenade and McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink.
  • Crown FountainJaume Plensa’s interactive video artwork places a shallow reflecting pool between two towers. Portraits of almost a thousand Chicago residents appear to spit water from their projected mouths.Michigan Avenue and Monroe Street, in the park’s southwest corner.
  • Jay Pritzker PavilionFrank Gehry’s central outdoor concert venue has 4,000 fixed seats and lawn space for 7,000.
  • Lurie GardenA 2.5-acre garden of perennials, bulbs, native prairie grasses, shrubs and trees, designed by GGN, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel.Southern end of Millennium Park.
  • BP Pedestrian BridgeFrank Gehry’s first bridge to be built also shields the pavilion from Columbus Drive traffic noise.Across Columbus Drive.
  • Boeing GalleriesTwo outdoor exhibition spaces that have hosted large-scale art exhibitions.Above and east of Wrigley Square and Crown Fountain.
  • Wrigley SquareA lawn and public fountain surround the Millennium Monument, a replica of the earlier peristyle that stood here from 1917 to 1953.Northwest corner, near Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue.

What's in season

  • NowNov – MarThe free McCormick Tribune Ice Rink is on Michigan Avenue between Washington and Madison Streets, from mid-November to early March, weather permitting.
  • JunThe Chicago Blues Festival is held by the lake, usually in early June.

What you see

  • Cloud Gate reflects the sky, passersby and surrounding skyscrapers.

With kids

  • Children can splash in Crown Fountain from mid-April through the end of summer.
  • The eight-acre, tree-lined Chase Promenade hosts family events as well as exhibitions and festivals.

Facilities

  • Bike rentals and repairs The indoor McDonald’s Cycle Center is in the park’s northeast corner.
  • Lockers At the McDonald’s Cycle Center.
  • Parking Three Exelon Pavilions provide access to underground parking garages.
  • Welcome center The fourth Exelon Pavilion serves as the park’s welcome center.

Photo spots

  • Cloud GateThe three-story steel sculpture is a popular photo subject.Grainger Plaza.
  • BP Pedestrian BridgeIts curved form and stainless-steel plates give it a serpentine appearance.Across Columbus Drive.

Shorts

History

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed the park as a landscaped bridge above parking and railroad tracks. The original plan covered 16 acres; the completed park covers 24.5 acres. Initially budgeted at $150 million, the project ultimately cost $475 million. The project expanded to include Cloud Gate, Crown Fountain, the Cycle Center and the BP Pedestrian Bridge.

  1. 1852–1997Illinois Central Railroad tracks occupied the site.
  2. 1871Union Base-Ball Grounds opened on part of the site. The Chicago White Stockings played there until the Great Chicago Fire destroyed it.
  3. 1909Daniel Burnham’s Plan of Chicago proposed Grant Park around Illinois Central Railroad property.
  4. 1997The city gained airspace rights above the tracks and decided to build a parking facility there.
  5. 1999Frank Gehry designed the bandshell and pedestrian bridge crossing Columbus Drive.
Show all
  1. 2001McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink opened as the park’s first attraction.
  2. 2004Millennium Park opened on July 16, four years later than scheduled. Its three-day celebration drew about 300,000 people and included a Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus concert.
  3. 2006Cloud Gate was formally dedicated on May 15.

How to get there

  • TrainMillennium Station is beneath the park.
  • On footThe BP Pedestrian Bridge crosses Columbus Drive and links Millennium Park with Maggie Daley Park.
  • On footNichols Bridgeway connects the park’s south end with the Art Institute of Chicago’s Modern Wing. It crosses Monroe Street and meets the Great Lawn.

Accessibility

  • Nichols Bridgeway About 620 feet long; it meets universal accessibility standards.
  • BP Pedestrian Bridge Five-percent slopes on inclined surfaces provide barrier-free access. The bridge closes in winter because ice cannot safely be cleared from its wooden walkway.

Sources: Millennium Park - Wikipedia · Millennium Park - Wikipedia (part 2) · Millennium Park - Wikipedia (part 3) · Chicago/Loop - Wikivoyage (see) · Millennium Park - Wikipedia · Millennium Park - Wikipedia · checked 26 Sep 2026

Where
IL, Chicago

Plan from here: Evening walk →

Questions and answers

Does professional photography at Millennium Park require a licence?

Yes. Professional photography at Cloud Gate requires a licence.

How do I get to Millennium Park by train?

Millennium Station is beneath the park.

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