Millennium Park and Cloud Gate (The Bean)

Millennium Park occupies the northwest corner of Grant Park in The Loop, at 201 E Randolph St, and is one of the most visited free attractions in Chicago, Illinois. Opened in 2004, it blends public art, landscape design and performance space across roughly 24 acres. The centerpiece is Cloud Gate, the polished stainless-steel sculpture by Anish Kapoor, known universally as The Bean. Its seamless, mirror-like surface reflects the Chicago skyline and distorts visitors' reflections, and an arched underside called the omphalos lets people walk beneath it and see themselves multiplied. Nearby, Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa features two glass-brick towers about 50 feet high that project video faces of local residents and spout water in summer, making it a favorite splash zone for children. The Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by Frank Gehry, has a sweeping stainless-steel headdress and hosts free concerts, including the Grant Park Music Festival, with seating on the Great Lawn. The Lurie Garden offers a quieter counterpoint with perennial plantings and a view back toward the towers of Michigan Avenue. The BP Pedestrian Bridge, also by Gehry, links the park to Maggie Daley Park. In winter an ice rink operates in the area, and holiday-season skating draws large crowds. Most visitors spend one to two hours, longer if attending a concert. Crowds around the Bean peak from late morning through late afternoon, especially on summer weekends, and tourists queue for photographs at the sculpture's edge. Early morning, before about 8:00AM, gives the emptiest views and clean reflections without people in the frame. Good photo angles include the low angle from the north end of the sculpture for a skyline reflection and the view through the omphalos. The park is reached by CTA to Washington/Wabash, Randolph/Wabash or Lake, and by Metra to Millennium Station.