There’s more to this park than “the bean”
But we do love Cloud Gate. A shot from inside, looking up, by Karina for TKGO.
We know you’ve heard of “the bean,” but what about Cloud Gate? That’s a trick question, because “Cloud Gate” is the real name of that ever-popular bean-shaped reflective sculpture. Even though chances are you have at least 20 pictures in front of Cloud Gate if you’ve been downtown before, Millennium Park as a whole is pretty awesome. Art, architecture and landscape coalesce in the 24.5-acre park, which features, in addition to Cloud Gate, a Frank Gehry-designed pavilion, Crown Fountain (you know, those two blocks with the faces projected onto them such that they appear to be spewing the water from their mouths) and the five-acre Lurie Garden.
In the summer, the Crown Fountain turns on and kids play in the water, and in the winter an ice rink is set up for beginners and experts alike to show off. (Loop workers stop by during lunch hour for a few laps or spins, which is a funny contrast to the kids who frequently hang out there on weekends.) You’ll often also see some charity fundraisers or community events happening if you choose to stroll through the paths that wind through the sculpture gardens.
There is no underestimating Millennium Park.
–Tara and Karina for TKGO
201 E. Randolph St., Chicago. (312) 742-1168. Official site > Google Maps >
