Cloud Gate, also known as “The Bean”, is literally a giant sculpture of a bean in the heart of Chicago, making It is one of the most popular tourist attractions. Anish Kapoor, Cloud Gate architect says according to Statue Stories Chicago, that “Kapoor named this colossal sculpture ‘Cloud Gate’ for a simple reason — 80 percent of its surface reflects the sky”.
Millenium Park is much larger than just The Bean, you just have to do some exploring. This is a great place to go when visiting Chicago because it is FREE! Right next to The Bean is the Crown Fountain, which is another sculpture created by Jaume Plensa. A fun face about this sculpture is that the large screen of faces are random Chicagoans! A lot of people come here to enjoy splashing in the fountain.
When strolling behind The Bean, you will run into the Jay Pritzker Pavilion built by Frank Gehry. This music pavilion is also open to the public where they offer free concerts, movies, etc. Even when nothing is going on, it is a fun place to lay down in the grass and enjoy the weather.
Hiding between all of these sculptures is the beautiful Lurie Garden which was designed by GGN, Piet Oudolf, and Robert Israel. They offer so many different plants including Bear’s Breeches, Azure Monkshood, Willow Leaf Blue Star, and so many more.
Millennium Park is located on 201 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60602 where you can visit Cloud Gate, Crown Fountain, Jay Pritzker Pavilion, and Lurie Garden.
March 24, 2021 at 12:45 pm
I have not been to the bean yet, but I know forsure I will. This is a big sculpture that people who aren’t from Illinois come to when they tour here. This creation is pretty cool and attracts a lot of people. Great post this week about such a major thing that Illinois has to offer.
March 26, 2021 at 1:59 pm
I love going to the bean it is always a fun experience and of course, not having to pay is a huge plus!
March 26, 2021 at 3:39 pm
The bean is the most known thing in Chicago. A ton of people visit this because of the cool idea and invention behind it. This is a great monument to blog about.
March 29, 2021 at 1:48 am
I have been to the bean twice and one of those times we spent hours touring everything around it. I like how much detail you gave for each spot. Great article!
March 29, 2021 at 6:19 pm
I’ve never been to the bean before but its one place that I’ve been wanting to go to for a while. It definitely seems like there is a lot to do in Millenium Park. The crown fountain is yet another place that I want to see. Hopefully I can visit these places this summer.
March 30, 2021 at 2:03 pm
This park is one of my favorite things to do in Chicago, mainly because it’s free. I always stop by that park when I’m there, the bean is always fun no matter how many times I go!
March 30, 2021 at 8:39 pm
I think the bean is so cool and definitely a must see. I have seen it a few times and I love that it is free and a fun photo opportunity.