Millennium Park
The Bean reflects the skyline, giant faces spout water and free concerts fill a Frank Gehry stage.
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Millennium Park guide: Cloud Gate (the Bean), the Crown Fountain, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and free concerts, the Lurie Garden, the winter ice rink, getting there and tips.
What to expect
Opened in 2004 on top of an old rail yard and parking garages, this park on the edge of the Loop has become Chicago’s favorite gathering place. Entry is free, and it sits between Michigan Avenue, Grant Park and the Art Institute.
Its icon is Cloud Gate, the polished steel sculpture by Anish Kapoor that everyone calls the Bean. Made of 168 stainless steel plates welded so smoothly that no seams show, it reflects the skyline and the crowds, and you can walk underneath its arch. Nearby, the Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa shows the faces of a thousand Chicagoans on two glass towers, and in summer water pours from their mouths onto a shallow pool where children play.
The Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by Frank Gehry with ribbons of steel above the stage, hosts free concerts on summer evenings, including the Grant Park Music Festival. The Lurie Garden offers a quieter corner of perennial plants, and in winter an ice rink opens in the park.
A footbridge by Gehry, the BP Bridge, winds east to Maggie Daley Park, and the Nichols Bridgeway leads straight to the Art Institute’s Modern Wing.
Millennium Park: top things to do
- 1Your reflection in Cloud Gate
- 2The faces of the Crown Fountain
- 3A free summer concert at the Pritzker Pavilion
- 4Ice skating in winter
Millennium Park: best time to visit
Early morning for photos of the Bean without crowds; summer evenings for concerts.
Millennium Park: insider tips
- Come at sunrise for a clean shot of the Bean.
- Bring a blanket and a picnic for free concerts on the lawn.
- Take the CTA to Washington/Wabash or Monroe instead of driving.
Fees, passes and parking
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Entrance | Free |
- Federal park passes such as America the Beautiful are not valid here.
- Downtown parking is expensive and hard to find; book a garage in advance with a parking app or leave the car at the hotel.
- Public transit is the easiest way to get around the center.
Gas and fast charging nearby
603 gas stations within 20 km
- 0.9 km BP open 24 hours
- 1.4 km BP
- 1.8 km BP
- 1.8 km BP
- 2.0 km Shell
- 2.2 km Mobil
- 0.5 km Tesla Supercharger Fast chargers (Supercharger)
- 1.6 km EVgo Fast chargers (EVgo)
- 2.1 km Tesla Supercharger Fast chargers (Supercharger)
- 2.8 km Electrify America Fast chargers (Electrify America)
OpenStreetMap data, Oct 28, 2026.
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