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146-689: Grant Park is a large urban park in the Loop community area of Chicago , Illinois . Located within the city's central business district, the 319-acre (1.29 km) park's features include Millennium Park , Buckingham Fountain , the Art Institute of Chicago , and the Museum Campus . Originally known as Lake Park , and dating from the city's founding, it was renamed in 1901 to honor U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant . The park's area has been expanded several times through land reclamation , and

292-451: A 10-minute walk , provides multiple benefits. A park is an area of open space provided for recreational use, usually owned and maintained by a local government. Grass is typically kept short to discourage insect pests and to allow for the enjoyment of picnics and sporting activities. Trees are chosen for their beauty and to provide shade , with an increasing emphasis on reducing an urban heat island effect. Some early parks include

438-533: A 300-space heated and air conditioned indoor bike station located in the northeast corner of Millennium Park. The facility provides lockers, showers, a snack bar with outdoor summer seating, bike repair, bike rental and other amenities for downtown bicycle commuters and utility cyclists . The bike station also accommodates runners and in-line skaters , and provides space for a Chicago Police Department Bike Patrol Group. The city-built center opened in July 2004 as

584-566: A French aerial photographer . The Park Grill Plaza is affiliated with the 300-seat indoor Park Grill restaurant, located beneath the Grainger Plaza and Cloud Gate . The Park Grill is the only full-service restaurant in Millennium Park and opened on November 24, 2003. It regularly places among the leaders in citywide best-of competitions for best burger, and it is widely praised for its views. The restaurant has been

730-798: A contiguous area with a variety of artistic features by architects and artists. Millennium Park features the Jay Pritzker Pavilion , the Cloud Gate (aka The Bean ), the Crown Fountain , the Lurie Garden , and other attractions. The park is connected by the BP Pedestrian Bridge and the Nichols Bridgeway to other portions of Grant Park. Across the BP Pedestrian Bridge from Millennium Park,

876-409: A headdress fashioned from signature Gehry stainless steel. It features a sound system with an acoustic design that replicates an indoor concert hall sound experience. The pavilion and Millennium Park have received favorable recognition by critics, especially for their accessibility; an accessibility award ceremony held at the pavilion in 2005 described it as "one of the most accessible parks—not just in

1022-413: A heavy load. The pedestrian bridge serves as a noise barrier for the pavilion, blocking traffic sounds from Columbus Drive. It is a connecting link between Millennium Park and destinations to the east, such as the nearby lakefront, other parts of Grant Park and a parking garage. The BP Bridge uses a concealed box girder design with a concrete base, and its deck is covered by hardwood floor boards. It

1168-470: A large lawn and a public fountain. The William Wrigley, Jr. Foundation contributed $ 5 million for the monument and square, which was named in its honor. The pedestal of the Millennium Monument's peristyle is inscribed with the names of the 115 financial donors who made the 91 contributions of at least $ 1 million each to help pay for Millennium Park. The McDonald's Cycle Center is

1314-549: A place to view the McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink. During the holiday season, the plaza hosts Christmas caroling. Cloud Gate , dubbed "The Bean" by Chicagoans because of its legume-like shape, is a three-story reflective steel sculpture. The first public artwork in the United States by world-renowned artist Anish Kapoor , the privately funded piece cost $ 23 million, considerably more than

1460-418: A prominent semicircle of paired Greek Doric -style columns (called a peristyle ) was placed in this area of Grant Park ( partially recreated in the new Millennium Park). In 1997, when the city gained airspace rights over the tracks, it decided to build a parking facility over them in the northwestern corner of Grant Park. Eventually, the city realized that a grand civic amenity might lure private dollars in

1606-481: A railroad yard and large parking garages. The park, which is known for being user friendly, has a very rigorous cleaning schedule with many areas being swept, wiped down or cleaned multiple times a day. Although the park was unveiled in July 2004, some features opened earlier, and upgrades continued for some time afterwards. Along with the cultural features above ground (described below) the park has its own 2218-space parking garage. The centerpiece of Millennium Park

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1752-607: A right of way between downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan , in the area that became Grant Park and used it for railroad tracks. In 1871, Union Base-Ball Grounds was built on part of the site that became Millennium Park; the Chicago White Stockings played home games there until the grounds were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire . Lake Front Park, the White Stockings' new ball grounds,

1898-591: A series of formal gardens, including the Tiffany Celebration Garden to the south. The Court of the Presidents is located directly on the north and south side of E. Ida B. Wells Drive, west of S. Columbus Drive and east of S. Michigan Ave.  Manicured gardens and art work help define the Court of Presidents. South President's Court, until recently, has primarily been gardens. However, within

2044-463: A steel frame covered with glossy white plywood. It was situated on a raised platform, which was sliced by a ramp entrance, making it ADA accessible. The Hadid Pavilion was a tensioned fabric shell fitted over a curving aluminum framework made of more than 7,000 pieces. A centennial-themed video presentation was projected on its interior fabric walls after dark. Both pavilions were scheduled to be unveiled on June 19, 2009. However, Hadid's pavilion

2190-526: A success story in urban planning and transit-oriented development. Pro-cycling and environmentalist journalists in publications well beyond Chicago have described the Cycle Center as exemplary, impressive, unique and ground-breaking. The Toronto Star notes that it is revered as "a kind of Shangri-La ", and describes it as "a jewel-like glass building on the Chicago waterfront, [that] has many of

2336-542: A way that a municipal improvement such as ordinary parking structure would not, and thus began the effort to create Millennium Park. The park was originally planned under the name Lakefront Millennium Park. The park was conceived as a 16-acre (6.5 ha) landscape-covered bridge over an underground parking structure to be built on top of the Metra /Illinois Central Railroad tracks in Grant Park. The parks overall design

2482-625: A year, it operates as McCormick Tribune Ice Rink, a free public outdoor ice skating rink . It is generally open for skating from mid-November until mid-March and hosts over 100,000 skaters annually. It is known as one of Chicago's better outdoor people watching locations during the winter months. The rink is operated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs rather than the Chicago Park District , which operates most major public ice skating rinks in Chicago. For

2628-474: Is Buckingham Fountain , one of the world's largest fountains . In a rococo wedding cake style, the fountain was dedicated in 1927 as a gift to the city from Kate Sturges Buckingham in memory of her brother Clarence. The fountain operates from April to October with water displays every 20 minutes and a light and water display from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm. Chicago's Museum Campus is a 57-acre (23 ha) addition to Grant Park's southeastern end. The Museum Campus

2774-498: Is " Urbs in Horto ", Latin for "City in a Garden". The Lurie Garden is composed of two "plates". The dark plate depicts Chicago's history by presenting shade-loving plants, and has a combination of trees that will provide a shade canopy for these plants when they fill in. The light plate, which has no trees, represents the city's future with sun-loving perennials that thrive in heat and light. The McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink

2920-496: Is a public park located in the Loop community area of Chicago , operated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. The park, opened in July 2004, is a prominent civic center near the city's Lake Michigan shoreline that covers a 24.5-acre (9.9 ha) section of northwestern Grant Park . Featuring a variety of public art , outdoor spaces and venues, the park is bounded by Michigan Avenue , Randolph Street , Columbus Drive and East Monroe Drive. In 2017, Millennium Park

3066-416: Is a 1525-seat theater for the performing arts located along the northern edge of Millennium Park. Constructed in 2002–03, it is the city's premier performance venue for small- and medium-sized performance groups, which had previously been without a permanent home and were underserved by the city's performing venue options. The theater, which is largely underground due to Grant Park-related height restrictions,

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3212-405: Is a combination of perennials, bulbs, native prairie grasses, shrubs and trees. It is the featured nature component of the world's largest green roof . The garden cost $ 13.2 million and has a $ 10 million financial endowment for maintenance and upkeep. It was named after philanthropist Ann Lurie, who donated the $ 10 million endowment. The garden is a tribute to the city, whose motto

3358-581: Is a multipurpose venue located along the western edge of Millennium Park opposite the streetwall of the Historic Michigan Boulevard District . On December 20, 2001, it became the first attraction in Millennium Park to open, a few weeks ahead of the Millennium Park underground parking garage. The $ 3.2 million plaza was funded by a donation from the McCormick Tribune Foundation. For four months

3504-617: Is a portion of the 319-acre (129.1 ha) Grant Park, known as the "front lawn" of downtown Chicago, and has four major artistic highlights: the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Cloud Gate , the Crown Fountain , and the Lurie Garden. Millennium Park is successful as a public art venue in part due to the grand scale of each piece and the open spaces for display. A showcase for postmodern architecture , it also features

3650-439: Is an interactive work of public art and video sculpture , named in honor of Chicago's Crown family and opened in July 2004. It was designed by Catalan conceptual artist Jaume Plensa and executed by Krueck and Sexton Architects . The fountain is composed of a black granite reflecting pool placed between a pair of transparent glass brick towers. The towers are 50 feet (15 m) tall, and use light-emitting diodes behind

3796-428: Is approximately 620 ft (190 m) long and 15 ft (4.6 m) wide. The bottom of the bridge is made of white, painted structural steel, the floor is made of aluminum planking and the 42-inch (1.1 m) tall railings are steel set atop stainless steel mesh. The bridge features anti-slip walkways and heating elements to prevent the formation of ice. It meets standards for universal accessibility, as required by

3942-493: Is designed without handrails, using stainless steel parapets instead. The total length is 935 feet (285 m), with a five percent slope on its inclined surfaces that makes it barrier-free and accessible. It has won awards for its use of sheet metal. Although the bridge is closed in winter because ice cannot be safely removed from its wooden walkway, it has received favorable reviews for its design and aesthetics. The Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance

4088-493: Is generally flat. It is also crossed by large boulevards and even a bed of sunken railroad tracks. While bridges are used to span the tracks, and to connect with Millennium Park, the rest of the park must be reached by pedestrians at traffic crossings, except for a spacious underpass connection to the Museum Campus. There are also several parking garages under the park, along Michigan Avenue and east of Columbus Drive. When

4234-547: Is made of asphalt and pea gravel. Members pay a monthly fee to attend the park that helps with the upkeep and maintains the cleanliness. A water fountain for both dogs and humans is provided. Membership fees and any donations go toward maintenance. The park hosts benefits and events related to dogs to raise money as well. Leashed dogs are permitted in most areas of the park, but not in Millennium Park . The shaded walking paths in Grant Park cover several miles. A circuit of

4380-432: Is popularly referred to as "Chicago's front yard". It is governed by the Chicago Park District . The original plans for the town of Chicago left the area east of Michigan Avenue unsubdivided and vacant, and purchasers of Michigan Avenue lots were promised that it would remain unoccupied. When the former Fort Dearborn Reserve became part of the townsite in 1839, the plan of the area east of Michigan Avenue south of Randolph

4526-458: Is regarded as less than ideal for jazz groups, because it is more expensive and larger than most places where jazz is performed. The design has been criticized for traffic flow problems, with an elevator bottleneck. However, the theater's prominent location and its underground design to preserve Millennium Park have been praised. Although there were complaints about high-priced events in its early years, discounted ticket programs were introduced in

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4672-461: Is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, a bandshell designed by Frank Gehry. The pavilion has 4,000 fixed seats, plus additional lawn seating for 7,000; the stage is framed by curving plates of stainless steel, characteristic of Gehry. It was named after Jay Pritzker , whose family is known for owning Hyatt Hotels and was a major donor. The Pritzker Pavilion is Grant Park's outdoor performing arts venue for small events, and complements Petrillo Music Shell ,

4818-417: Is the site of three of the city's most notable museums, all dedicated to the natural sciences : Adler Planetarium , Field Museum of Natural History , and Shedd Aquarium . A narrow isthmus along Solidarity Drive dominated by neoclassical sculptures of Kościuszko , Havliček and Nicolaus Copernicus connects to Northerly Island where the planetarium is located to the east of the Museum Campus situated on

4964-610: The 1968 Democratic National Convention . Pope John Paul II celebrated an outdoor mass to a large crowd here in 1979. Championship celebrations were staged here for the Chicago Bulls during the 1990s, and the Chicago Blackhawks after winning the Stanley Cup in 2013. The park was the location for President Barack Obama's Election Day victory speech on the night of November 4, 2008. In 2015, Grant Park hosted

5110-543: The Adler Planetarium , Field Museum of Natural History , and Shedd Aquarium , which were linked together as the Museum Campus in 1998. In 2004, a section of northern Grant Park, previously occupied by Illinois Central railyards and parking lots, was covered and redeveloped as Millennium Park . The park has been the site of many large civic events. It served as the staging ground for the city's funeral procession for President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. In 1911,

5256-486: The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The bridge is named after museum donors Alexandra and John Nichols. During development and construction of the park, many structures were added, redesigned or modified. These changes often resulted in budget increases. For example, the bandshell's proposed budget was $ 10.8 million. When the elaborate, cantilevered Gehry design required extra pilings to be driven into

5402-646: The Chicago Jazz Festival ; the Chicago Blues Festival ; and Lollapalooza , a festival of rock concerts. The park is also the site of the start and finish lines of the Chicago Marathon . The annual NASCAR Chicago street race is held every year at Grant Park. With 319 acres (1.29 km) between the downtown Chicago Loop and Lake Michigan , Grant Park offers many different attractions in its large open space. The park

5548-577: The Chicago Tribune described the park then under construction and its budget overruns as an "expensive public-works debacle that can be traced to haphazard planning, design snafus and cronyism". According to Lois Weisberg, commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and James Law, executive director of the Mayor's Office of Special Events, once the full scope of the project was finalized

5694-627: The George Floyd protests in Chicago and the deployment of federal forces to Chicago over Lightfoot's objections. At Michigan Avenue and Ninth Street is the General John Logan Memorial , a large equestrian statue of John A. Logan , dedicated in 1897. Logan was a United States major general, who had resigned his congressional seat to serve in the U.S. Army during the Civil War. He led troops in many battles throughout

5840-505: The Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus. The park has received awards for its accessibility and green design. Millennium Park has free admission, and features the Jay Pritzker Pavilion , Cloud Gate , the Crown Fountain , the Lurie Garden , and various other attractions. The park is connected by the BP Pedestrian Bridge and the Nichols Bridgeway to other parts of Grant Park. Because the park sits atop parking garages,

5986-468: The Great Chicago Fire , increasing the parkland. In 1896, the city began extending the park into the lake with landfill , beyond the rail lines. On October 9, 1901, the park was renamed Grant Park in honor of American Civil War commanding General and United States President Ulysses S. Grant. At the 1868 Republican National Convention in Chicago, Grant had been nominated for his first presidential term. The legal restrictions prohibiting any buildings in

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6132-799: The Great Depression . The tradition of symphonic Grant Park Music Festival concerts began in 1935. The 2004 season, during which the festival moved to the Pritzker Pavilion, was the event's 70th season. Formerly, the Grant Park Music Festival was held at the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park . Over time the festival has had various financial supporters, three primary locations and one name change. At times it has been broadcast nationally on

6278-562: The La Alameda de Hércules , in Seville , a promenaded public mall, urban garden and park built in 1574, within the historic center of Seville. The Városliget ( City Park ) in the City of Pest , what is today Budapest, Hungary , was a city property when afforestation started in the middle of the 18th century, from the 1790s with the clear aim to create a public park. Between 1799 and 1805 it

6424-931: The McCormick Tribune Ice Skating Rink , the BP Pedestrian Bridge, the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance , Wrigley Square , the McDonald's Cycle Center , the Exelon Pavilions , the AT&;T Plaza , the Boeing Galleries , the Chase Promenade , and the Nichols Bridgeway . Millennium Park is considered one of the largest green roofs in the world, having been constructed on top of

6570-412: The McDonald's Cycle Center , and the BP Pedestrian Bridge. Later that month, Gehry unveiled his new winding design for the bridge. Mayor Daley's influence was key in getting corporate and individual sponsors to pay for much of the park. Bryan, the former chief executive officer (CEO) of Sara Lee Corporation who spearheaded the fundraising, says that sponsorship was by invitation and no one refused

6716-490: The National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) and Columbia Broadcasting Service (CBS) radio networks, and many of the world's leading classical musicians have performed there. In 2000, the festival organizers agreed to release some of the concerts to the public via compact disc recordings. In 2009, architects Zaha Hadid and Ben van Berkel were invited to design and build two pavilions on

6862-479: The San Francisco Ballet , Mikhail Baryshnikov , and Stephen Sondheim . The theater has been credited as contributing to the performing arts renaissance in Chicago, and it has been favorably reviewed for its acoustics , sightlines , proscenium and for providing a home base for numerous performing organizations. Although it is seen as a high-caliber venue for its music audiences, the theater

7008-623: The Village of Yorkville Park in Toronto , which won an award from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Parks are sometimes made out of oddly shaped areas of land, much like the vacant lots that often become city neighborhood parks. Linked parks may form a greenbelt . There is a form of an urban park in the UK (officially called a "recreation ground", but commonly called a "rec" by

7154-420: The historic Michigan Avenue "streetwall" , and the sky. It provides striking reflections of visitors, who can walk around and under its 12-foot (3.7 m) high arch. On the underside is the "omphalos" (Greek for "navel"), a concave chamber that warps and multiplies reflections. The sculpture builds upon many of Kapoor's artistic themes, and is a popular photo subject with tourists. After Kapoor's design for

7300-694: The 1893 Central Station and includes limestone pieces from the former railroad terminal. The plaza cost $ 2.65 Million to build. In 2014, the park hosted both the Mountain Dew Skate Tour for its first return to Chicago since 2010 and the Volcom Wild in the Parks Tour for its first appearance in Chicago. Grant Bark Park, located on the corner of Columbus Drive and 11th Street, is a place for dogs to get their exercise. It's an off-leash park of 18,000 sq ft (1,700 m). The park

7446-474: The 2009–10 season. Wrigley Square is a public square located in the northwest corner of Millennium Park near the intersection of East Randolph Street and North Michigan , across from the Historic Michigan Boulevard District . It contains the Millennium Monument, a nearly full-sized replica of the semicircle of paired Greek Doric -style columns (called a peristyle ) that originally sat in this area of Grant Park between 1917 and 1953. The square also contains

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7592-555: The Chase Promenade South, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago. The pavilions were privately funded and were designed to be temporary structures. They served as the focal point of Chicago's year-long celebration of Burnham's Plan, and were meant to symbolize the city's continued pursuit of the plan's architectural vision. The van Berkel Pavilion was composed of two parallel rectangular planes joined by curving scoops, all built on

7738-425: The Cycle Center was part of the larger "Bike 2010 Plan", in which the city aimed to make itself more accommodating to bicycle commuters. This plan (since replaced by the "Bike 2015 Plan" ) included provisions for front-mounted two-bike carriers on Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses, permitting bikes to be carried on Chicago 'L' trains, installing numerous bike racks and creating bicycle lanes in streets throughout

7884-549: The Harris Theater along Randolph Street and were completed in November 2004, with a grand opening on April 30, 2005. Besides producing energy, three of the four pavilions provide access to the park's underground parking garages and the fourth serves as the park's welcome center. Exelon , a company that generates the electricity transmitted by its subsidiary Commonwealth Edison , donated approximately $ 6 million for

8030-523: The Millennium Park Bike Station; since June 2006, it has been sponsored by McDonald's and several other partners, including city departments and bicycle advocacy organizations. Suburban Chicago-based McDonald's sponsorship of the Cycle Center fit in well with its efforts to help its customers become more healthy by encouraging "balanced, active lifestyles". The Cycle Center is accessible by membership and day pass. Planning for

8176-489: The Pavilion. The bridge is known for its aesthetics, and Gehry's style is seen in its biomorphic allusions and extensive sculptural use of stainless steel plates to express abstraction. The bridge is referred to as snakelike in character due to its curving form. The bridge's design, which meets highway standards to accommodate rushes of pedestrian traffic simultaneously exiting Pritzker Pavilion events, enables it to bear

8322-602: The UK, with around 2.6 billion visits to parks each year. Many parks are of cultural and historical interest, with 300 registered by Historic England as of national importance. Most public parks have been provided and run by local authorities over the past hundred and seventy years, but these authorities have no statutory duty to fund or maintain these public parks. In 2016 the Heritage Lottery Fund 's State of UK Public Parks reported that "92 per cent of park managers report their maintenance budgets have reduced in

8468-459: The United States and the world, though cow grazing did not end until the 1830s. Around the country, the predecessors to urban parks in the United States were generally rural cemeteries . The cemeteries were intended as civic institutions designed for public use. Before the widespread development of public parks, the rural cemetery provided a place for the general public to enjoy outdoor recreation amidst art and sculpture previously available only for

8614-787: The United States are Central Park in New York, Lincoln Park in Chicago, Mission Bay Park in San Diego. In the early 1900s, according to Cranz, U.S. cities built neighborhood parks with swimming pools, playgrounds and civic buildings, with the intention of Americanizing the immigrant residents. In the 1950s, when money became available after World War II , new parks continued to focus on both outdoor and indoor recreation with services, such as sports leagues using their ball fields and gymnasia. These smaller parks were built in residential neighborhoods, and tried to serve all residents with programs for seniors, adults, teens and children. Green space

8760-401: The United States but possibly the world". The Grainger Plaza (formerly AT&T Plaza) is a public space that hosts the Cloud Gate sculpture. The plaza opened in July 2004 with the unveiling of the sculpture during the grand opening weekend of the park. Ameritech donated $ 3 million for the naming right for the plaza, but it was SBC Plaza when the park opened, as a merger had changed

8906-525: The West and South. After the war, he was elected to the U.S. Senate from Illinois. The monument mound, with a statue by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Alexander Phimister Proctor , was initially intended as a burial site for Logan, but his family declined to relocate the general's grave. The Chicago Children's Museum announced plans in 2006 for a $ 100 million structure to replace its facilities at Navy Pier . The museum hoped to construct an underground building on

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9052-407: The aesthetic tradition of the park. New concerns were raised after the construction when the surveillance cameras were installed atop the fountain, which led to a public outcry (and their quick removal). However, the fountain has survived its somewhat contentious beginnings to find its way into Chicago pop culture. It is a popular subject for photographers and a common gathering place. While some of

9198-448: The amenities of an upscale health club ... close to the heart of the city", with the additional statement that "It's not heaven, but it's close". A Vancouver official told The Oregonian that it was "the ultimate in bicycle stations", and would be natural for bicycle friendly cities to emulate. The Exelon Pavilions are a set of four solar energy -generating structures in Millennium Park. The pavilions provide sufficient energy to power

9344-594: The annual Christmas caroling at Cloud Gate and to the new offerings of the nearby Maggie Daley Park . The annual tree raising now occurs in the park near Michigan Avenue and Washington Street. Some parties opposed the move that separated the annual tree from the Christkindlmarket and the Chicago Picasso . The city's first official tree lighting by Mayor Carter Harrison, Jr. in 1913 had been held in Grant Park on Michigan Avenue two blocks south of

9490-616: The annual Grant Park Music Festival, and two temporary pavilions to mark the centennial of Daniel Burnham 's 1909 Plan of Chicago . Millennium Park has also been featured in several films and television shows. The Grant Park Music Festival (formerly Grant Park Concerts) is an annual 10-week classical music concert series, which features the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and the Grant Park Chorus as well as guest performers and conductors. Since 2004,

9636-436: The bedrock to support the added weight, the cost of the bandshell eventually spiraled to $ 60.3 million. The cost of the park, as itemized in the following table, amounted to almost $ 500 million. Mayor Daley at first placed much of the blame for the delay and cost overrun on Frank Gehry, who designed the pavilion and its connecting bridge; Daley's office later apologized to the architect. A 2001 investigative report by

9782-410: The bricks to display digital videos on their inward faces. Construction and design of the Crown Fountain cost $ 17 million. Weather permitting, the water operates from May to October, intermittently cascading down the two towers and spouting through a nozzle on each tower's front face. To achieve the effect in which water appears to be flowing from subjects' mouths, each video has a segment where

9928-412: The bridge design was preliminary and not well-conceived because funding for it was not committed. The need to fund a bridge to span the eight-lane Columbus Drive was evident, but some planning for the park was delayed in anticipation of details on the redesign of Soldier Field . In January 2000, the city announced plans to expand the park to include features that became Cloud Gate , the Crown Fountain ,

10074-546: The center of the harbor and park's shoreline, is named for a 1959 visit there by Queen Elizabeth II aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia , in conjunction with the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway . Du Sable Harbor, created in 1999 north of Randolph Drive, offers 420 boat docks and a harbor store. The Grant Park Skate Plaza, designed by Chicago Landscape Architects Altamanu, was opened on December 6, 2014. The Plaza

10220-409: The city classifies the bandshell as a work of art rather than a building. With several design and assembly problems, the construction plans were revised over time, with features eliminated and others added as successful fundraising allowed the budget to grow. In the end, the performance venue was designed with a large fixed seating area, a Great Lawn, a trellis network to support the sound system, and

10366-485: The city. Additionally, the Chicago metropolitan area 's other mass transit providers, Metra and Pace , have developed increased bike accessibility. Mayor Daley was an advocate of the plan, noting it is also an environmentally friendly effort to cut down on traffic. Environmentalists, urban planners and cycling enthusiasts around the world have expressed interest in the Cycle Center, and want to emulate what they see as

10512-479: The commuter rail Millennium Station and rail lines, it is considered the world's largest rooftop garden . In 2015, the park became the location of the city's annual Christmas tree lighting. Some observers consider Millennium Park the city's most important project since the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. It far exceeded its originally proposed budget of $ 150 million. The final cost of $ 475 million

10658-491: The companies using it, and turned a profit in its fourth fiscal year. The Harris Theater has hosted notable national and international performers, such as the New York City Ballet , which made its first visit to Chicago in over 25 years (in 2006). The theater began offering subscription series of traveling performers in its 2008–09 fifth anniversary season. Performances through this series have included

10804-587: The company name to SBC Communications . The 2005 merger of SBC and AT&T Corporation led to the name AT&T Plaza. In 2021, the Grainger Foundation established a $ 5 million endowment to support the ongoing enhancement of the plaza (now called Grainger Plaza) and Cloud Gate. The sculpture and the Grainger Plaza are located on top of Park Grill , between the Chase Promenade and McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink. The plaza has become

10950-496: The confines of a serpentine carriageway, put in place the essential elements of his much-imitated design for Birkenhead Park in Birkenhead . The latter commenced in 1843 with the help of public finance and deployed the ideas which Paxton had pioneered at Princes Park on a more expansive scale. Frederick Law Olmsted visited Birkenhead Park in 1850 and praised its qualities. Indeed, Paxton is widely credited as having been one of

11096-475: The demolished Chicago Federal Building and a wrought-iron pergola. The garden contains numerous walkways lined with planters and is one of several similar spaces created nationwide by R. A. Bloch Cancer Foundation. Flanking the original Art Institute of Chicago Building are gardens in the north and south McCormick Courtyards; in the south courtyard is the bronze sculpture Fountain of the Great Lakes . To

11242-453: The designed landscape as a setting for the suburban domicile (an idea pioneered by John Nash at Regent's Park in London) and re-fashioned it for the provincial town in a most original way. Nash's remodelling of St James's Park from 1827 and the sequence of processional routes he created to link The Mall with Regent's Park completely transformed the appearance of London's West End . With

11388-625: The equivalent of 14 Energy star -rated energy-efficient houses in Chicago. The pavilions were designed in January 2001 and construction began in January 2004. The Southeast and Southwest Exelon Pavilions (jointly the South Exelon Pavilions) along Madison Street were completed and opened in July 2004, and flank the Lurie Garden. The Northeast and Northwest Exelon Pavilions (jointly the North Exelon Pavilions) flank

11534-499: The establishment of Princes Park in 1842, Joseph Paxton did something similar for the benefit of a provincial town, albeit one of international stature by virtue of its flourishing mercantile sector. Liverpool had a burgeoning presence in global maritime trade before 1800, and during the Victorian era its wealth rivalled that of London itself. The form and layout of Paxton's ornamental grounds, structured about an informal lake within

11680-477: The festival has been housed in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. On occasion, the festival has been held at the Harris Theater instead of the Pritzker Pavilion. The festival has earned non-profit organization status, and claims to be the nation's only free, outdoor classical music series. The Grant Park Music Festival has been a Chicago tradition since 1931, when Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak suggested free concerts to lift spirits of Chicagoans during

11826-502: The first outdoor National Football League (NFL) draft and a related festival . The Chicago Cubs held their rally for their World Series Championship win on November 4, 2016 with an estimated 5 million people attending the parade and event. The park annually hosts some of Chicago's biggest festivals, including The Taste of Chicago —a large food and music festival held each summer; the Grant Park Music Festival ;

11972-647: The first rock concert there on August 31, 2005. The Pritzker Pavilion is the home of the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and the Grant Park Music Festival , the nation's only remaining free, municipally supported, outdoor, classical music series. The Festival is presented by the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. The Pavilion hosts a wide range of other music series and annual performing arts events. Performers ranging from mainstream rock bands to classical musicians and opera singers have appeared at

12118-637: The focus of controversies about the numerous associates of Mayor Daley who are investors, its exclusive location and lucrative contract terms. One of the most financially successful restaurants in Chicago, the Park Grill remains exempt from property taxes after a multi-year litigation which reached the appellate courts in Illinois. The BP Pedestrian Bridge is a girder footbridge over Columbus Drive that connects Millennium Park with Maggie Daley Park (formerly, Daley Bicentennial Plaza), both parts of

12264-779: The form of walking, running, horse riding, mountain biking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing; or sedentary activity such as observing nature, bird watching, painting, photography, or picnicking. Limiting park or open space use to passive recreation over all or a portion of the park's area eliminates or reduces the burden of managing active recreation facilities and developed infrastructure. Many ski resorts combine active recreation facilities (ski lifts, gondolas, terrain parks, downhill runs, and lodges) with passive recreation facilities (cross-country ski trails). Many smaller neighborhood parks are receiving increased attention and valuation as significant community assets and places of refuge in heavily populated urban areas. Neighborhood groups around

12410-525: The large amount of open space and natural habitat in the former pleasure grounds, they now serve as important wildlife refuges, and often provide the only opportunity for urban residents to hike or picnic in a semi-wild area. However, city managers or politicians can target these parks as sources of free land for other uses. Partly for this reason, some of these large parks have "friends of X park" advisory boards that help protect and maintain their semi-wild nature. There are around estimated 27,000 public parks in

12556-474: The larger Grant Park. The pedestrian bridge is the first bridge Gehry designed to be built, and was named for BP plc , which donated $ 5 million to the construction of the park. It opened on July 16, 2004, along with the rest of Millennium Park. Gehry had been courted by the city to design the bridge and the neighboring Jay Pritzker Pavilion, and eventually agreed to do so after the Pritzker family funded

12702-501: The mainland. Located at Jackson and Columbus Drives, the Petrillo Music Shell hosts music performances during the Chicago Jazz Festival, Chicago Blues Festival, Taste of Chicago, and Lollapalooza. The music shell's seating area includes an area called Butler Field, the block bounded by Lake Shore Drive , Columbus Drive, Monroe Drive, and Jackson Drive. The previous Petrillo Bandshell structure faced Hutchinson Field at

12848-419: The materials from van Berkel's were recycled, while Hadid's was stored for possible exhibition elsewhere. In October 2015, the city announced that its official annual Christmas tree lighting, which had been held at Daley Center since 1966 (except for 1982), would be held at the park in order that the official Christmas tree of the city could be closer to ice skating at McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink,

12994-399: The name became Chase Promenade. The 8-acre (3.2 ha) walkway accommodates exhibitions, festivals and other family events. It also serves as a private-event rental venue. The Chase Promenade hosted the 2009 Burnham Pavilions , which were the cornerstone of the citywide Burnham Plan centennial celebration. The Nichols Bridgeway, a pedestrian bridge that opened on May 16, 2009, connects

13140-567: The need to provide substantial space to congregate, typically involves intensive management, maintenance, and high costs. Passive recreation, also called "low-intensity recreation" is that which emphasizes the open-space aspect of a park and allows for the preservation of natural habitat. It usually involves a low level of development, such as rustic picnic areas, benches, and trails. Passive recreation typically requires little management and can be provided at very low costs. Some open space managers provide nothing other than trails for physical activity in

13286-499: The next century of architecture," and noted that no other architect was being sought. Gehry was approached several times by Skidmore architect Adrian Smith on behalf of the city. His hesitance and refusal to accept the commission was overcome by Cindy Pritzker, the philanthropist, who had developed a relationship with the architect when he won the Pritzker Prize in 1989. According to John H. Bryan , who led fund-raising for

13432-429: The northeast corner of Grant Park hosts outdoor and indoor activities at what is now Maggie Daley Park , previously called Daley Bicentennial Plaza. Designed by landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh , attractions here include summer and winter skating rinks, an extensive playground, climbing walls, tennis and pickleball courts, and an activities building, which were redeveloped from 2012 to 2015. Built in 1893 on

13578-461: The opportunity to be a sponsor. One Time magazine writer describes the park as the crowning achievement for Mayor Daley, while another suggests the park's cost and time overages were examples of the city's mismanagement. The July 16–18, 2004, opening ceremony was sponsored by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co . The community around Millennium Park has become one of the most fashionable and desired residential addresses in Chicago. In 2006, Forbes named

13724-400: The original estimate of $ 6 million. Composed of 168 stainless steel plates welded together, its highly polished exterior has no visible seams. It is 33 by 66 by 42 feet (10 m × 20 m × 13 m) and weighs 110 short tons (100  t ; 98 long tons ). Its smooth shape and mirror-like surface were inspired by liquid mercury. It reflects the city skyline, particularly

13870-483: The park free of buildings. The one exception to which Ward consented was for the Art Institute of Chicago , constructed in 1892. In the early 20th century, Grant Park was expanded with further landfill—much of it from the excavations of the Chicago Tunnel Company —and developed with a very formal landscape design by Edward Bennett. More land fill in the 1910s and 1920s provided sites for

14016-633: The park hosted the major Chicago International Aviation Meet . In 1913 the AAU held the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In 1959, to celebrate the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway and a related International Trade Fair, Queen Elizabeth II , disembarked here from the Royal Yacht Britannia , giving the park's " Queen's Landing " its name. The park was the scene of clashes between Chicago Police and demonstrators during

14162-642: The park in 1926. It is located in the Court of Presidents, north of Ida B. Wells Drive and west of Columbus Drive and is frequently called Seated Lincoln to avoid confusion with Saint-Gaudens' 1887 sculpture Abraham Lincoln: The Man in Lincoln Park. Agora (from Greek, for urban meeting place) is an installation of 106 headless, armless sculptures designed by the Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz in southwestern Grant Park near Roosevelt Road . The piece

14308-404: The park was built was purchased by Richard Vaughan Yates, an iron merchant and philanthropist, in 1841 for £50,000. The creation of Princes Park showed great foresight and introduced a number of highly influential ideas. First and foremost was the provision of open space for the benefit of townspeople and local residents within an area that was being rapidly built up. Secondly it took the concept of

14454-450: The park was landscaped in the early 20th century in a formal beaux arts style, tall American Elms were planted in allées and rectangular patterns. While hundreds of these trees still exist, reaching 60 ft (18 m) tall, they were devastated in the late 1970s by Dutch elm disease . Hybrid elms have since been used to replace those lost. The northwestern corner of the park was renovated from 1998 to 2004 to become Millennium Park ,

14600-775: The park were ignored in the 19th century, as various civic buildings were sited there. At various times, a post office, exposition center, armory, and even an early home field of the baseball club now known as the Chicago Cubs were built in the park. A 1904 plan prepared by the Olmsted Brothers recommended locating the Field Museum as the park's centerpiece, an idea integrated into Daniel Burnham and Edward H. Bennett 's 1909 Plan of Chicago . Chicago businessman Aaron Montgomery Ward ultimately fought four court battles, opposed by nearly every civic leader, to keep

14746-554: The park's 60602 zip code as the hottest in terms of price appreciation in the country, with upscale buildings such as The Heritage at Millennium Park (130 N. Garland) leading the way for other buildings, such as Waterview Tower , The Legacy and Joffrey Tower . The median sale price for residential real estate was $ 710,000 in 2005 according to Forbes, also ranking it on the list of most expensive zip codes. The park has been credited with increasing residential real estate values by $ 100 per square foot ($ 1,076 per m ). Millennium Park

14892-498: The park's older and larger bandshell. The pavilion is built partially atop the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, the park's indoor performing arts venue, with which it shares a loading dock and backstage facilities. The pavilion is seen as a major upgrade from the Petrillo Music Shell for those events it hosts. Initially, the pavilion's lawn seats were free for all concerts, but this changed when Tori Amos performed

15038-433: The park's walking paths is estimated to take 4 mi (6.4 km). For other sporting activities, the park has 16 softball / baseball fields and 12 tennis courts, open to the general public. The park holds a great deal of public art, much of it sculpture, in many areas including in Millennium Park, near Buckingham Fountain, the several gardens, and Congress Plaza. Four individual large installations, in other areas of

15184-479: The park, Pritzker enticed Gehry in face-to-face discussions, using a $ 15 million funding commitment toward the bandshell's creation. Having Gehry get involved helped the city realize its vision of having modern themes in the park; upon rumors of his involvement the Chicago Sun-Times proclaimed "Perhaps the future has arrived", while the Chicago Tribune noted that "The most celebrated architect in

15330-469: The park, include: Abraham Lincoln: The Head of State is a statue by sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens set in a 150-foot wide exedra by architect Stanford White , honoring the Illinois resident and 16th President of the United States. The statue was cast in 1908 and was displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and at the 1915 San Francisco World's Fair , prior to being installed in

15476-593: The park. There are several gardens and flower displays throughout the park. Millennium Park houses the Lurie Garden , known for its display of tall grass flowers, particularly lavender , and a decorative post-modern water stream. To the east, across the BP Pedestrian Bridge , Daley Park holds tall grass plantings. To the northeast in Daley Park, at 375 East Randolph Drive, is the Richard & Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Garden, marked by two huge doric columns from

15622-557: The past decade the city has decided to use the area to showcase art work by Chicagoans. While unique artwork has long been a tradition of Chicago's parks, South President's Court had the added benefit of showcasing "in house" art as its first newsworthy collection, entitled "Artist and Automobiles." The collection, organized by the Public Art Program and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, consisted of sculptures composed entirely of parts found on old automobiles. Much of

15768-420: The past three years and 95 per cent expect their funding will continue to reduce". Parks can be divided into active and passive recreation areas. Active recreation is that which has an urban character and requires intensive development. It often involves cooperative or team activity, including playgrounds , ball fields, swimming pools, gymnasiums, and skateparks . Active recreation such as team sports, due to

15914-402: The pavilion, which also hosts physical fitness activities such as yoga. All rehearsals at the pavilion are open to the public; trained guides are available for the music festival rehearsals, which are well-attended. The construction of the pavilion created a legal controversy, given that there are historic limitations on the height of buildings in Grant Park. To avoid these legal restrictions,

16060-471: The pavilions. The Boeing Galleries are a pair of outdoor exhibition spaces within Millennium Park; they are located along the south and north mid-level terraces, above and east of Wrigley Square and the Crown Fountain . They were added after the park opened; in March 2005, Boeing President and Chief Executive Officer James Bell announced the firm would make a $ 5 million grant to fund construction of

16206-457: The principal influences on Olmsted and Calvert's design for New York's Central Park of 1857. Another early public park, the Peel Park, Salford , England, opened on 22 August 1846. Boston Common was purchased for public use grazing cows and as a military parade ground and dump in 1634. It first started to get recreational elements in 1728, arguably making it the first municipal park in

16352-448: The project was completed within the revised budget. Millennium Park had 3 million visitors in its first year; annual attendance was projected to grow to between 3.31 and 3.65 million by 2010. According to Crain's Chicago Business , however, the park had about 4 million visitors in 2009. In addition to the different uses detailed for each of the permanent features (above), the park has hosted some other notable events, including

16498-421: The public.) and some EU states that have mostly recreation grounds for kids to play within a park, but may also have a duck pond, large grassy zones not meant exclusively for sports, many trees, and several bushy places. When it occurs as a separate facility on its own, without any parkland, at a street corner or by a shop, the play facility is called a playground . Millennium Park Millennium Park

16644-487: The rest of the year, it serves as The Plaza at Park Grill or Park Grill Plaza, Chicago's largest al fresco dining facility. The 150-seat outdoor restaurant offers scenic views of the park, and hosts various culinary events and musical performances during its months of operation. From June 21 to September 15, 2002, the plaza served as an open-air exhibition space and hosted the inaugural exhibit in Millennium Park, Exelon Presents Earth From Above by Yann Arthus-Bertrand ,

16790-416: The scope of the field of transportation placed it under the jurisdiction of the city's Public Buildings Commission. In April 1999, the city announced that the Pritzker family had donated $ 15 million to fund Gehry's bandshell and an additional nine donors committed $ 10 million. The day of this announcement, Gehry agreed to the design request. In November, when his design was unveiled, Gehry said

16936-399: The sculpture was selected in a design competition, numerous technological concerns regarding its construction and assembly arose, in addition to concerns about the sculpture's upkeep and maintenance. Experts were consulted, some of whom believed the design could not be implemented. Eventually, a feasible method was found, but the sculpture's construction fell behind schedule. Cloud Gate

17082-801: The site of Daley Bicentennial Plaza, a plan that Mayor Richard M. Daley and council members approved in 2008. Some council members and area residents opposed the project and vowed to fight the proposal. After fundraising lagged, in January 2012, the Children's Museum announced that it no longer would seek a Grant Park location. Urban park Depending on size, budget, and land features, which varies considerably among individual parks, common features include playgrounds , gardens , hiking, running, fitness trails or paths, bridle paths , sports fields and courts, public restrooms, boat ramps, performance venues, or BBQ and picnic facilities. Park advocates claim that having parks near urban residents, including within

17228-597: The south end of Millennium Park with the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago . The bridge begins at the southwest end of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion's Great Lawn and extends across Monroe Street, where it connects to the third floor of the Art Institute's West Pavilion. The bridge design by Renzo Piano , the architect of the Modern Wing, was inspired by the hull of a boat. The Nichols Bridgeway

17374-461: The south end of the park, near 1100 South Columbus Drive. Congress Plaza is a ceremonial entrance located on the park's western edge, at the Ida B. Wells Drive and Michigan Avenue intersection. Two semicircular plazas flanking Ida B. Wells Drive contain gardens, fountains, and artwork, including a pair of large bronze warrior statues, The Bowman and The Spearman that are positioned like gatekeepers to

17520-485: The south of the art museum, along Michigan Avenue, are a succession of gardens. Two of these are not far from to Orchestra Hall and honor former conductors of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra ( Sir Georg Solti and Theodore Thomas ). To the southeast of the Art Institute, near the Court of Presidents , are demonstration gardens that flank Ida B. Wells Drive and surrounding Buckingham Fountain are

17666-548: The southern end of Grant Park is given over to Hutchinson Field, an open space for large events, with a dozen baseball or softball diamonds named for financier and long-time Art Institute President, Charles L. Hutchinson . A section of the Chicago Lakefront Trail , an 18-mile multi-use path along the city's Lake Michigan shoreline, runs through the park's eastern edge. The trail runs adjacent to Lake Shore Drive from Randolph Drive to Balbo Drive, then along

17812-535: The spaces, and for an endowment to "help fund visual arts exhibitions" in them. The galleries, which were built between March and June 2005, have hosted grand-scale art exhibits, some of which have run for two full summers. The Chase Promenade is an open-air tree-lined pedestrian walkway in Millennium Park that opened July 16, 2004. The promenade was made possible by a gift from the Bank One Foundation ; Bank One merged with JPMorgan Chase in 2004, and

17958-421: The subject's lips are puckered, which is then timed to correspond to the spouting water, reminiscent of gargoyle fountains; this happens roughly every five minutes. The park and fountain are open to the public daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Residents and critics have praised the fountain for its artistic and entertainment features. It highlights Plensa's themes of dualism, light, and water, extending

18104-416: The use of video technology from his prior works. The fountain promotes physical interaction between the public and the water in an artistic setting. Both the fountain and Millennium Park are highly accessible because of their universal design. The Crown Fountain has been the most controversial of all the Millennium Park features. Before it was built, some were concerned that the sculpture's height violated

18250-608: The very edge of the seawall around the Shedd Aquarium. An underpass carries the trail under Solidarity Drive into Burnham Park. Two Lake Michigan marinas are accessed from Grant Park. Monroe Harbor provides 1000 mooring cans (served by tender service) and facilities in the expansive harbor east of the park. It is home to both the Chicago Yacht Club and the Columbia Yacht Club. Queen's Landing, at

18396-569: The videos displayed are of scenery, most attention has focused on its video clips of local residents, in which almost a thousand Chicagoans randomly appear on two screens. The fountain is a public play area and offers people an escape from summer heat, allowing children to frolic in the fountain's water. The Lurie Garden is a 2.5-acre (1.0 ha) public garden located at the southern end of Millennium Park; designed by landscape architecture firm GGN ( Gustafson Guthrie Nichol), Piet Oudolf , and Robert Israel , it opened on July 16, 2004. The garden

18542-490: The wealthy. In The Politics of Park Design: A History of Urban Parks in America, (Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1982), Professor Galen Cranz identifies four phases of park design in the U.S. In the late 19th century, city governments purchased large tracts of land on the outskirts of cities to form "pleasure grounds": semi-open, charmingly landscaped areas whose primary purpose was to allow city residents, especially

18688-565: The western edge of Grant Park, the Art Institute of Chicago is one of the premier art museums and art schools in the US, known especially for the extensive collection of Impressionist and American art, such as A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte , and Grant Wood 's American Gothic . The School of the Art Institute of Chicago has facilities in the southeast corner of the museum's Grant Park complex. The center piece of Grant Park

18834-488: The workers, to relax in nature. As time passed and the urban area grew around the parks, land in these parks was used for other purposes, such as zoos, golf courses and museums. These parks continue to draw visitors from around the region and are considered regional parks , because they require a higher level of management than smaller local parks. According to the Trust for Public Land , the three most visited municipal parks in

18980-531: The world are joining together to support local parks that have suffered from urban decay and government neglect. A linear park is a park that has a much greater length than width. A typical example of a linear park is a section of a former railway that has been converted into a park called a rail trail or greenway (i.e. the tracks removed, vegetation allowed to grow back). Some examples of linear parks in North America include New York's High Line and

19126-545: The world may soon have a chance to bring Chicago into the 21st Century". Plans for the park were officially announced in March 1998 and construction began in September of that year. Initial construction was under the auspices of the Chicago Department of Transportation , because the project bridges the railroad tracks. However, as the project grew and expanded, its broad variety of features and amenities outside

19272-496: Was borne by Chicago taxpayers and private donors. The city paid $ 270 million; private donors paid the rest, and assumed roughly half of the financial responsibility for the cost overruns . The construction delays and cost overruns were attributed to poor planning, many design changes, and cronyism . Many critics have praised the completed park. From 1852 until 1997, the Illinois Central Railroad owned

19418-430: Was brought to the park in 2006. The figures are 9 ft (2.7 m) tall and weigh approximately 1,800 lb (820 kg). Each is made from a hollow, seamless piece of weathering or COR-TEN® steel , giving the pieces a reddish appearance and rough bark-like texture. The figures appear to be milling about in a crowd; some face each other, while others look away. A bronze statue by Carlo ("Charles", "Carl") Brioschi

19564-544: Was built in 1878 with a short right field due to the railroad tracks. The grounds were improved and the seating capacity was doubled in 1883, but the team had to move after the season ended the next year, as the federal government had given the city the land "with the stipulation that no commercial venture could use it". Daniel Burnham planned Grant Park around the Illinois Central Railroad property in his 1909 Plan of Chicago . Between 1917 and 1953,

19710-419: Was by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill , and gradually additional architects and artists such as Frank Gehry and Thomas Beeby were incorporated into the plan. Sponsors were sought by invitation only. In February 1999, the city announced it was negotiating with Frank Gehry to design a proscenium arch and orchestra enclosure for a bandshell, as well as a pedestrian bridge crossing Columbus Drive, and that it

19856-518: Was displayed on a monumental pedestal at the southern end of Grant Park. In 1933, Chicago celebrated its 100th anniversary with the Century of Progress World's Fair. In conjunction with the fair, Chicago's Italian-American community raised funds and donated the statue of the Genoese navigator and explorer, Christopher Columbus. It was removed on July 24, 2020 by order of Mayor Lori Lightfoot amid

20002-489: Was initiated by Grant Park Conservancy President, Robert O'Neill. The new park occupies 3 acres (12,000 m) and has replaced the former skate area near the tennis courts. The Conservancy sought planning support from local skateboarders and BMX bikers who formed the Grant Park Conservancy & Advisory Council Skate Committee. The Plaza is located in the southwest corner of the park near the former site of

20148-409: Was marked "Public ground. Forever to remain vacant of buildings." The city officially designated the land as a park on April 29, 1844, naming it Lake Park. When the Illinois Central Railroad was built into Chicago in 1852, it was permitted to lay track along the lakefront on a causeway built offshore from the park. The resulting lagoon became stagnant, and was largely filled in 1871 with debris from

20294-468: Was named for its primary benefactors, Joan and Irving Harris . It serves as the park's indoor performing venue, a compliment to Jay Pritzker Pavilion, which hosts the park's outdoor performances. Among the regularly featured local groups are the Joffrey Ballet , Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Chicago Opera Theater . It provides subsidized rental, technical expertise, and marketing support for

20440-547: Was not ready in time; it had construction delays and a construction team change, which led to coverage of the delay in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal . Only its aluminum skeleton was available for public viewing on the scheduled date; the work was completed and unveiled on August 4, 2009. The van Berkel pavilion was temporarily closed for repairs August 10–14, due to unanticipated wear and tear. Both pavilions were dismantled after November 1, 2009;

20586-530: Was of secondary importance. As urban land prices climbed, new urban parks in the 1960s and after have been mainly pocket parks . One example of a pocket park is Chess Park in Glendale, California. The American Society of Landscape Architects gave this park a General Design Award of Honor in 2006. These small parks provide greenery, a place to sit outdoors, and often a playground for children. All four types of park continue to exist in urban areas. Because of

20732-547: Was rented out to the Batthyány family to carry out such a project but the city had eventually taken back control and in 1813 announced a design competition to finally finish the park; works started in 1816. An early purpose-built public park, although financed privately, was Princes Park in the Liverpool suburb of Toxteth . This was laid out to the designs of Joseph Paxton from 1842 and opened in 1843. The land on which

20878-477: Was seeking donors to cover his work. At the time, the Chicago Tribune dubbed Gehry "the hottest architect in the universe" in reference to the acclaim for his Guggenheim Museum Bilbao , and they noted the designs would not include Mayor Richard M. Daley 's trademarks, such as wrought iron and seasonal flower boxes. Millennium Park project manager Edward Uhlir said "Frank is just the cutting edge of

21024-439: Was the focus of several disputes in the late 19th century and early 20th century over open space use. It is bordered on the north by Randolph Street , on the south by Roosevelt Road and McFetridge Drive, on the west by Michigan Avenue and on the east by Lake Michigan . The park contains performance venues, gardens, art work, sporting, and harbor facilities. It hosts public gatherings and several large annual events. Grant Park

21170-703: Was the top tourist destination in Chicago and in the Midwest , and placed among the top ten in the United States with 25 million annual visitors. Planning of the park, situated in an area occupied by parkland, the Illinois Central rail yards, and parking lots, began in October 1997. Construction began in October 1998, and Millennium Park opened in a ceremony on July 16, 2004, four years behind schedule. The three-day opening celebrations were attended by some 300,000 people and included an inaugural concert by

21316-427: Was unveiled in an incomplete form during the Millennium Park grand opening celebration, as the grid of welds around each metal panel was still visible. The sculpture was concealed again while it was completed; in early 2005, workers polished out the seams. Cloud Gate was formally dedicated on May 15, 2006, and it has since gained considerable popularity, domestically and internationally. The Crown Fountain

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