Millennium Park, Chicago

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connects the Millenium Park to the East Monroe Garage (where we parked our vehicle) and Grant Park and again is one of the modern architectural wonders inside the Millenium Park. the bridge is about 935 feet long and curves along to Grant Park so that it spans Columbus Drive to connect Daley Bicentennial Plaza with Millennium Park, both parts of the larger Grant Park. The BP Bridge is donated by the BP petroleum (of the gulf of mexico oil spill fame) which donated 5 million dollars for the construction. The Bridge is closed during winters since it is slippery when wet due to the wooden walkway but the BP Pedestrian Bridge is a good photo ops place in the millenium park with the views of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.

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provisding seasonal pieces of architecture from local and international sources and was donated by the Boeing Company of Aircrafts fame. The Boeing Gallery lies just across the Crown fountain area which is located a few steps away and the galerries showpieces open art exhibtions which lasts for a few months and are changed periodically and when I was here, they were showcasing various Contemporary Modern Outdoor Art Objects by Chinese Sculptors. The galleries are usually held during summer and springtime and early fall.

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providing an architectural food path and bridge connecting the millenium park to the Art Institute of Chicago and like the modern marvels in the Millenium Park Complex, is one of the attractions in it. The Nichols bridgeway begins at the Great Lawn of Millennium Park and it crosses over to Monroe Street and connects to the third floor of the West Pavilion of the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago and also great photo oppurtunities while at the middle of the bridge. There is a nearby resto at the Museum once you enter it.

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where the famous cloud gate or the Bean is Located and lies between the Mc Comick Tribute Plaza area and Jay Pritzker Pavilion and adjacent to the Chase Promenade, and between the North and South Boeing Galleries. There are not much things to do in the A T & T Plaza section of the Millenium Park but Ogle the Cloud Gate and hang around plus you can eat some hot dogs and some drinks as there are some hot dog carts available inside the Plaza. The A T & T Plaza has become a prime viewing location for Jazz music concerts held during the summer and Christmas Carols During the Winter and to see people eating and having a Brewskie at the Park Grill Plaza in the during summer and fall of which all the activities are done at the McCormick Tribune Plaza and Skating Rink.

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It is one of the main highlights on leisurely stroll to this modern Millenium Park and together with the Crowne Fountain, is the most photographed arean of the Millenium Park. The famous "Bean" (which locals call the Cloud Gate) in located in the AT & T Plaza Section of the Millenium Park, facing the Park Grille Restaurants and the Ice Skating Rink and Mc Cormick Tribute Plaza and is made up of 168 stainless steel plates welded together, plus its highly polished exterior has no visible seams and reflects the surroundings perfectly (but it can be very crowded near it as lots of people like us take pictures of the Bean and the reflections in it) and was constructed in 2006 by British-Indian Artist Anish Kapoor. The Structure is 33 feet long and weighs 110 tons.

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millenium park has some of the best modern artworks in chicago and is fun to walk. It is smaller than the Huge Grant Park but the attractions here are also fabulous. the 24.5-acre park is an unprecedented center for world-class art, music, architecture and landscape design, where you can experience everything from interactive public art of which the crowne fountain is an example and ice skating during winters but converted to a Beer Garden and outdoor restaurant in Spring and Summer to al fresco dining in the Park Grille and free classical music presentations by the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus. Among the park’s prominent features is the dazzling Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the most Iconic Cloud Gate Sculpture (also called the Bean by local Chicagoans), I will be having separate tips on each icons here in the wonderful Millenium Park.

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In the heart of chicago, is the majestic Millennium Park, boasting a huge outdoor theatre. This beautiful and modern looking theatre frequently has free concerts. It is the most wonderful experience to go with friends and relax enjoying a wonderful concert. Some people prefer to sit on the chairs in front. Others prefer to relax on the grass and picnic while watching.

From mid-June to mid-August, the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus, resident tenants of the Pavilion, performs on Saturdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. There are other free events, including jazz, gospel and classical concerts, which are also held in the summer. During winter, more intimate concerts are held on the Pavilion stage, behind its closed glass doors.

Millennium Park is a 24.5 acre park featuring sculptures, fountains, gardens, state-of-the-art performance venues, such as Pritzker Pavilion and the Harris Theater, and a winter ice skating rink. It was planned in 1998 for Millennium celebrations and to cover up railroad yard that sits below the park.

Among the popular attractions are Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor of London. Also known by many as the Jelly Bean, it is a 110 ton elliptical sculpture made of stainless steel meant to represent liquid mercury. It is 66 ft long and 33 ft high and encourages public participation. Its purpose is to capture the skyline and surrounding area in a unique reflection. (Cloud Gate was under renovation during my last stop at the park. I will feature a tip and some photos when it reopens)

The attraction shown in the picture is the Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa of Barcelona. It features 2 50 ft. glass towers with changing video images of faces on them and water cascading down the sides into a reflecting pool. Plensa filmed 1,000 Chicagoans for the sculpture and each face stays on the tower for 13 minutes.

See the following tips for more info.