Your Guide to Millennium Park in Chicago

Millennium Park is one of the best parts of Chicago, at least for folks who love public art, outdoor venues, and beautiful gardens. That’s why it’s one of the first places I bring my out-of-town friends when we head to the Loop.

At this park, you’ll find the amazing Jay Pritzker Pavilion for summertime concerts, Lurie Garden for stunning flower displays, and the magical Cloud Gate or “the Bean” art piece for amazing photos.

Below, I’ll talk about these and the other best features of Millennium Park, a fantastic attraction for all seasons.

What is Millennium Park?

Millennium Park rests along Michigan Avenue, south of the Magnificent Mile. It’s a decent trek from the shopping district and Water Tower to the park and worth every inch of the walk or bus ride.

Containing the famous Cloud Gate, or Bean, art feature, Millennium Park packs its 24.5 acres with glamor and excitement. Within the park, which technically also falls within Grant Park, you’ll find the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and Great Lawn, Lurie Garden, Exelon Pavilions, Harris Theater, Crown Fountain, Wrigley Square, and others.

The public park in the Loop functions as an outdoor civic center and park.

A brief history of Millenium Park

The area where you’ll now find Millennium Park once served as a right of way between downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan for the Illinois Central Railroad. In 1997, the area was reassigned to the public space known as Grant Park.

In 1871, though, one section was known as the Union Base-Ball Grounds where the Chicago White Stockings played home baseball games before the Great Chicago Fire burnt the short-lived field to the ground. The playing grounds were rebuilt with better seating and other features, eventually incorporated into Grant Park.

Eventually, this part of Grant Park became Millennium Park in 2004. Plans for this section were announced in 1999, with a proscenium arch and orchestra enclosure intended for a bandshell, a pedestrian walking bridge over Columbus Drive, and other features to entice more people to the area.

Frank Gehry, who the Chicago Tribune dubbed “hottest architect in the universe” was set to design the park and bandshell. With major donations from the Pritzker family, the park was able to go into full development and was completed in 2004.

What to see and do at Millennium Park

There are so many things to do at Millennium Park. Here’s a roundup of the major features to check off your list:

• Cloud Gate aka the Bean
• Lurie Garden
• The Jay Pritzker Pavilion and Great Lawn (band shell and seating area)
• The Crown Fountain (digital art feature meets water feature)
• McCormick Tribune Ice Skating Rink (seasonal)
• The BP Pedestrian Bridge
• Joan and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance
• McDonald’s Cycle Center
• Exelon Pavilions
• AT&T Plaza
• Boeing Galleries
• Chase Promenade
• Nichols Bridgeway

Among these various venues and features, you’ll find stunning views of the park from the bridge, outdoor fun and sports, beautiful displays, and tremendous performances.

The BP Pedestrian Bridge

The BP Bridge connects you to Maggie Daley Park, as well, so be sure to enjoy crossing the shiny bridge to other sub-sections of Grant Park. Snap some photos as you cross, enjoy the gardens from above, and look for intriguing skyline angles you’ll find on the reflective surfaces of the bridge.

Lurie Garden

Take some time of respite from the city in Lurie Garden. You’ll find the gorgeous plants and quiet landscape offer a unique break from the city’s bustle any time of year.

Millennium Monument and Boeing Galleries

Then be sure to see the Millennium Monument at the corner of Michigan and Randolph and head over to the Boeing Galleries for stunning displays from local artists.

Performance and Event Venues: Pavilions and Harris Theater

While you’re around, check the schedules at the pavilions and Harris Theater for any performances. You won’t be disappointed in the top-notch quality of musicians, dancers, and actors any time of year.

McDonald’s Cycle Center

If you’re feeling it, head to the McDonald’s Cycle Center to rent a bike for a local ride along the Lakefront Trail nearby or through Grant Park’s over 300 acres.

The Cloud Gate or “the Bean”

My absolute favorite thing to do at Millennium Park is taking silly photos and skyline snaps at the Cloud Gate. Be sure to walk all around and under the public art piece for a variety of fun, beautiful, and ridiculous pics.

Let the bean-shaped silver surface create a fun-house mirror effect, provide the most incredible backdrops, or allow for some of the most unique selfies you’ll ever take. Then, step back, take a seat nearby, and enjoy some good old-fashioned people-watching. You can’t beat the unique crowds who come through the park.

Special annual events at Millennium Park

Designed to provide a public event space in the heart of the city, Millennium Park hosts a plethora of events every year. Grant Park is immediately next door so some events spill across the two parks. Here’s a rundown of popular annual events:

• Lurie Garden events (garden shows, tours, and plant talks) — spring and summer
• Chicago Gospel Music Festival — June
• Chicago Blues Festival — June
• Millennium Park Summer Music Series — June to August
• Millennium Park Summer Film Series — June to August
• Summer Workouts — May to September
• Chicago Jazz Festival — August to September
• McCormick Tribune Ice Rink — November to February
• Millennium Park Holiday Art Market — November
• City of Chicago Christmas Tree — November to January

I adore all the festivals and art shows at Millennium Park, but my favorites include Summer Dance, the Summer Music Series at the Pritzker Pavilion, the Chicago Blues Fest, and the rotating public art displays at the Boeing Galleries.

Best times to visit Millennium Park

The park is the perfect spot for summer, spring, winter, and autumn in Chicago. You’ll find vivid flowers, brilliant fall foliage, wintry landscapes, and buzzing crowds depending on when you go.

I’d only recommend skipping Millennium Park a few days each year, and those are when they’re hosting a major event you’re not attending.

Unless you’re participating, skip the park on Chicago Marathon Day (the second Sunday of October). You may also want to avoid the park on the first warm day of the year and occasional warm days in January. The park is likely to be crowded with locals and tourists alike. Similarly, you may not want to visit on cold days when the temperatures hit below zero. There are no real shelters for warming up.

Tips for visiting Millennium Park

My number one tip for visiting Millennium Park is not to park anywhere near the park. It may seem counterintuitive, but parking in the area is either impossible to find or exorbitantly priced in nearly every case. Instead, grab transit from elsewhere in the city, then hoof it or take transit south or east from those other locations (like the Magnificent Mile).

Personally, I take the Red or Blue Lines from elsewhere in the city then walk a few blocks from Roosevelt (Red Line) or Harold Washington Library (Blue Line) for a fairly straightforward, easy, picturesque walk through the Loop to the park.

I highly recommend visiting Millennium Park about two hours before sunset and sticking around until the sun goes down. This allows you plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful park by daylight, then exquisite moments of incredible city sunset reflections and amazing photos at the Bean.

While in Millennium Park, be sure to stray to other sections of Grant Park and find Buckingham Fountain, numerous public art pieces, and gorgeous views of Lake Michigan. Then, head back to the Bean for those incredible sunset pics and nighttime views of the skyline after dark.

In the park, you’ll find Momentum Coffee roughly halfway between Washington and Madison on the western side of the park. This is near the skating rink. During winter months, you’ll find Casa Bonita and Millennium Hall offering concessions at 11 North. No alcohol is permitted outside this area and you cannot bring your own alcohol to the park at any time.

Note that the East Arcade restrooms at Millennium Park close in November and don’t open again until spring. The West Arcade bathrooms are accessible and open during park hours. You’ll also find accessible stalls from 9 am to 11 pm in the McCormick Tribune Plaza across from Millennium Hall on Michigan Avenue.

Entrance points, accessibility, and park hours

Millennium Park has multiple entry points with both stairs and ramps, making the park accessible for wheelchairs, strollers, those with other necessary assistance, and small children.

You can enter the park from Michigan Avenue via Randolph Street, Washington Street, or Madison Street, or the park entry point below 201 Randolph Street. Be aware that during festivals and winter, some entry points may be temporarily closed due to activities or maintenance.

Costs for visiting Millennium Park

Entry to Millennium Park is free. However, special events or visiting attractions may cost extra. If you bring your own skates, the ice-skating rink is also free. If not, you can rent ice skates for a small fee.

Visiting Millennium Beach or the Splash Pad both require paid admission. If you’re attending a festival or event at Millennium Park, be sure to check for fees before you arrive.

The primary expense you may incur going to Millennium Park will be parking or transportation in getting there. I recommend parking elsewhere in the city and getting a day, weekend, week, or month pass for riding transit. This saves you the headache (and costs) of finding parking, dashing back to feed a meter, or needing to take ride-shares or taxis.

I like to park in places like Ravenswood, Roger’s Park, Edgewater, Lakeview, Bucktown, or Wicker Park where parking is more available unmetered, transit is within walking distance, and the ride to Millennium Park is about 30 minutes rather than an hour. You’ll find transit is easier to catch here, as well, particularly on the Red or Brown Lines, without waiting forever or having to stand the majority of the trip.

Other ways to enjoy Chicago’s parks and best attractions

Whenever folks visit me in Chicago, there are about five things I always include on my “friend tour” of the city:

• Millennium Park
• Lincoln Park Zoo
• Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower)
• A mobster tour
• And possibly most importantly, an architecture tour

There’s so much to explore here in Chicago! Looking for more outdoor fun? Check out our guide to top things to do on the Chicago Riverwalk.