Longtime Chicagoans will recall that Mayor Richard M. Daley officially announced the plans for Chicago’s great park in March 1998. Six years later, following a host of cost increases, design changes, delays, and flexing of mayoral muscles, the unsightly rail yard had transformed into one of the world’s most beautiful green roofs, recently ranked third among all American parks as a tourist attraction.

What once began as a railroad and parking lot is now one of the most iconic places in the city of Chicago: Millennium Park. It has been 12 years since Millennium Park opened, so we have come up with a list of 12 fun facts, in honor of each year that the park has been open.