Posted 6 months ago in Trending, millennium park, cloud gate, the bean, now open
2 MIN READ – The City of Chicago is happy to share that Grainger Plaza, the area surrounding Cloud Gate (aka “The Bean”) in Millennium Park, has completed construction and is now open to the public. Visitors can once again have full access to Chicago’s iconic Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor.
The construction project on Grainger Plaza, led by the Chicago Department of Fleet and Facility Management (2FM), began in August 2023 and included a comprehensive rebuild of the Plaza podium, including new stairs, accessible ramps, paver replacement, a waterproofing system and accessibility upgrades to Grainger Plaza. Additional landscaping improvements to the Plaza will be completed in the coming weeks and do not impact access to Cloud Gate. This necessary maintenance has ensured the 20-year-old Park’s appearance, visitor experience, and position as the #1 attraction in the Midwest.
Photo by Patrick L. Pyszka, City of Chicago.
“Our team applauds 2FM, the Millennium Park Foundation, and everyone involved in the reopening of this iconic public sculpture that has become the symbol of Chicago across the U.S. and around the world,” shared DCASE Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth.
For more information on Millennium Park’s Art and Architecture, and for the schedule of Millennium Park’s 20th Anniversary season of free concerts, films, family programming, and more, please visit MillenniumPark.org.
Millennium Park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Plan your visit at MillenniumPark.org; follow on Facebook (@MillenniumParkChicago); X (@Millennium_Park) and Instagram (@Millennium_Park); and join the conversation on social media using #MillenniumPark.
Photo by Patrick L. Pyszka, City of Chicago.