Cloud Gate aka "The Bean" is one of the best spots in Chicago - . If you've just arrived in town,…read morethis is an easy and classic first stop in Millennium Park. The mirrored, bean shaped sculpture acts like a giant mirror, giving you a unique reflection of Chicago's skyline and the crowd around you. Obviously, it's a great place for photos and a must visit in Millennium Park.

Cloud Gate, otherwise known as the Bean, sits in the middle of Millennium Park in downtown Chicago…read moreand is one of those public art installations that consistently surprises people who encounter it for the first time despite being one of the most photographed objects in the city. I walked up to a seamless polished stainless steel form that reflects everything around it without a single visible seam or joint across its entire surface. That engineering achievement alone is worth appreciating before I even started engaging with what the reflections actually do. The reflections are the experience. I watched the Chicago skyline curve and distort across the surface in a way that shifted constantly depending on where I was standing, and walking slowly around the perimeter gave me a different composition every few steps. Walking underneath the concave arch in the center, which locals call the omphalos, produced a funhouse mirror effect that reflected me and everyone else from overhead in a way that was consistently disorienting and engaging regardless of how many times I have seen it. On a clear day with blue sky the effect was particularly strong, with the skyline wrapping around the sculpture against a bright background. On overcast days the palette shifts toward silver and grey and produces its own version of the thing. Admission is free and the park is open and accessible, which made Cloud Gate an easy addition to my Chicago itinerary without any planning required. It gets crowded, particularly on weekends and during summer, and the area immediately around the sculpture fills with people taking photos throughout the day. Early morning visits before the crowds build give you a more relaxed experience and better light for photography. It is one of the few landmarks in any city that genuinely lives up to what people say about it.

Created by Jaume Pensa. It's a water feature with two glass towers that projects faces of folks…read more Very cool thing to see. Interactive art installations are some of my favorite pieces to see. In addition, if you're feeling like you need a cool down from that hot Chicago summer weather...you can take off your shoes and soak your tootsies. To me, the splash pad has no age limits. It's worth the quick walk from The Bean to see it.

Gorgeous! Refreshing to spend time here on a hot day. Relaxing and peaceful atmosphere, while also…read morevibrant people watching as kids and adults run through the water. Beautiful interactive fountain and I love seeing the changing and details of the faces. A lovely part of Millennium Park.

Fun stroll [Chicago IL]…read more Just a short distance from the Millennium Park is this cool 925-foot-long winding pedestrian bridge in the Loop community area. This was fun to walk along and took us to another park at the end, the Maggie Daley Park. Interesting and cool piece of engineering looking like a giant silver snake. The stainless steel sheet looks beautiful shimmering in the sun. Aside from the Cloud Gate, the BP Pedestrian Bridge is another one of Millennium Park's popular attractions drawing large crowds of visitors including us! We were able to see views of the Chicago skyline, Lake Michigan, Historic Michigan Boulevard District, and Grant Park. If you're wondering what the BP stands for in its name it is named after the energy firm (formerly called British Petroleum) who donated a large sum to the project. Review #3824

Gehry designed this 925 ft long pedestrian bridge that spans Columbus Drives with skyline views &…read morethe Nichols Bridgeway arches from the park to the Art Institute's sculpture terrace. Named for energy firm BP, which donated $5 million toward its construction, it is the first Gehry-designed bridge to have been completed. BP Bridge is described as snakelike because of its curving form.

Currently off view whilst renovations are being done on the Chase Tower. Possibly for lat next year…read moreviewing.

I really enjoy Chagall. The America Windows are my favorite exhibit in the Art Institute; my…read moreworkplace has reproductions of some of his works, and then there's The Four Seasons. It certainly helps too that I love murals and mosaics. It depicts the seasons in Chicago, which truly is a city that can experience them all (although I feel like spring and sometimes fall get the short shrift). This work was made in Europe and shipped here for installation, which I was surprised to learn. It also continued to be modified by Chagall after the installation, with bits of brick from Chicago also added at times to make it even more native to this space. It's one of a kind, and we're fortunate to have so much public art by world-reknown artists littered about our downtown.

Almost walked past this. Opposite side of The Riverwalk. Great detail. Great background view of…read moreChicago skyline! Worth the stop!

This is an amazing piece of work by Taiwanese Artist and Sculptor Ju Ming. It is located in the…read moreAMA Plaza and outdoor seating is offered for individuals to sit and admire and discuss the sculpture of the eleven men cast in Bronze who are dressed in business suits, trench coats and some with umbrellas...obviously as if they were on their way to work in a modern city environment. Upon a close-up inspection recently, I noticed that the eyes were not pronounced and that they seem to be expressionless as the grayness of their cast figures suggest. Almost as if it was just another day going through the same routine- wake up, go to work, eat, sleep---REPEAT. It reminds me in a way of Andy Warhol's Campbells Soup Can-we live from one meal to the next. About the Artist: Ju Ming (1938-) was originally trained as a woodcarver; however, his work evolved into sculpting in bronze in addition to other materials such as styrofoam, stainless steel as well as other mediums. He became well known in Taiwan during the 1970s and later in 1983 in New York City when he had individual exhibition of Living World Series: A Pair of Classical People at the Max Hutchinson Gallery. This piece in particular, is regarded as one of the most important works among the early production of the Living World Series. Ming's Living World Series appears or suggests that his work may evolve from his perception of the world around him; however, he has been quoted as saying that there is no one interpretation or set interpretation designated in his intention to create his sculptures. There are other parts of The Living World Series including "Imprisonment"which has drawn attention to his style of thought provoking sculpture. FYI-This Public Piece of art was purchased by Eagle Holdings, which is the parent group of the Langham Hospitality Group.

Wings of Mexico…read more Beautiful wings. Gold. Always a line for taking picture. Nice. Clean place. Lots of people. They placed the wings in the perfect place. Highly recommended

You will find this pair of gold wings in the front of The Plaza of America. They tempt you to hop…read moreup there and take a photo with them. The wings are made of bronze with cement and iron bases and were installed in the Plaza in May 2022. They are the work of renowned Mexican artist Jorge Marín, who intended the piece to proudly symbolize the immigrant journey. Marin partnered with the Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago and Visit Mexico for the piece. The wings are well traveled. They were actually made in 2010 and before reaching its current home in Chi-town, it began it journey in Mexico City, with stops at 25 other locations, from California to Dubai. It was scheduled to be moved to Brookhaven, Georgia in October 2022, but for some reason still remains in Chicago as of April 2023. I like the concept of the wings and its backstory. It takes all of those wing murals popping up across the county to the next level. It is rare to see them in sculpture form. I really like these wings, even though they are pretty basic. They are still very detailed, eye catching and they are definitely worth checking out if you are in the area. Parking to get a closer look at this sculpture is difficult to do, as is most parking in the Windy City. This sculpture is not a destination piece and most of its viewers will be passerbys such as myself. Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. Also, be very careful if you are going to get a closer look, as i previously mentioned, this is located at a busy roundabout. With that being said, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Wow! We thought this place was gonna be a quick pit stop to see a cool building, but it was so much…read moremore. The building itself is gorgeous, and it's very well maintained and historic. Every new room is a cool angle to look at. It takes some beautiful photos, too. For the museum itself, they have 3 or 4 different exhibitions at any given time, and each was a lot of fun. I particularly liked the restored Chicago jazz bar that they had on display...felt like you were walking back into another time. Highly recommend coming here. For a free museum in the heart of the loop, you can't beat it!

Beautiful building with cool exhibits…read more Unfortunately, there was a private event going on when I came, so I didn't get a chance to really look at that Tiffany glass ceiling Bathrooms could be neater!

This is a relatively small museum in Near North Side. A small auditorium will greet you upon…read moreentering. The first floor showcases beautiful rooms including the receiving and dining area and more. Fine furniture, statues, and other fixtures have interesting stories. They have a grand staircase that leads to the second floor which houses mainly the Tiffany lamps in different rooms. The third floor has a small Wizard of Oz exhibit with a part where you can take your pictures with some wearable items like a headband with lion's fur and ears, an axe, wands, etc. The small gift shop is also on this floor. You can finish the entire museum in 45 minutes. If you only have limited time in Chicago, you may want to skip this.

Stunning restored and/or maintained home with interesting exhibits. Great staff-very helpful, and…read morefriendly. Free Wednesdays from 4-7, but easily worth the price of admission.

How now bronze cow…read more.. Peter Hanig, a shoe retailer, saw an exhibit of decorated cows in Zurich and brought the idea home to Chicago. This sparked a national and international trend of placing painted sculptures in cities incorporating a wide range of themes including cows and boots in Houston, DNA double helix sculptures in London, baby elephants on parade in Copenhagen (which were amazing to see), globes in Tel Aviv and 500 shoes in Istanbul. This sculpture, nicknamed "In Remembrance of Things Past," is a nod to the original Chicago CowParade held in 1999. If you look closely, you can see a reflection of the Water Tower in the right eye and the Untitled Picasso sculpture in the left. She stands permanently guarding the Chicago Cultural Center across from Millennium Park today. For more information, scan the Statue Stories Chicago QR code at your visit.

The Bronze Cow stands alone outside the Chicago Cultural Center on Washington Street. She is part…read moreof Chicago's Cultural History of Artists that designed Fiberglass Cow Statues that were placed throughout the City of Chicago in an effort to support the unification of citizens through art in public spaces. This Bronze Cow was a gift to all Chicagoans and today tells the story and history of The Cow Exhibit in 1999. Listen via your telephone to the story of The Bronze Cow- You can hear the story of The Bronze Cow by scanning the QR Code and listening to it on your cellular telephone. 2019-The Cows Come Home Retrospective along The Mag Mile- Currently there is a retrospective of the Cow Exhibition called "The Cows Come Home" located along the Magnificent Mile (Summer 2019) celebrating the artists works. My Favorite-"The Swiss Cheese Cow"- My favorites are the cows in former Mayor Jane Byrne's Plaza/Park located outside the old Water Tower. I love the "Swiss Cheese" Cow. Really creative! FYI-What exactly is a "cow?" "A cow is a female that has had at least one calf. A heifer is a female that has not yet had a calf; she becomes a cow after her first calf is born. A bull is a male that is able to breed. A steer is a male that has been castrated and is not able to breed." Source: Google Search 'What sex are cows?" https://www.google.com