Definitely a site to see when you're in Chicago! I came to Chicago for work and knew I had to see the Bean sculpture. Not only did I want to see, but you have to get that tourist pic either with your reflection in it or jumping..why not both!!? I know I took as many photos as I could because it is just so unique and cool. The park is filled with tons of artwork to see as you mosey around. This is a popular place for everyone, so if you don't feel like taking your pic with it, it is definitely an awesome place to just sit back and people watch and we know I love people watching. If you want to go at a good time to get the perfect lighting and not have many people there at all I would recommend going early in the morning. I went there before 7am and pretty much had the place to myself to take as many touristy photos as I wanted. So plan to get their early for the best pics and then grab a cup of coffee and enjoy walking around the park. Believe me you won't regret it! read more

Cloud Gate - Jumping in Chicago - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Under construction, couldn't get very close, fencing all around it. Looks cool, especially the reflection of the city.

The view. The scenery's was worth the stop. It's obviously a crowded zone as it's a tourist location. I couldn't mention this positive w/o a negative. With that being said, The public restroom is a disaster! No toilet paper and no soap. Filthy as a public restroom can be. I had to literally hold myself together. I suggest using the restroom before going for a long walk through this lovely city of Chicago. read more

Cloud Gate - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The Bean (Cloud Gate) was absolutely amazing. Due to Covid-19 we were limited to the perimeter of a fence to view this artwork. I wish I could have gone underneath it but understand why not. There were many people looking at this amazing sculpture in down down Chicago. Brilliant and can't wait to go back and actually go underneath the artwork. read more

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Didn't love that this giant bean has now been under construction for months now. We only got close enough to take some distant photos. Not really worth the trip at the moment. read more

Go early! Early in the morning is the best time to visit the bean unless you like crowds. It is awesome to see in person and way bigger than I imagined. It has great reflections of the city. Awesome, be sure to check it out! read more

Sure, it's a tourist attraction, but it's also one of the cooler spots in Chicago. A great place for the 'Gram, but also a destination to take in nature in the city while having a great view of the skyline. read more

Cloud Gate - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Bean is a must see when visiting Chicago. It's absolutely free tourist attraction. If you want to get a picture with no one really around you have to early in the morning or during the winter season lol. Did you really visit Chicago if you don't post a picture of the bean?!? During the winters, there's a ice skating ring below it and the summers there's a bar/ restaurant. It's definitely an attraction during the summer read more

Cloud Gate - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

As a tourist in Chicago, a stop by "the Bean" seemed necessary. I'm not sure it's a particularly innovative in design, but the Bean ("Cloud Gate"... whatever) is still entertaining and a staple of a visit to the Windy City. Since my hotel wasn't too far away from Millenium Park, I wandered to the park one morning before visiting the Art Institute of Chicago. The Bean is easy to find... and though it would have been nicer to take photos if the weather had been more cooperative, there were still a number of people checking out the Bean, taking selfies (some setting up more professional shots), and generally enjoying themselves even though it was still somewhat early in the morning. I'd love to make it back to Chicago... and if I do? I'm hoping for better weather and an early morning wakeup call in order to get to the bean for a more opportune photo. TL;DR Somewhat corny, but also captivating at the same time... the Bean is a Chicago icon. read more

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Daaaa bean! All my life I thought this thing was called the bean. Turns out it has a name and it's actually an art installation haha. Pretty crazy. My friend and I wandered around Chicago two weeks ago and decided to stop by and check it out. I've never seen the bean before but she has. Unfortunately due to covid the bean was fenced off so we couldn't touch it or take any cool photos with it. Kinda sucky. Overall the bean, I mean cloud gate, was pretty cool. If you're nearby I'd check it out but wouldn't go completely out of my way to see it. read more

Cloud Gate - Da bean on a cloudy morning - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So Much Fun to Visit Cloud Gate There is something magical about Cloud Gate that draws crowds to gaze intently playing with the reflections that it creates. Designed by Indian-born British artist Sir Anish Kapoor, it is an artistic and architectural masterpiece. Although it is constructed of almost 170 stainless steel plates welded together, the highly polished sculpture appears to lack any visible seams. Also known as "The Bean, " Kapoor's design was inspired by liquid mercury. Visitors can see themselves and the Chicago skyline reflected and distorted along the smooth surface. Walking through the 12 foot arch gives another unique perspective. The concave underbelly , or "omphalos" which means navel in Greek, is another interesting place to take twisted candids. read more

The Bean, or Cloud Gate (officially) It's fun It's shiny It's large It's a gate It's a cloud It's contrast It's abstract It's reflective It's cloud gate It's interactive It's unexpected It's smile evoking It's deeply profound It's thought provoking The Bean's reflective surface was inspired by liquid mercury. This shiny exterior reflects the people moving around the park, the lights of Michigan Avenue, and the surrounding skyline and green space -- perfectly encapsulating the Millennium Park experience. The polished surface also invites visitors to touch the surface and observe their own reflection, giving it an interactive quality. The reflection of the sky above the park, not to mention the curved underside of The Bean serves as an entrance that visitors can walk under to enter the park, inspired the sculpture's creator to name the piece Cloud Gate. Cloud Gate was built with the Chicago skyline in mind. "What I wanted to do in Millennium Park is make something that would engage the Chicago skyline," said Kapoor, "so that one will see the clouds kind of floating in, with those very tall buildings reflected in the work. And then, since it is in the form of a gate, the participant, the viewer, will be able to enter into this very deep chamber that does, in a way, the same thing to one's reflection as the exterior of the piece is doing to the reflection of the city around." It is deeply profound and much more than ac"selfie" op, but we call it The Bean! Cloud Gate it is! - "Almost nothing need be said when you have eyes." ~Tarjei Vesaas, The Boat in the Evening read more

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Fun in town activity for tourists. Check out online to see if there are any events taking place during the week or weekends at millennium park next door read more

Did you even visit Chicago if you didn't take a picture with the bean?! We stopped by the bean on our way to lunch on our first day in Chicago. While the view with this larger than life shiny bean In front of the tall buildings was very scenic, it was super crowded and took away some of that magic. Maybe if I visit on a less crowded day, I would be more impressed. Better luck next time! read more

Cloud Gate - Crowded around Cloud Gate - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Tourist attraction place. This is a must come sight see location. Every one knows about the bean in Chicago which is also known as The Cloud Gate. I had to come to the Millennium Park to see The Cloud Gate. Yes great for picture taking. There are security guards guarding The Bean day and night. If you come in the morning its less busy. Once the after noon hits, The Bean is surrounded by people. read more

Cloud Gate - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The Bean. A Chicago icon. Sweetie lived in Chicago for years, and one trip she took me to all the high points (of the town, and of her life here.) I'd heard of this sculpture, seen pictures, but you really have to come to it and get under it to appreciate it. It's huge, but the area in the gap underneath is not so big. Even at off times there are a fair number of people crowding around. (Okay, maybe not in 2020...) Still, we took tons of pictures. Of what? Reflections, mostly, of ourselves and the city. Take time to gawk. The object itself is impressive: shiny (mostly,) big, curved so you see all sorts of odd perspectives. It's fun. It's silly. It's cool. This is what public sculpture can be. It's unique, memorable, and reflective of the area (literally.) It's in a nice park right downtown, by the skyscrapers and the water. Come here, at least once. It's worth it. read more

Also known as "The Bean" for that is what it looks like. Good thing they didnt model it in the form of a mushroom because then, well you would know what it might look like. Instead of Cloud Gate it may have been called Mushroom Cloud. Designed by Indian born British artist Sir Anish Kapoor, it was inspired by the properties of liquid mercury. Construction started in 2004 and finished in 2006, this structure made up of 168 stainless steel plates welded together and highly polished so that you do not see any seams whatsoever. This structure weighs just a little over 100 tons and it cost a total of 23 million by the time it was dedicated on May 15, 2006. A must see any time you are in Chicago for any reason, there is no other sculpture like it in the world. Located in Millenium Park, this attraction is just one of many. Open everyday from 6 am to 11 pm, admission is free but of course you have to find parking somewhere and that is not free unfortunately, but hay, any time you are in a large metropolitan city you will always have to pay for parking anywhere you are in city limits. So take plenty of pictures and definitely bring plenty of hand sanitizer if you plan on touching it. Next thing you know we have a "Bean Virus" going around. Yelp 2020 Review #23 819 overall read more

Cloud Gate - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I lived in Chicago for 20 years. Much of that time before "the Bean". When the Bean was installed, I was critical of it (as many Chicagoans still are). I couldn't believe people (not tourists) would make it a destination for wedding pictures, engagement photos, etc. Working near the Bean in 2015-17 changed all that. On many lunch strolls through Millennium Park I saw all manner of tourists enjoying themselves by the Bean, laughing, doing peace-sign selfies*- pure joy. Also, the best works of art start a conversation, and Cloud Gate has done just that. Also, what's not to love about all of the hilariously named recent fake Facebook meetup events at the Bean? *Tourists- get the Cityscape to reflect in your Bean selfies, otherwise it's just another non-descript picture in a mirror! read more

We saw the bean from a bar across the street. Since it was right there, I decided to dragged the roommate here. This was on Tuesday, December 5th around 1:15pm. I've seen Cloud Gate before, so this was more for the roomie. He didn't see what the big deal was, but I think the structure itself is kinda cool. Fun walking around and seeing your reflection from all the different angles. Luckily, since it was cold AF, there weren't a lot of people here. We got a pretty good unobstructed picture. I've been here during warmer weather and it was super crowded. People everywhere! I guess that was one plus about going on a freezing day. Less people. One of the touristy things you should do when visiting Chicago. read more

Cloud Gate - Cloud Gate aka The Bean - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was so beautiful to visit this Chicago gem. I got the opportunity to see it twice, at night and during the day. I suggest you do see it like me because of its two types of beauty. It was so nice to see snow for the first time on my trip to Chicago and see it on top of this huge and distinctive piece was awesome. I loved to see so many people taking pictures and enjoying their stay there. read more

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Pretty good attraction. I suggest going early in the morning if you want to get really good pictures. I was in Chicago for like 2 weeks so I had a good time sitting around the area people watching and enjoying the weather. read more

Cloud Gate - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Am I the only one that thought it was actually called "The Bean"? And how does Anish Kapoor feel about the fact that a lot of people call it "The Bean"? Regardless... you gotta do it. At least once. And if you can go during the winter, get yourself out on the ice skating rink. We went on an overcast day and while it wasn't raining at the time, it was both cold and humid enough that the entire reflective surface was covered in the type of wet that clings to glass surfaces... the type of wet that your mirror usually experiences after a hot shower. But my pictures still came out pretty cool so I'm not mad at it. And if you're going to check out Cloud Gate, walk under it and look at it from every angle. Surprisingly I haven't really seen it ridiculously packed, but I haven't spent a summer here yet so it may not be peak "Bean" season yet. I will say that there were some characters around while we were there like a lady who briskly walked passed us and shouted (while never stopping) "WANT ME TO TAKE YOUR PICTURE FOR YOU GUYS!" Not a question, more a statement... an invitation to steal one of our phones most likely since neither of us were even taking selfies or pictures at the time. It made me chuckle a little when she did the same to someone on the street taking photos of the city-scape with a seriously professional camera setup. It's definitely a must and is so much more massive that it seems in any picture I've ever seen. read more

Cloud Gate - Inside cloud gate - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cloud Gate is a MUST when visiting Chicago for the first time. Whether visiting during the day time or at night, Anish Kapoor's creation is a sight to see. If you want a picture with no one else in it, go super early in the morning, or really late at night. It's a touristy spot, but I never get tired of seeing it! PLUS it's free to visit so I don't mind going time and time again with visitors each time they come! Make sure to view it from all sides. You can get the skyline in the background, the skyline in the bean, your reflection in the bean, or many reflections of you when you go under! read more

Let me just take you through my 5-second inner dialogue when I first went to The Bean. First thought: "Wow, this is so much bigger than I thought it would be!" Second thought: "How the hell did they transport this big chrome bean and place it in the middle of Chicago?" Third thought: "This big shiny, chrome bean is so cool and beautiful!" Until writing this review, I had no idea that the real name of The Bean was The Cloud Gate. You learn something new every day! I personally think this is an iconic must see in Chicago. It's located in Millenium Park, so once you're done taking your bean selfies, you can wander around the park and relax. This huge art installation is easy to spot from a mile or two away, so you can't miss it if you're walking or driving in the area. You can't leave Chicago without visiting this big, metallic, beauty. read more

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Bean there, done that. But always, I am drawn back! Because the scene at "da bean" is never the same game twice. (That's a commercial as old as me. No wonder I can't remember what it's an advert for..) Wait. I can. "Bonkers is fun. Bonkers is nice. Bonkers is never the same game twice! " Ok! So I recalled the ad. I grew up in 1978 Chicago. So there is my mental association with the bean. It's Bonkers! Absolutely never the same bean twice. - Rorschach next! - "Oh that's definitely a bean. Two beans! And a Chicago dog." But wait. Maybe a cactus. (PS - I blame "Madmen" - the tv series for this review ... no beans nor board games were harmed in the writing of this review!) You damn New Yorkers! ;-)) second city. Ok. Fine. Madison Ave. whatever. we have da bean! (Officially entitled by the artist (Anish Kapoor), "The Cloud Gate," ....this artist has another work - a shiny black bean! - that was on display the Phoenix Art Museum once upon a time. (See photo.) read more

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Very little else that I can add, everyone has Yelped the heck out of this stunning sculpture, so I'll just add my 5 stars and share some photos from last night. There was also a musical performance in front of the Bean last night- a lovely holiday concert. All free. Totally worth a stop if you are a tourist. read more

Cloud Gate - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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MR. BEAN One of the Windy City's most popular (free!) tourist attractions produces some extremely cool photo opportunities. Cloud Gate has become synonymous with Chicago's array of eclectic public art, now in the same class as Alexander Calder's "Flamingo" (the big red-orange metal arch thingy in Federal Plaza) and of course the famous Picasso "anteater" in Daley Plaza, which -- did you know? -- is actually the French surrealist's take on a woman. This glistening landmark is easily spotted from Michigan Avenue and is accessible to anyone visiting Millennium Park. There's generally crowds surrounding the massive 100-ton stainless steel oddity, guys taking selfies and girls Instagramming their lives away. Inspired by the properties of liquid mercury, British designer Anish Kapoor came up with the idea for this highly unusual but very much loved piece of art, located near the ice rink during the winter and next to the Crown Fountain (the spitting mouths) during the spring and summer. Though the typical basic bitch reaction is to have your picture taken with the shiny structure in the background, the REAL visual treat comes from when you're standing *directly underneath* it. At a focal point called "the omphalos" (Greek for 'navel'), your reflection gets shrunk to a fraction of its size and distorted. Super cool effect. Stunning snaps can be taken from both the east and west, as the skyline reflects nicely off of the giant metal bean. It's truly fascinating how the exterior shell shows ZERO sign of any seams; a 5-stage process was used to eliminate all weld marks from the sculpture using grinding, sanding, and buffing. All in all, this flawless Fabaceae (google it) is an iconic part of the city's landscape. At a final cost of $23 million, this is definitely the most expensive legume in the world......and it won't give you gas! Highly recommended. read more

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Everybody and their mother has to see the "Bean" when they're in town, though very few people know it by it's official name, the Cloud Gate. Maybe it's the narcissist in all of us that we have to snap a pic of ourselves reflected in this crazy 3D funhouse mirror/alien spaceship. Or is it a window into the deepest reaches of our souls? The Bean inspires all kinds of feelings from all that come to visit and touch its surface from elation to flatulence. And that fulfills its purpose as art, to evoke a response or an emotion. In my warped dreams or in an alternate universe, I would be expecting Keanu Reeves to morph out of the end of this thing in a slimy sac of ectoplasm and say "Klatu barada nikto", "Nanu Nanu" or "Take me to your leader". Being the head narcissist, I would point towards Trump Tower and hope he would take a bite out of his orange head. This country is going to need serious therapy after this administration. Pardon the segue. With all the people placing their hands on it, I wonder if the Bean has more bacteria and viruses than are stocked in the vaults of the CDC. They need to put some Purell dispensers all around this thing or hose it down with alcohol every day. There's also got to be a team of elves that come out every night to keep this thing polished up. I want that job. read more

Cloud Gate - I knew the Bean was an alien spaceship sucking up the dregs of humanity! - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow. This bean is huge. If an oni saw this they would surely implode. JK! LOL! Anyways, this bean is a great bean. You can walk around, under, and over it. JK! The bean is very dirty, there are a lot of handprints on it. Can someone please clean it? It also looks awful, nothing like it does in pictures. Why are there so many blemishes on it? I thought it was supposed to be pure metal. A lot of ants seem to be on it. read more

Cloud Gate - bean - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So after walking that tour, we had to back track to Millennium Park so we could come to Cloud Gate my sister really wanted to see the bean. Honestly I had no idea what she was talking about until I googled it, yes i googled it lol. No joke before we came I asked her if it did anything and she called me an idiot (I knew it didn't by the way lol). But at least we knocked something off her must see list, and you can take some pretty cool pictures here. read more

Cloud Gate - The Bean - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's the BEAN! A must do attraction in Chicago even if it's one of those "for the 'gram" things. Me and my friends got to the bean pretty early on a Friday (around 8am) and there wasn't that many people around which was a plesant surprise. (it was also december) It's a massive reflective sculpture and it's fun to take pics near it or of your reflection. A solid 10 mins is all you'll need to get those pics in and move along to the next thing in Chicago. read more

Cloud Gate - Bean!!! - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A must see when in Chicago. That entire area is worth talking a walk around and sightseeing. We went during the Christmas season and it was just magical. read more

It's taken me a while to sit down and gather all my thoughts about this place, and I think there are several reasons why. Maybe is because I think I have to do justice to the awesomeness experienced. Or because the breath of all available at Millennium park and the Cloud is so much. Or maybe is because what I experienced are things I've written down in my bucket list and finally seeming it has to be digested, discussed, and examined. Or maybe just maybe, is because the Cloud has become so an enigmatic emblem of Chicago you see in every movie, picture of friends visiting the city, and just the sight of it elicits a smile on your face and a feeling of I made it too. Artistically, the Cloud - or the bean as many call it - is flawless. A perfect example of artistry to be placed next to the Arts Institute Museum. It's round surface brings back memories of the bubble in "The Abyss" or the extraterrestrial technology in "The day the Earth Stood Still" - but it's in Chicago and we know it's man-made. It's methods used by the artist will definitely be discussed and googled, because its smoothness seems to defy reality. The reflection of the city on its surface is magnificent. No one can't resists taking a picture, not just of their own reflection on the Cloud but of the city reflected in it. And maybe that's what the artist intended. Maybe the Cloud is a reflection of Chicago itself, with it's sunny days and cloudy ones, with people of all colors, creeds, shapes, and sizes walking it's streets, either for work or leisure, but walking together. In conclusion, it's a piece of art that has to be seen. Not in pictures, magazines , or movies. It has to be experienced in the flesh in order for its magnitude to be throughly understood. And I hope it's also in your bucket list! read more

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Knowing that The Cloud Gate looks like a bean, and seeing it, are two different things. This thing is so cool. I wonder how many people takes to polish it? We came on our last day in Chicago because we knew we could not leave without taking a few pictures here. Is is the park's main attraction and so it was a bit crowded, but in a good way. There are so many great angles in which to take photos. We had a lot of fun coming up with creative ways. Pretty cool to visit while in the windy city! read more

Cloud Gate - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The Cloud Gate or The Bean is a shiny bean-shaped art sculpture in Millennial Park that is iconic feature of Chicago. I loved coming here to take pictures, people watch and see the reflections in the Bean. On sunny days, you get to see the sky and part of the Chicago skyline. The reflection is beautiful with the sunny blue sky, the sun and park. Coming to Cloud Gate is fun to watch families, partners, friends take photos of themselves! You get such creative and interesting poses and angles! If you don't want to take a picture, you can come just to look at the different angles of reflection from the Bean. The bean looks more like a globe from one angle. And underneath the bean it looks like hall of mirrors with holes. It was so fun! Come early in the morning and you get less people in your photo. read more

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Not much extra to be said from what all the other reviews have said already. But, it's worth saying again, if you are in Chicago, this has to make the list of things to do. Expect there to be a crowd, but everyone here was friendly and was more than willing to help people get pics. I hadn't thought of it previously, but my gf suggested that we get here early am for sunrise. Two huge pluses that come with that. First, there aren't too many people out and about at this time, so you can get some very isolated, uncrowded shots. Second, as the sun comes up and sheds light on the city, it makes for an amazing reflective pic opportunity. There was a line-up of people that arrived early (10 - 12) all with the same intention as us. Everyone was friendly and made space so we could get our pics too. Side note (totally unrelated), once you finish here this is a great time to avoid the long wait time at Wildberry Cafe located at the end of Millennium Park. This one doesn't take a lot of time and there isn't any charge to access the park. If it isn't high on your list of 'To-Do' things while in Chicago, I'd suggest taking a minute to re-prioritize. read more

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We were delayed for two days in Chicago due to Texas Snowmageddon in January 2023. #neverforget. Anyway, we had some basic layers and chose to take in the City while we waited for Texas to melt. Cloud gate was on our check off list. Glad we got a photo in front of it as it is iconic. It was busy on a Thursday afternoon in January. Can't imagine how it would be any other time. There is an ice skating rink below it if you are in to torture like that. There's also a parking garage, a Canes and a Starbucks across the street to go warm up in. It was a 15 minute walk from our hotel. The neighborhood was a bit sketch. Reminded me of Queens in NY. But we were staying in a five star hotel so maybe my standards changed that fast. There is a lot of shopping near by and a beautiful Target. read more

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This spot is such a good picture location and a place we are sure to hit up every time we are in Chicago. It just never gets old! The last time we went was during COVID season, and they had it all blocked off, so it was a cool picture opportunity and very rare with no people around. Going into the park you do have to wear a mask and are supposed to keep it on, although we did take it off briefly for this picture. read more

Cloud Gate - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had been wanting to see this for quite some time. I had the unfortunate fortune to have an emergency landing of my plane that left me in Chicago so I decided to make the best of the situation. Rounding the corner after coming up the steps that lead away from the Crown Fountain, my mouth kind of dropped at how large it actually is. I don't know why that took my breath away, but it did. Even with all the people swarming around like busy bees snapping photos and others slowly walking the perimeter to take it all in, it's still a massive piece of art. I love how you can't tell that it's made up of several core structures and panels because of the amount of buffing and polishing that has been done to make it seem like one cohesive shape. It really is beautiful. The huge mirrored cloud gate reflects everything high and low and and as you walk closer and closer you see the reflection of your self. I assume everyone has his own reflection (no pun intended) from visiting the cloud gate. I took it is as you see your reflection from the outside which is the same that is reflected to the world around you & as you enter the gate, all the reflections meld together in almost a oneness where we reflect upon ourselves introspectively and outwardly. We all may be the same when we see ourselves from inside and on the outside we so visibly see our differences, as does the rest of the world. Light on the outside, dark inside the gate, but we all bring a little light in with us. We just have to choose to see it. Anyway, it's something free to do and there is plenty of people watching to be done if you just want to sit and watch. Head over to the Crown Fountain which is just down the steps. read more

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We had hoped to visit once during the day and once in the evening. But only ended up viewing "the bean" at night and I'm fine with that. In my opinion, this installation is consistent with others in the city in that it is over-hyped and rudimentary. There are lots of people so it can be difficult to enjoy. We viewed it from all sides, including underneath and in relation to the people as well as the skyline and architecture. I get it; it's iconic. Put it on your list but don't expect to spend more than 20 minutes here and keep your expectations low so you won't be disappointed. read more

Cloud Gate - Public Art Near Me - Chicago, Illinois