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The Crown Fountain is in Millennium Park is a distinctive & interactive public art installation. It features two 50-foot glass block towers displaying video images of over 1,000 Chicago residents. The faces change periodically, culminating in a surprising spurt of water from their mouths, creating an engaging & playful experience. The fountain operates with water features typically from mid-spring to mid-fall, while the video displays are visible year-round. It was a beautiful evening and the fountain acted as a children's modern-day splash pad. The area surrounding Crown Fountain provides ample seating, wherei was fascinated watching the faces & expressions change.
This is a kid's dream. Splash pad / water fountain / weird digital faces on a large structure- what more could you ask for? It was a warm day and many families brought their kids here to play.
Crown fountain is always a stop for me when visiting this cool city. Love the reflections in the fountain at night and the lights of the city scape. I walked from greek area in i think west. To Buckingham fountain and then crown fountain. Came in daytime and loved people watching. Def check out culture center architecture and glass dome ceiling and view from Cindy's of the park. Both are across the street. I know Chicago has a rep for crime but I usually am on my own here and never had any issues. I felt perfectly safe in the parks even at night. The city is gorgeous at night.
This was on the way back to our car and I honestly didn't know what to expect from this tour spot. There were still quite a bit of people but apparently it's usually busier and actually supposed to have water spouting out of the two towers, like fountains. It was DRY and no water at all when we visited! It was a very odd time visiting. First the Bean was closed and then this! Not sure why since it was basically middle of summer so wouldn't you think the water would be running? Very odd. Still neat to see and pass through, right in the heart of Chicago with beautiful buildings and views all around. Definitely want to come back and see the water running next time! IG: @ammysalamii
Chicago has some amazing public art and one of the standouts for me is the Crown Fountain in Millennium Park. I passed by it several times while walking from where we parked to the downtown and I was impressed each time I saw it. The Crown Fountain was designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa and has become a beloved landmark since its inauguration in 2004. Jaume Plensa was born in 1955 in Barcelona, Spain. He studied at the Llotja School of Art and Design and at the Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts. He has received many national and international awards and exhibits his art in Europe, Asia, and the United States. He is well known for his public art pieces installed in many cities throughout the world. Since 1996 he has also collaborated on many theater and opera projects. Plensa may be best known for his sculptures of oversized heads sprouting from the ground. We have two of Plensa's public art works in Miami, Minna in Miami Beach and Looking Into My Dreams, Awilda in Maurice A Ferré Park in downtown Miami. The Crown Fountain was built by Krueck + Sexton Architects and it consists of two 50-foot glass towers facing each other at either end of a black granite reflecting pool. What sets this installation apart, however, is the use of LED screens on the towers that display ever-changing, high-resolution images of Chicago residents. The faces taken from a cross section of 1,000 city residents, captured in various states of expression, offering a diverse and dynamic portrayal of the city's population. The true magic of the Crown Fountain, however, lies in its interactivity. The black granite reflecting pool between the towers serves as a shallow wading area for visitors, especially inviting during the scorching summer months. The real thrill comes when the LED screens intermittently transform into cascading waterfalls, creating a refreshing play area for children and adults which allows them to engage with the dancing water. The use of technology in the Crown Fountain is both innovative and inclusive. The images of Chicagoans were sourced from a broad spectrum of ethnicities, ages, and backgrounds, emphasizing the city's rich diversity. This thoughtful representation fosters a sense of unity and connection among park visitors. While the Crown Fountain is undoubtedly a unique and immersive experience, it is not without its challenges. Some say the fountain is beginning to show its age. The water feature can sometimes be inaccessible during maintenance or winter months which limits its appeal. The fountain is best viewed with the water features operating between mid-spring and mid-fall, but the images remain on view year-round. Additionally, the LED screens, while cutting-edge at the time of installation, may eventually require updates to maintain their visual impact. Despite these minor drawbacks, the Crown Fountain remains a must-visit destination in Chicago. Its ability to seamlessly merge art, technology, and public engagement makes it an iconic symbol of the city's commitment to fostering a vibrant and inclusive urban environment. Whether you're a local looking for a refreshing escape or a tourist seeking a unique cultural experience, the Crown Fountain stands as a shining example of how public art can enrich and enliven urban spaces turning them into community hubs. It is estimated that the Crown Fountain is visited by 5 million people a year.
It features two 50-foot towers that face each other at opposite ends of a shallow reflecting pool. The towers' LED screens project the faces of thousands of Chicago residents, which are perfectly aligned with spouts so that they appear to be spitting water on passersby. The water flows mid-spring through mid-fall, while the faces are projected year-round. Construction took six months and cost $17 million, adding Crown Fountain to Chicago's world-renowned public art collection in July of 2004. You can see kids playing around, and wedding photoshoots - Millennium Park is a fun place to experience everything. it's not continually flowing, it happens at a gap of 2-4 minutes. Like the legacy of Chicago, Crown Fountain's legacy celebrates community, playfulness, art, and innovation.
Of course my husband and I had to visit the bean, but Crown Fountain is what really stunned us! Just beautiful art surrounding this area.
Not the traditional fountain like Buckingham over at Grant Park, the Crown Fountain is pretty cool as the two structures kind of look like smaller versions of the sky scrapers that make up the Chicago skyline. The fountains light with people's faces on them. The display look good in the day or night time and it's a quick walk down from Cloud Gate aka the Bean in millennium park.
What an amazing water experience for kids of all ages! This feature is inside of Millennium Park. There are other artsy area attractions near by, so this becomes a perfect one stop shop. You can't miss it if you are trying to find it. Listen for the screaming kids and you'll be headed in the right direction.
Beautiful water feature, very Chicago-like. Not too much to it, yet there was a large crowd surrounding it. Definitely a less overwhelming attraction than Cloud Gate (aka The Bean). Cute place if you're walking through Millennium Park but I'm not sure I'd intentionally seek it out.
This fountain was pretty cool - literally! There were lots of young kids having a blast running through the water and having fun while also cooling off. The fountain provides great fun for the young and the young at heart!
Spitting fountain exhibit with changing faces! The crown fountain during the day acts as a water fountain to cool off kids to beat the heat in Millennium Park. As the sun is about to go down, it lights up and showcases various faces and expression while appear to show water coming from the mouths of this featured in the exhibit. Very neat! Photo ops!
Crown Fountain is a bit of whimsy in the middle of downtown. You'll find it dry with people gazing up at 50-feet- Chicagoans, or wet with folks playing in the water. This unique art installation is actually a kind of modern interpretation of the faces that often are often used to direct water, using people instead of gargoyles. Pretty clever, in my opinion. The water in the fountain comes out of the mouth of the photo, akin to how water flows over and through a gargoyle on a gothic structure. The artist is Jaume Plensa. This mammoth structure is two towers of glass and screens tied together with a granite base where the water collects in a very shallow pool, which reflects the city and the fountains alike. Unlike some fountains, you're encouraged to walk through and look and enjoy. Though the images cycle through all year long, the water feature in particular is only running from spring to fall.
Gorgeous! Refreshing to spend time here on a hot day. Relaxing and peaceful atmosphere, while also vibrant 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. read more
Beautiful and well thought attraction just steps away from cloud gate aka the bean at Millennium park. The fountain is dual purpose the actual fountain where you can see kids and adults enjoy the fountain on a hot summer afternoon by soaking themselves. This is an interesting sight to see and never would have expected to see this. It was fun to watch. Next thing is these tall towers of fountains has displays that feature expressions of faces and beautifully displayed. Amazing to see that and fun to watch. This is a must see and make sure to stay away from the people soaking in the fountain as they could get you soaked as well !! read more
The Crown Fountain is in Millennium Park is a distinctive & interactive public art installation. It features two 50-foot glass block towers displaying video images of over 1,000 Chicago residents. The faces change periodically, culminating in a surprising spurt of water from their mouths, creating an engaging & playful experience. The fountain operates with water features typically from mid-spring to mid-fall, while the video displays are visible year-round. It was a beautiful evening and the fountain acted as a children's modern-day splash pad. The area surrounding Crown Fountain provides ample seating, wherei was fascinated watching the faces & expressions change. read more
Crown fountain is always a stop for me when visiting this cool city. Love the reflections in the fountain at night and the lights of the city scape. I walked from greek area in i think west. To Buckingham fountain and then crown fountain. Came in daytime and loved people watching. Def check out culture center architecture and glass dome ceiling and view from Cindy's of the park. Both are across the street. I know Chicago has a rep for crime but I usually am on my own here and never had any issues. I felt perfectly safe in the parks even at night. The city is gorgeous at night. read more
This was on the way back to our car and I honestly didn't know what to expect from this tour spot. There were still quite a bit of people but apparently it's usually busier and actually supposed to have water spouting out of the two towers, like fountains. It was DRY and no water at all when we visited! It was a very odd time visiting. First the Bean was closed and then this! Not sure why since it was basically middle of summer so wouldn't you think the water would be running? Very odd. Still neat to see and pass through, right in the heart of Chicago with beautiful buildings and views all around. Definitely want to come back and see the water running next time! IG: @ammysalamii read more
Chicago has some amazing public art and one of the standouts for me is the Crown Fountain in Millennium Park. I passed by it several times while walking from where we parked to the downtown and I was impressed each time I saw it. The Crown Fountain was designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa and has become a beloved landmark since its inauguration in 2004. Jaume Plensa was born in 1955 in Barcelona, Spain. He studied at the Llotja School of Art and Design and at the Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts. He has received many national and international awards and exhibits his art in Europe, Asia, and the United States. He is well known for his public art pieces installed in many cities throughout the world. Since 1996 he has also collaborated on many theater and opera projects. Plensa may be best known for his sculptures of oversized heads sprouting from the ground. We have two of Plensa's public art works in Miami, Minna in Miami Beach and Looking Into My Dreams, Awilda in Maurice A Ferré Park in downtown Miami. The Crown Fountain was built by Krueck + Sexton Architects and it consists of two 50-foot glass towers facing each other at either end of a black granite reflecting pool. What sets this installation apart, however, is the use of LED screens on the towers that display ever-changing, high-resolution images of Chicago residents. The faces taken from a cross section of 1,000 city residents, captured in various states of expression, offering a diverse and dynamic portrayal of the city's population. The true magic of the Crown Fountain, however, lies in its interactivity. The black granite reflecting pool between the towers serves as a shallow wading area for visitors, especially inviting during the scorching summer months. The real thrill comes when the LED screens intermittently transform into cascading waterfalls, creating a refreshing play area for children and adults which allows them to engage with the dancing water. The use of technology in the Crown Fountain is both innovative and inclusive. The images of Chicagoans were sourced from a broad spectrum of ethnicities, ages, and backgrounds, emphasizing the city's rich diversity. This thoughtful representation fosters a sense of unity and connection among park visitors. While the Crown Fountain is undoubtedly a unique and immersive experience, it is not without its challenges. Some say the fountain is beginning to show its age. The water feature can sometimes be inaccessible during maintenance or winter months which limits its appeal. The fountain is best viewed with the water features operating between mid-spring and mid-fall, but the images remain on view year-round. Additionally, the LED screens, while cutting-edge at the time of installation, may eventually require updates to maintain their visual impact. Despite these minor drawbacks, the Crown Fountain remains a must-visit destination in Chicago. Its ability to seamlessly merge art, technology, and public engagement makes it an iconic symbol of the city's commitment to fostering a vibrant and inclusive urban environment. Whether you're a local looking for a refreshing escape or a tourist seeking a unique cultural experience, the Crown Fountain stands as a shining example of how public art can enrich and enliven urban spaces turning them into community hubs. It is estimated that the Crown Fountain is visited by 5 million people a year. read more
It features two 50-foot towers that face each other at opposite ends of a shallow reflecting pool. The towers' LED screens project the faces of thousands of Chicago residents, which are perfectly aligned with spouts so that they appear to be spitting water on passersby. The water flows mid-spring through mid-fall, while the faces are projected year-round. Construction took six months and cost $17 million, adding Crown Fountain to Chicago's world-renowned public art collection in July of 2004. You can see kids playing around, and wedding photoshoots - Millennium Park is a fun place to experience everything. it's not continually flowing, it happens at a gap of 2-4 minutes. Like the legacy of Chicago, Crown Fountain's legacy celebrates community, playfulness, art, and innovation. read more
11 months ago
Of course my husband and I had to visit the bean, but Crown Fountain is what really stunned us! Just beautiful art surrounding this area. read more
Not the traditional fountain like Buckingham over at Grant Park, the Crown Fountain is pretty cool as the two structures kind of look like smaller versions of the sky scrapers that make up the Chicago skyline. The fountains light with people's faces on them. The display look good in the day or night time and it's a quick walk down from Cloud Gate aka the Bean in millennium park. read more
What an amazing water experience for kids of all ages! This feature is inside of Millennium Park. There are other artsy area attractions near by, so this becomes a perfect one stop shop. You can't miss it if you are trying to find it. Listen for the screaming kids and you'll be headed in the right direction. read more
2 years ago
Beautiful water feature, very Chicago-like. Not too much to it, yet there was a large crowd surrounding it. Definitely a less overwhelming attraction than Cloud Gate (aka The Bean). Cute place if you're walking through Millennium Park but I'm not sure I'd intentionally seek it out. read more
This fountain was pretty cool - literally! There were lots of young kids having a blast running through the water and having fun while also cooling off. The fountain provides great fun for the young and the young at heart! read more
Spitting fountain exhibit with changing faces! The crown fountain during the day acts as a water fountain to cool off kids to beat the heat in Millennium Park. As the sun is about to go down, it lights up and showcases various faces and expression while appear to show water coming from the mouths of this featured in the exhibit. Very neat! Photo ops! read more
Crown Fountain is a bit of whimsy in the middle of downtown. You'll find it dry with people gazing up at 50-feet- Chicagoans, or wet with folks playing in the water. This unique art installation is actually a kind of modern interpretation of the faces that often are often used to direct water, using people instead of gargoyles. Pretty clever, in my opinion. The water in the fountain comes out of the mouth of the photo, akin to how water flows over and through a gargoyle on a gothic structure. The artist is Jaume Plensa. This mammoth structure is two towers of glass and screens tied together with a granite base where the water collects in a very shallow pool, which reflects the city and the fountains alike. Unlike some fountains, you're encouraged to walk through and look and enjoy. Though the images cycle through all year long, the water feature in particular is only running from spring to fall. read more
I discovered Crown Fountain by accident on a previous trip when it had only been there a short time in 2005. Sadly, I can see the change and decay in the artwork over the years since I was there shortly after it opened but it is still something worth your time to see and enjoy. Hopefully they have plans to repair them or do repairs on a more regular basis. The artwork displays different faces of the people of Chicago with a water experience (during non-winter months) that the kids love as it looks like water is coming out of the mouth's at them. Sitting there you can see the excitement in their faces when the water comes out and it nice to see that sweet innocence. Also, not a bad way to cool off from the summer heat if you don't mind getting wet yourself. The fountains (one at each end) are very large and were a donation from the Crown Family at the chime of 10 Million dollars to be designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa. Another great free must see of Chicago. read more
I had no idea that the Fountain has a name. I always thought that this was part of the Millennial Park. Anyways, I stumbled here in 2018 on a work trip. I walked around Chicago and this was one of the busier places in the area. I guess, the screen is always showing a face. It is cool place for a photo. read more
This is another really neat gem in Chicago. This is a neat fountain that has random faces on it and shoots out water and kids can play in it and it is just really strange but cool. Another nice art display in Chicago read more
7 years ago
What a really neat art installation at this park! I'm glad we were able to see the fountains in use before the weather turned cold. There were children playing in the water, the area was clean and it was nice with the talk city buildings around it. It isn't far from the bean, so it's worth the short walk to check it out. read more
When in Chicago, must visit these fountain towers. It's fairly simple concept but, the changing faces and random water shooting out of the mouth is enough to keep people occupied and enjoying. Fun to walk through with bare feet on a hot summer day or just sit around the park and cool down in the near by shades of the trees. It's close by (within the same park) as the Clouds Gate aka 'Bean' so you can still play it cool as if you are just strolling through and not miss the fun on the way to see the Bean. read more
4 years ago
Just a beautiful calm and serene public space despite all the laughter and chatter emanating from the little ones! The water fountains keep the kids engaged and the gorgeously curated photo collection keeps the rest of the crowd enthralled! read more
9 years ago
Didn't realize this spot had a name until recently, but Crown Fountain here we go! If you end up seeing the bean (Cloud Gate) chances are you'll wander on here after wards. This public art display features two giant pillars facing each other with a virtual face that seems to change every so often. In the summer, this thing spews water from the top and every now and then every few minutes the face on display will start spitting water too. Kids go ape sh!t for this in the summer. In the winter, they usually shut off the water so it doesn't freeze over, but still have the displays going. If you're looking to get some artsy photos of this one, get here early in the mornings or late at night to beat out the crowds. Not much else I got for ya other than it's a free spot to check out. Woo hoo! 'Til next time, cheers! 249/365 read more
8 years ago
Aside from the Bean that can be found in Chicago's Millennium Park, another attraction that should not be missed if you are traveling to the City is the famous Crown Fountain. Located on the western edge of the Millennium Park along the Michigan Ave South of the Bean/Cloud Gate Sculpture. A wonderful invention from the Spanish artist, Jaume Plensa, who was best known for his depictions of the human face through sculpture and innovative technology. The Crown Fountain is truly one of his best creations. The fountain is a massive glass brick wall offering two towering structures featuring different unknown giant faces, first smiling at you and then opening their lips, then, water seemingly spouting from their mouths. I truly enjoyed at its inventiveness! I love the fact that the water cascades also on its sides. Children absolutely love this place, especially during the summertime, as they are able to kick off their shoes and walk into the water. It is amusing to stay longer and see the changing faces, the genuine happiness experienced by the children is truly a sight to see. *Walking distance from the Buckingham Fountain and very close to the Bean. Don't miss out on this fun free attraction in the park. **During the Chicago winter, the water is turned off, but the images are still projected. read more
Crown Fountain is the newest site inside of Millennium Park. Very modern take on a fountain. The waterfall led screen are pretty cool. The faces are neat, a little creepy weird after awhile. Cool part is when they spit water out randomly. Parking is meters, $6.50 an hour. Seeing Buckingham before this makes this fountain seem so so. lol! Worth a visit when visiting the area! read more
This is a pretty cool attraction in Chicago. You will catch a lot of people hanging out in this area and playing around in the water. The screen will change randomly to a face of a person, which is pretty cool! It is in a very busy area near Millennium Park, so prepare to see lots of people! read more
High state of the art technology for sure! This place is more for kids because they can run and splash around the fountains. However, it is very impressive both in the daytime and night time. The huge towers have LED lights and huge screens that have random people's faces and then they spout water out their mouths. I really like it better in the night time as it creates a nice atmosphere with the lighting. It is located in Millennium Park and just a couple hundred feet from the bean. My wife and I like coming here after grabbing a bite to eat across the street or just after a nice stroll thru Millenium Park. I highly recommend you make time to swing by and check this place out you will be amazed. read more
3 years ago
Located at Millennium Park, a short walk from the The Cloud Gate (where you will find the Chicago Bean). My husband and I saw this odd structure/ fountain as we were walking towards the park. The faces is what got my attention and made me laugh as I saw some of the facial expressions. It was even funnier to see water coming out of the person's mouth, lol. Anyways, what is the Crown Fountain? It is composed of 2 towers (50 feet tall) on opposite ends in a shallow pool. Each tower, facing towards each other, has LED screens that project faces of Chicago citizens. This fountain was designed by Jaume Plensa, a Spanish artist. We came here during the day and also at night. If you come here at night, you can see the towers light up with different colors. There is also less people at night in case you want a people free photo (or a photo bomb free photo). There are different faces that seemed to be featured each time we came by and/ or passed this fountain. There are also times when there are no faces (but just be patient and a face will be up in no time). So if you are in the area and just happened to visiting the Millennium Park, you should just make a stop over here. It won't take long and should be a fun experience. read more
12 years ago
I don't really understand Modern Art. I do find the Crown Fountain a little creepy with faces of people and water coming out from their mouths. Those people are really 1000 local people from Chicago representing the City itself and it is kind of cool. I wish I came on a warmer day so I can just play in the fountain just like kids. A piece of art that can be a splashing water park too! read more
8 years ago
Wow...what a great concept! Located in its own section of Millenium Park-it features different faces of PEOPLE FROM CHICAGO that are projected onto two 50 foot tall glass blocked towers at each end of the rectangular plaza. The Spanish Artist, Jaume Plensa who designed this unique area of public art features over 1,000 diverse Chicagoans who are featured in video shorts that are projected! (No sound-just video shorts) Can you say AMAZING? PS. The fountains have not been turned on yet-but from what I understand actual water projects from the individual's mouth during the warmer months. The artist, Jaume Plensa conceptualized this as "open mouths to allow water, a symbol of life, to flow out." Source: https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_s_publicartcrownfountaininmillenniumpark.html FYI-there are plenty of places to sit and observe along the rectangular plaza...in fact I even saw some adults taking a nap there this afternoon!!!! read more
The Crown Fountain is a must stop during the summer months in Chicago. The fountain was created by the Spanish sculptor and artist Jaume Plensa and it opened in the summer of July 2004. Both of these fountains stand 50 feet in height. Why is it called the Crown Fountain? American businessman Lester Crown along with his family paid to have the video sculpture fountains put into place. The fountains are supposed to be here until 2034. If you have children, I would recommend coming here; they will love splashing through the water. The fountains are very interactive. Throughout the day the faces change, these are displayed randomly and are of native Chicagoans. There is an estimate of 1000 different faces that are displayed. [Review #314] (Seventieth Fourth Review of 2015) read more
7 years ago
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