You’ll find two of Chicago’s most iconic sights in Millenium Park — The Bean and Crown Fountain — but the park also includes gardens, a music pavilion, both temporary and permanent art installations, and much more.

Millenium Park is relatively new- it was added to the footprint of Grant Park in 1996. This northwest section of Grant Park was previously owned by the Illinois Central Railroad Company, who acquired the land in 1852 through a deal with the City of Chicago. By the 1990s it had become an eyesore and then Mayor Richard M. Daley sought to convert the land to greenspace. The city was eventually able to reclaim the property, proving that ICR could no longer fulfill its contractual obligation to use the property for railroad purposes.