Chicago is a wonderful city with plenty to see and do. There’s outstanding architecture, a beautiful lakefront, world class shopping and a vibrant arts and entertainment scene. Let me take you on a Chicago walking tour of Millennium Park and the loop and show you just a little of what the windy city has to offer.
Millennium Park
I am starting my walk in Millennium Park at the Cloud Gate sculpture. But first a little background on the park. It opened in 2004 and quickly became a favourite destination with locals and tourists alike. As well as the iconic Cloud Gate this 24.5 acre park has fountains, gardens and a fantastic outdoor concert venue.
So here I am at the Cloud Gate sculpture also affectionately known as the bean. Created by Anish Kapoor it is probably now one of the most photographed sites in the city. It opened in 2006 and is composed of 168 stainless steel plates which have been welded together and highly polished giving it a mirror like appearance. It stands 33 feet high, 42 feet wide, 66 feet long and weighs 110 tons. I think it’s incredibly clever how it reflects the skyline and would recommend, if you have time, visiting at different times of the day.
In the north east corner of the park, a short walk from Cloud Gate is the Crown Fountain. There are two identical 50 foot monoliths that are made from 22,000 glass blocks and feature visual images of Chicago residents which periodically shoot water from their lips. The surface of the fountain floor is covered with matte black granite which is filled with a shallow covering of water. It makes for a fascinating piece of artwork.
A short walk away on Michigan Avenue is The Art Institute of Chicago. This is the second largest art museum in the USA and carries a vast collection that includes one of the finest collections of impressionist art in the world. As my time was short I didn’t venture in but I imagine you could spend several hours exploring here.
Grant Park
Further up Michigan Avenue and after crossing Jackson Boulevard I head off left up one of the paths into Grant Park going towards the Buckingham Fountain.
In 1927, Kate Buckingham donated the fountain in honour of her brother Clarence. It is said the design of the fountain was influenced by those at Versailles, and is composed of pink Georgia marble, granite and bronze sculptures. There are four sea serpents which represent the four states that border Lake Michigan.
The Loop
Making my way back to Michigan Avenue, I cross it and walk up W. Jackson Boulevard to see the Chicago Board of Trade building. We’re now in the heart of Chicagos financial district. This area with all of its skyscrapers was the first of its kind in the world.
The 45 story building was completed in 1930 at the peak of the Art Deco movement and is one of the city’s best examples of this period. It was originally built as a place to trade agricultural products such as wheat and corn and if you look to the top of the building you’ll see a 31 foot high statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of grains. The building is now the home of the largest and oldest financial and agricultural futures and options trading exchange in the world.
On LaSalle Street you’ll find the Rookery. This intricately detailed 11 story building incorporates both masonry and metal construction methods. It was completed in 1888 and designed by architects Daniel Burnham and John Root. It gets its unusual name from a previous building, a temporary city hall and water tower that were built here after the Great Chicago Fire. These buildings were known as the rookery after the numerous birds that roosted in them and also the likelihood of being “rooked” or swindled by a politician. Look out for the pair of carved rooks in the archway of the main entrance.
If you can, take a look inside the lobby with its grand staircase and glass skylight added by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright when he remodelled the lobby in 1905.
The Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower) is a true Chicago landmark and can be seen from all over the city. Standing at 110 stories, when it opened in 1973 it was the tallest building in the world. The lower half of the tower were occupied by the retailer Sears, who used it as their headquarters until 1994, hence the name. In 2009 the naming rights were sold along with the lease to the Willis Group who controversially changed it to the Willis Tower. For some amazing views take the lift to the 103rd floor sky deck, it’s worth the ticket price.
I retrace my steps back down Jackson until I hit State Street where I take a left turn and follow it until I’m outside of the Marshall Fields building (now a Macy’s). The building was completed in 1893 and designed by the architect Daniel Burnham for Marshall Field. You’ll know you’re there when you see the iconic clocks on the corners of the building. Inside you’ll find multi story atriums, Corinthian columns, skylights and the world’s largest Tiffany vaulted ceiling.
Carrying on down State Street you’ll see the famous Chicago Theatre with its large neon lit sign and canopy. The theatre was opened in 1921 as the Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre and had a capacity of 3600. It’s exterior has been used in countless films and TV shows.
From State Street take a left turn onto W. Lake then a right onto N. LaSalle Street and follow it until it hits the river. Across the river on the left is a large building. This is Merchandise Mart. It was originally built for Marshall Field and Company to consolidate wholesalers. When it was completed in 1931 its 4 million square feet of space made it the largest building in the world.
The building today is used by various small businesses to house their showrooms and is also a vibrant technology hub. It has a beautiful art deco interior which can be seen from the building’s first and second floors during normal business hours.
Walking along the River Walk you’ll see two corncob like structures, this is Marina City. These 65 story residential blocks were designed by architects Bertrand Goldberg Associates and were very innovative when they were completed in 1964. Originally there were 896 apartments, an office building, a theatre and a working marina at river level.
Walk along the River Walk and come back up to street level at N. Michigan Avenue. Walk back up towards Millennium Park and on the right you’ll see the last stop, The Chicago Cultural Centre. This was built in 1897 and was originally the city’s central library and also a monument to the civil wars Grand Army of the Republic. The library was moved in 1991 and the building is now the home of the Office of Cultural Affairs. There are regular free exhibitions here but the highlight of this building is the 38 foot diameter Tiffany stained glass dome made with 30,000 pieces of glass.
That concludes my Chicago walking tour of Millennium Park and The Loop. Let me know what you think and if you’d like to more check out my tour of the Magnificent Mile.