Millennium Park is a public
park located in the
Loop community area of
Chicago in Illinois, USA. It is a prominent
civic center near the city's
Lake Michigan shoreline that covers a section of northwestern
Grant Park. The area was previously occupied by parkland,
Illinois Central rail yards, and parking lots. The park, which is bounded by
Michigan Avenue,
Randolph Street,
Columbus Drive and East Monroe Drive, features a variety of
public art. As of 2009, Millennium Park trailed only
Navy Pier as a Chicago tourist attraction.
Planning of the park began in October 1997. Construction began in October 1998, and Millennium Park was opened in a ceremony on July 16, 2004, four years behind schedule. The three-day opening celebrations were attended by some 300,000 people and included an inaugural concert by the
Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus. The park has received awards for its
accessibility and green design. and features the
Jay Pritzker Pavilion,
Cloud Gate, the
Crown Fountain, the
Lurie Garden, and various other attractions. The park is connected by the
BP Pedestrian Bridge and the
Nichols Bridgeway to other parts of Grant Park. Because the park sits atop a parking garage and the commuter rail
Millennium Station, it is considered the world's largest
rooftop garden.
Some...
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