Chicago’s Millennium Park located in downtown Chicago is considered a beautiful jewel in the heart of the city. The 24.5 acre park is an intriguing network of amazing art, entertainment venues, luscious landscapes, and astounding architecture.

Truth is, the park wasn’t always considered a jewel; a fact that was especially true during its lengthy construction. Part of the reason, was a miscalculation of what it would take to bring the project from vision to reality.

The original projections for the Millennium Park project made by Chicago’s mayor, Richard M. Daley in 1997 included a budget of 150 million and a schedule of three years to complete. The final reality was a cost of 490 million (of which 270 million came from the private sector), and six years of construction.

During its development, the citizens of Chicago had plenty to say about a project that was taking an outrageous amount of time and money; and almost none of what they said was positive. There was plenty of criticism to go around.  After all, who ever heard of spending so much money, time and effort on a park?

Millennium Park overview. Millenniumpark.org

Then, when the long-awaited unveiling of Millennium Park finally happened in July 2004, all the criticism abruptly ceased. The park’s beauty and promise could not be denied.  The people seemed to realize that somehow, during that long, arduous and expensive building process, the city had acquired a sparkling, precious crown jewel … and was won over.

Described as the world’s largest green roof, Millennium Park sits atop two multi-level parking lots totaling a 4,000 car capacity, and a commuter rail line. There are twelve separate venues in the park, each with its own special features. They are:

1. The Crown Fountain

Designed by artist Jaume Pleasa The Crown Fountain consists of two 66 ft. high (roughly 5 stories) glass block towers that are each 23×16 ft wide. Pleasa stated that the fountain’s design was inspired by the people of the city, and features LED screens that reflect the faces of a cross-section of 1,000 Chicagoans. The rush of water that systematically appears to come from the mouths of the faces are a huge hit with children who, during summer months, don their swimsuits for a splash in the shallow reflecting pool between the towers.