Grant Park / Millennium Park

The Loop, Chicago – Like most outdoor spaces in Chicago, Grant Park is mostly neglected until the summer rolls around and city dwellers once again emerge from their wintry dens, crack open a dusty bottle of Coppertone, and revel in the warmth of the sun.

Visitors looking for a cool-down can wade through the reflecting pool at Crown Fountain, which also features fifty-foot video displays on either side, or head to the immense Buckingham Fountain, a frequent meeting point for bike and walking tours.

Although popular museums like the Art Institute of Chicago and dozens of outdoor exhibits offer a dose of culture, those more in the mood for a lazy day of sunbathing or napping under the trees will find lots of cozy corners, while a dozen diamonds provide a place for sporty types to play some barehanded softball, aka “The Chicago Game.”

Millennium Park – added to the north end of Grant Park in 2004 – is home to Cloud Gate (better known as "The Bean"), a bulbous 110-ton stainless steel sculpture that has become a symbol of both the park and the city itself, as well as the nearby Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, which holds the eleven thousand music lovers who show up for the free festivals and concerts held throughout the week.

Throngs of Chicagoans and tourists of all ages head to the park for a couple of “world’s largest” festivals, including the June Taste of Chicago food festival and the July SummerDance festival, though the younger crowd owns the park in August, when everyone from hipsters to frat boys pack in for three days of Lollapalooza.

Often called “Chicago’s front yard,” Grant Park offers enough sports, art, concerts, and days in the sun to make anyone’s summer a little brighter.    ← read less