Known locally as “Chicago’s Front Yard”, Grant Park is a sprawling greenscape overlooking Monroe Harbor. In addition to gardens and recreational facilities, it’s home to some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, including the Museum Campus, Buckingham Fountain and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Wander through the picturesque Millennium Park, home to the Crown Fountain and Jay Pritzker Pavilion, or let the kids run loose on the playground equipment in Maggie Daley Park. If you’re visiting during winter, you can skate along the park’s ribbon-like ice path backed by the skyscrapers of Chicago.
Admire the rococo-style Buckingham Fountain that serves as a centrepiece of Grant Park, then admire the bronze warrior statues guarding Congress Plaza. At the southern end of the park is Museum Campus, which includes the Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum of Natural History and the Shedd Aquarium.
Getting there
Grant Park can be accessed from the Museum Campus/11th Street railway station at its southern end or the central Van Buren Street station. It’s a five-minute walk from the Adams/Wabash metro station, while Chicago O’Hare International Airport is just over an hour’s drive away.