Park
Millennium Park
Downtown park of reflective public art and open-air pavilions, built largely with private donations.
0:00≈ 2 min
Location
0:00≈ 2 min
About this audio guide
This guide to Millennium Park in Chicago goes behind the artwork to the financing crisis that nearly buried the project: a budget that blew past its promise, a fired contractor, and a 2000 phone call from Mayor Richard Daley asking Sara Lee's John Bryan to raise the rest from Chicago's wealthiest names. Bryan turned naming rights into a fundraising drive, selling founder listings on the Gehry-designed pavilion behind you. Look for the small plaques scattered around the park crediting the donors who paid for what you're standing on.
This audio guide was created using AI.