CityBuddy
Cloud Gate
Best time to visit
Arrive at sunrise on weekdays for quiet reflections and an almost-empty plaza. Late golden hour also gives warm light for dramatic skyline photos.
Budget tips
Free to visit, no admission fee; Millennium Park is open year-round. Skip driving, use CTA transit or walk from the Loop to avoid steep parking fees.
Recommended for
Photography enthusiasts, Couples, Families with kids, Architecture and design fans
Plan your visit
30-45 min
About
Faits rapides: Gaze into a seam-free stainless steel skin made from 168 welded plates, watch the skyline and crowds melt into distorted, dreamlike reflections. More than 2 million people visit each year to pose beneath the smooth, concave underside called the omphalos, turning snapshots into playful panoramas.
Points forts: Anish Kapoor's mirror finish doesn't just reflect light, it swallows sound so standing under the belly produces warped echoes and a hollow hum you can feel in your chest. Engineers welded 168 plates into a 110 short-ton monolith, and the concave omphalos can mirror a crowd of 50 people in one shimmering fisheye sweep that squeezes dozens of faces into a single selfie.
Insider tips
- Arrive 30-45 minutes before sunrise on weekdays to avoid crowds and get mirror-smooth reflections.
- Stand under the central arch for immersive curved reflections, or back up to North or South of the plaza for full-skyline compositions.
- Use a telephoto lens to isolate skyline details and minimize people, or shoot wide from close up for fun distorted selfies.
- Check Millennium Park's events calendar before you go, because concerts or festivals can close parts of the plaza and increase crowds.
Cliquez pour réserver une visite guidée GRATUITE à pied à Chicago, United States
La meilleure façon de découvrir une ville avec un guide local.
Tip: We strongly recommend a free walking tour on your first day to get to know the city with a local guide. They usually cover all main attractions and you can ask for personal recommendations based on your interests for the next days. Book early as spaces fill up fast!
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