Grant Park in Chicago

Grant Park in Chicago

Nearly one mile long, Grant Park is the largest park in downtown Chicago, bounded by Lake Michigan to the east, Randolph Street to the north, Roosevelt Road to the south and Michigan Avenue to the west. A piece of land reclaimed from the lake, it was built on the debris of the devastating fire of 1871. Today, this green lung is a hub of activity during the mild season, with outdoor concerts, music and food festivals.

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It is home to some of the city's most prestigious institutions. To the west, the Art Institute of Chicago is widely regarded as one of the finest art museums in the region, if not the country. At the southeast end of the park, the Museum Campus is home to three institutions devoted to the natural sciences: the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Adler Planetarium.

The Petrillo Music Shell and surrounding area are home to numerous music and cultural events, including the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Chicago Blues Festival, and Taste of Chicago, the world's largest food festival.

Buckingham Fountain in Chicago

At the heart of the park is the Buckingham Fountain. Built in the 1920s, it is still the largest fountain in the world and hosts an impressive sound and light show at dusk.

Finally, it was here, in Grant Park, that President Barack Obama, a citizen of Chicago, delivered his election victory speech to an audience of 250,000 on the night of November 4, 2008. To this day, it remains the most watched political speech in the world. "Tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this pivotal moment, change has come to America.

Since 2004, a smaller, 24.5 acres park has been integrated into Grant Park. Millennium Park features an open-air art gallery with bold contemporary installations.