Categories: Millennium Park
Millennium Park: Tours
Author: Jennifer Nunez
Millenium Park is filled with a countless selection of art, stunning architecture and landscapes, and events for the whole family to enjoy in its 24.5 acres of land. You can venture out and explore the grounds freely, or take one of the guided tours the city has to offer. Experience Chicago's most famous park in the most detailed way.
Millennium Park Self-Guided Enhanced Audio Tour
Explore Millennium Park with the park's very own creators like Architect Frank Gehry and artists such as Anish Kapoor and Jaume Plensa with the self-guided audio tour--downloadable from your very own computer--and transferable to any mp3 player. The tour is about 40 minutes long, but with its random access technology it allows you to pick and choose what you want to hear when you want to hear it. Pick up a park map at the Chicago Cultural Center or download and print it out from the park's website and you are set to discover Chicago's Millennium Park at your leisure. Millenium Park Self-Guided Audio Tour
Millennium Park Greeter Tours
The Millennium Park Greeters offer free 45-minute guided tours of the park mid-May to mid-October at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., daily. Tours are provided for groups of 10 or less and are on a first-come, first-serve basis so be sure to arrive at the Millennieum Park Welcome Center at 201 E. Randolph Street early to secure your spot.
Lurie Garden Guided Tours
Have a love for gardening? Or maybe you just appreciate the beauty and wonder of magnificently designed landscapes. If you do, or even just like pretty flowers, this short 20-minute tour was created for you! Meet the Universiy of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners at the BP Bridge at the eastern side of the park, who will then lead visitors through the garden. Tours leave every 10 minutes from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. between mid-May and the end of September.
Millennium Park Revealed
This tour given by the Chicago Architecture Foundation may be the most in-depth tour of the park, lasting two hours and covering every inch of the Park and all of its artistic features, facts and history. Learn how top architects, artists, designers and landscape specialists worked together to create the magnificent Millennium Park. The tour is available from April through November. Days and times fluctuate depending on season, so be sure check out the Chicago Architecture Foundation website for tour times. Tickets vary depending on age and student status but the average basic ticket costs $16.
Bike Chicago Guided Tours
Bike Chicago, located on the northeast corner of Millennium Park at McDonald's Cycle Center, offers five fantastic Chicago tours. The Amazing Lakefront Tour covers beaches, lagoons, gardens, animals and architecture in eight exciting biking miles. Millennium Park, Navy Pier, Lincoln Park Zoo, and North Avenue Beach are just some of the high points of this two to three hour-long tour. The Friendly Neighborhoods Tour covers five Chicago communities during its two to three hour, seven mile-long bike tour. Discover the Gold Coast neighborhood where high-end specialty shops and the Playboy Mansion reside; see the cobblestone sidewalks and historic architecture of Old Town; view the heavy foliage of Lincoln Park; and ride through trendy and hip Lakeview and Streeterville districts. The Sites @ Night Tour incorporates a three mile-long tour of the city's most captivating nightime locations like the Magnificent Mile and Millennium's own dazzling Crown Fountain, and a skyline boat tour, ending with a spectacular view of the Navy Pier fireworks show. Bike Chicago also offers up their classic Amazing Lakefront and Sites @ Night tours by way of segway for an additional cost. Prices, times and reservations are available on the official Bike Chicago Web site.
Check out places of interest near Millennium Park: Tours:
Aria Restaurant
200 N. Columbus Dr.,
Chicago, IL 60601
A top Chicago restaurant serving contemporary American cuisine at The Fairmont Chicago hotel, Aria has proven that it's here to stay. Currently under the leadership of chef de cuisine Leon Gunn, the kitchen here serves a menu that's bursting with cultural influences from around the world.
Bongo Room
1152 S. Wabash Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60605
Serving breakfast and lunch, this sibling to the popular Wicker Park location serves omelets, breakfast burritos and upscale flapjack offerings such as the “Oreo cookie” for breakfast. If you’re looking for lunch, seasonally inspired salads and sandwiches highlight the menu.
Bike Chicago Rental & Tours
239 E. Randolph St.,
Chicago, IL 60601
Bicycle rental, bicycle tours, segway tours, and in-line skate rentals make Bike Chicago a key attraction in the city. Bike Chicago has five locations scattered throughout the Chicago area, which is convenient for tourists and locals alike.
Bobby's Bike Hike
465 N McClurg Court,
Chicago, IL 60611
Guided bike tours, (bicycles provided), that are definitely family friendly. Tours are designed for riders of all ages and fitness levels. A great way to learn about Chicago’s past, as well as insight into current events around the city. Bike rentals are also available for riders looking to explore the nearby Lakefront Bike Path.
John Hancock Center Observatory
875 N. Michigan Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60661
See Chicago from the top of the Hancock Building in the heart of downtown. The John Hancock Center Observatory offers Chicago views at their finest.
Lincoln Park Zoo
2200 N. Cannon Dr.,
Chicago, IL 60614
Lincoln Park Zoo, located in Chicago, is among the oldest zoological gardens in the country (established in 1868) and is also among the most modern. Generations of Chicago kids and visitors to the city alike take the time to stand face to face with apes and even go palm-to-palm with them through the glass. Human-to-animal interaction is mixed with the heavily scientific- and research-based initiatives here.
Millennium Park
201 E Randolph St,
Chicago, IL 60610
Millennium Park has become Chicago’s newest main stage attraction. Aligned with the city’s emphasis on architectural innovation, this 24.5-acre phenomenon integrates historical significance with contemporary style from a number of international players. It is bordered by Michigan Avenue to the west, Columbus Drive to the east, Randolph Street to the north and Monroe Street to the south.
Bike Chicago Rental & Tours
239 E. Randolph St.,
Chicago, IL 60601
Bicycle rental, bicycle tours, segway tours, and in-line skate rentals make Bike Chicago a key attraction in the city. Bike Chicago has five locations scattered throughout the Chicago area, which is convenient for tourists and locals alike.
Bobby's Bike Hike
465 N McClurg Court,
Chicago, IL 60611
Guided bike tours, (bicycles provided), that are definitely family friendly. Tours are designed for riders of all ages and fitness levels. A great way to learn about Chicago’s past, as well as insight into current events around the city. Bike rentals are also available for riders looking to explore the nearby Lakefront Bike Path.
