Grant Park
The Basics
Firmly established as a public park by the early 1900s, Grant Park is today Chicago’s preeminent green space. Often described as Chicago’s version of NYC's Central Park, Grant Park houses numerous museums, gardens, and major attractions. Visit the Museum Campus—comprised of the Adler Planetarium, Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium, and more—Maggie Daley Park, Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, and The Art Institute of Chicago. Petrillo Music Shell is a destination for concerts, festivals, and other events.
Grant Park is a highlight on numerous Chicago tours, including hop-on hop-off bus, Segway, bike, and walking tours. Save time by booking tickets to its museums in advance of your travels.
Things to Know Before You Go
The Chicago Lakefront Trail links Grant Park with several other public parks and is popular among cyclists and walkers.
Grant Park hosts a number of baseball diamonds, tennis courts, a dog park, and a skate park.
Millennium Park, housed within Grant Park, is home to some of the city’s most popular public artworks, including Cloud Gate (aka, The Bean).
How to Get There
Given its central location, Grant Park can be reached by multiple forms of transportation.On the El, take the Brown, Green, Orange, Purple, or Pink lines to Washington/Wabash or Adams/Wabash. The park is also served by South Shore Line and Metra Electric District trains, as well as numerous bus lines. Alternatively, travel by bike, taxi, or on foot.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
Grant Park itself is open daily, 6am–11pm, though the hours of the museums and other institutions within the park vary. Grant Park is especially popular on warm, sunny days, though it’s a destination-worthy landmark year-round.
Festivals at Grant Park
To experience Grant Park when it's buzzing, visit for any of Chicago’s most popular annual events, including the Taste of Chicago (July), Lollapalooza (August), the Chicago Jazz Festival (late August–early September), and the Chicago Marathon (October).
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