FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What are the Park's hours of operation?
A: Millennium Park is open from 6:00 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Some areas of the Park may occasionally be closed for maintenance or private events. The parking garages beneath the Park are open 24 hours a day.
Q: Is there a fee to enter Millennium Park?
A: No, Millennium Park is free to the public.
Q: Are tours of the Park available?
A: A self-guided Millennium Park audio tour is available for download for your MP3 player. During the summer months, the Millennium Park Greeter Service offers free tours of the Park at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily. Tours depart from the Welcome Center, located at 201 E. Randolph Street
and are limited to 10 people on a first-come-first-served basis. Large groups can purchase walking tours through the Chicago Architecture Foundation, www.architecture.org.
Q: How can I request a brochure about Millennium Park?
A: Beginning May 2010, the Millennium Park summer brochure will be available for download. Visitors may also request a copy of the brochure by calling the 312.742.1168, or by email at millennium-park@cityofchicago.org.
Q: Do I need to make special arrangements if I want to bring a group to the Park?
A: No, Millennium Park does not require advance notification for group visits.
Q: Where is the bus drop-off point?
A: Motor coach and school bus drop off is on Upper Randolph Street, east of the turn-around by the Harris Theater. Buses may then proceed to Lower Randolph to wait for their group. The garages that serve Millennium Park can generally accommodate vehicles up to 6'8". Certain areas can accommodate vehicles up to 8'2". For more information, please call the Millennium Garages at 312.616.0600.
Q: Is Millennium Park accessible to people with disabilities?
A: All of Millennium Park is accessible to people with disabilities. Free wheelchair rental is available at the Millennium Park Welcome Center. Integrated spaces for wheelchair seating are provided in all seating sections of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Wireless headsets for patrons with hearing impairments are located at the Pavilion's sound booth. Accessible restrooms are located adjacent to the Park Grill on the McCormick Tribune Plaza and on the east and west sides of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Service animals are permitted in the park. Audio tour scripts are also available in the Millennium Park Welcome Center for the hearing impaired.
Q: Where do I return a wheelchair after the Welcome Center has closed?
A: Wheel chairs may be returned to any Millennium Park Security Guard after the Welcome Center has closed.
Q. Are dogs allowed in Millennium Park?
A: Dogs are not permitted in Millennium Park, unless they are service animals.
Q: Are there places to eat in Millennium Park?
A: Throughout the entire year, visitors can dine in the Park Grill, a 300-seat restaurant located in the McCormick Tribune Plaza at Michigan Avenue and Washington Street. In the warm-weather months, an outdoor patio is added. For reservations, call 312.521.7275. Refreshments are also available for purchase in the area around the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the Great Lawn in the summer months.
Q: Where can I inquire about lost and found items?
A: For information about lost or found, please call 312.742.2963
Q: When is the Ice Rink open?
A: The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink is open from November 18, 2009 through March 14, 2010 (weather permitting). Skating is free and skate rental is available for $10. For rink hours, please click here.
Q: During the skating season, will the rink be closed on days with mild weather?
A: The Ice Rink has a state-of-the-art chiller system that can maintain the ice, even in the event of unseasonably warm weather. Several factors would need to be considered before the rink is closed. If you have questions about the weather, please call 312.742.5222.
Q: What type of programs take place in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion?
A: The Jay Pritzker Pavilion is home to free concerts, open rehearsals and events throughout the year. From the glorious Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus to jazz, gospel and world music concerts, the Park hosts a roster of events as diverse as the city itself. Visit the events calendar on the website for updated listings.
Q: Do I need a ticket to see a free public program in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion?
A: No, admission to both the fixed and lawn seats for events presented by the City of Chicago is always free. Early attendance is advised for popular events.
Q: Where can I find information about Grant Park Music Festival membership? Can a Grant Park Music Festival season pass offer preferred seating to other concerts at Millennium Park?
A: Grant Park Music Festival seasonal membership passes can only be used for Grant Park Music Festival concerts. For membership information, visit grantparkmusicfestival.com.
Q: Do the Jay Pritzker Pavilion seats provide any cover from the rain? What is the rain policy?
A: The Jay Pritzker Pavilion was designed for individuals to experience a performance with the stars overhead and the city skyline as a backdrop. In the event of rain, the Great Lawn under the trellis has a high-tech design with underlying layers of sand and gravel that allows water to drain quickly. Concerts and performances in the Pavilion are held rain or shine.
Q: Is alcohol permitted in the Park?
A: For most public performances in Millennium Park, alcohol is allowed in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the Great Lawn. As long as guests are orderly and respectful of the Park and other guests, they may remain for an hour after the concert ends. Alcohol sales in the Millennium Park concession tent end one half-hour prior to the end of the concert.
For ticketed events, concert rules are determined by an outside vendor, which may prohibit guests from bringing alcohol into the Park.
Q: Are recording devices allowed during a concert?
A: Photography, video or recording devices are strictly prohibited at all concerts at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
Q: Why is the Great Lawn occasionally closed?
A. When there are no performances taking place, the Great Lawn of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion may be closed for aeration, fertilization, or protection.
Q: When is the water in the Crown Fountain turned on? What about the rest of the water features in the park?
A: The water features in Millennium Park are turned on from late April until mid-October. This includes the water in the Crown Fountain, Wrigley Square and the Lurie Garden.
Q: Can my face appear on the Crown Fountain?
A: The 1,000 faces on the Crown Fountain were photographed by students from the School of the Art Institute during 2003. There are no plans to include additional faces.
Q: Do the faces on the Crown Fountain appear in a certain order?
A: The faces appear on the fountain in a random order, so there is no way to tell when a particular face will be shown. Each face remains on screen for approximately 5 minutes.
Q: How often does the water spray out of the Crown Fountain?
A: Every 5-7 minutes.
Q: Why are the trees in the Lurie Garden's Shoulder Hedge planted so close together?
A: The Shoulder Hedge is a hedge screen in progress. Eventually these trees - which consist of deciduous Fagus (beech) and Carpinus (hornbeam) and evergreen Thuja (arborvitae) - will branch horizontally to fill the frame and create a solid hedge, a process that is expected to take approximately 10 years. The armature structure is permanent. This type of hedge is often seen in older estates throughout Europe.
Q: Are there any annuals planted in the Lurie Garden?
A: No, the Lurie Garden consists of perennials. As of now, there are no plans to plant annuals, which usually do not survive Chicago winters.
Q: Are all of the perennials native?
A: About 60% of the plant material in the light and dark plate are native to Illinois. The remaining plants are "native-esque" in style, and mimic the true natives.
Q: What is the main difference between the light and dark plate?
A: The dark plate, which represents Chicago's history, consists of shade-loving plant material, along with a combination of trees called Cloud Grove. With time, these trees will provide a shade canopy for the plants. The light plate, which represents the city’s future, contains the sun-loving perennials. These plants thrive in the heat and the sun. There are no trees planted throughout the light plate.
Q: When is the best time to visit the Lurie Garden?
A: The garden is always evolving and changing; however, its most colorful time begins in June and lasts throughout autumn.
Q: How do I buy tickets for performances at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance?
A: Tickets can be purchased by calling 312.334.7777 or visiting www.harristheaterchicago.org.
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