Cloud Gate

At the heart of the Millennium Park in downtown Chicago, you will find Cloud Gate which is now becoming one of the most popular attractions in the city today. Created by a British artist named Anish Kapoor, the Cloud Gate sculpture got its name from the fact that 80% of the entire sculpture reflects the Chicago skyline. Made out of pure stainless steel plates craftily arranged to provide its seamless look, the Cloud Gate sculpture was unveiled in July 2004. It measures 66 feet long, 35 feet wide and weight 110 tons.

The Cloud Gate sculpture is known among the locals as "The Bean" due to its bean-like shape. Some locals have also called it the "Electric Kidney Bean." What enthralls locals and tourists alike is the fact that this sculpture is extremely interactive. Viewers of the Cloud Gate sculpture get their own unique experience from simply viewing this sculpture that gives an impression of a drop of mercury that has been suspended in time and space.

Look at the Cloud Gate sculpture at a particular angle, and it appears as if the sculpture blends into the skyline, creating a mirage of another part of the city right before you. For others, it serves as a backdrop to a piece of artwork in the middle of the city where you become part of. The 9-foot arch in the middle of the sculpture is a favorite for many children as well. With its concave shape, children walk under the arch laughing and making funny faces since it gives them the feeling of being in a funhouse in an amusement park.