910 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 819-0186
http://www.sheddaquarium.org http://twitter.com/shedd_aquarium http://www.youtube.com/sheddaquariumchicago
Mission: The Art Institute of Chicago collects, preserves, and interprets works of art of the highest quality, representing the world's diverse artistic traditions, for the inspiration and education of the public and in accordance with our profession's highest ethical standards and practices.
I am owned and operated by the Chicago Park District. I am one of the largest in the world and am located at Columbus Drive (301 East) and Congress Parkway (500 South) in Grant Park. I'm up and running from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily, typically from April to mid-October, depending on weather. Times are subject to change when large events take place in or around Grant Park. While in operation, every hour on the hour for 20 minutes I produce a fabulous water display and the center jet shoots 150 feet into the air! Beginning at dusk, every hour on the hour for 20 minutes my major water display is accompanied by a major light and music display. The final display of the evening begins at 10:00 p.m. HISTORY One of Chicago's most popular attractions, I opened on May 26, 1927. and was dedicated on August 26, 1927. Edward H. Bennett designed me to represent Lake Michigan with four sea horses, built by Marcel Loyau, to symbolize the four states that touch the lake: Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Bennett attributed the design specifically to the influence of the Latona Basin in Louis XIV's gardens at Versailles. Kate Buckingham dedicated the structure to the people of Chicago in 1927 in memory of her late brother, Clarence. At the time, she also established a $300,000 trust fund to ensure that the taxpayers would never have to cover all of the repair and upkeep costs associated with me. The funds for the $2.8 million restoration that was done in 1994 came from the Buckingham Fountain Endowment Fund, which the Art Institute of Chicago has administered. Funds from the Buckingham Fountain Endowment Fund also helped fund a portion of the 2008-2009 project. I am constructed of Georgia pink marble and has remained intact (except for a brief theft of two carved fish heads from me), weighing several pounds each. The fish heads were recovered when a salvage place was offered the pieces and the buyer thought they looked very familiar and reported them. STRUCTURE & WATER The water displays are powered by three pumps: - Pump 3: 75 horsepower for 1,600 gallons of water a minute. - Pump 2: 190 horsepower for 5,500 gallons of water a minute. - Pump 1: 250 horsepower for 7,000 gallons of water a minute. I have 134 jets in the following configurations: - 36 jets point upwards from the top basin, including a central jet to produce a 150-foot geyser. - 34 jets at the consoles. - 12 jets in the upper trough that arc into the top bowl. - 12 jets in the inner trough that arc into the upper trough. - 12 jets in the lower trough that arc into the inner trough. - 8 jets spout from the sea horses' mouths. - 20 isolated jets. My water capacity is 1.5 million gallons. Depending on wind conditions, major displays use approximately 14,100 gallons of water per minute conveyed through 134 jets! Water is re-circulated from the base pool after the basins are filled and not drawn from the outside except to replace losses from wind and evaporation. My bottom pool is 280 feet in diameter, the lower basin is 103 feet, the middle basin is 60 feet and the upper basin is 24 feet. The lip of the upper basin is 25 feet above the water in the lower basin. The underground pump room is 35 feet long, 25 feet wide and 25 feet high. LIGHTING Kate Buckingham envisioned a fountain whose effect was that of "soft moonlight." She worked many nights with technicians, testing the various colors of the glass filters and currents to produce an ethereal, mystical aura. I contain 820 lights in the following configurations: - 16 in top bowl. - 72 in upper trough. - 204 in inner trough. - 432 in lower trough. - 24 in the isolated jets. - 60 in the sea horses. - 12 in the bulrushes. The computer known as the Honeywell Excel-Plus is located in my pump house. The computer was moved here from Atlanta, Georgia, during the 1994 renovation. My alarm, a system similar to a store alarm, is monitored and dispatched through Honeywell Central Station in Arlington Heights.
Buckingham Fountain is a Chicago landmark in the center of Grant Park. Dedicated in 1927, it is one of the largest fountains in the world. Built in a rococo wedding cake style and inspired by the Latona Fountain at the Palace of Versailles, it is meant to allegorically represent Lake Michigan. It operates from April to October, with regular water shows and evening color-light shows. During the winter, the fountain is decorated with festival lights.HistoryThe fountain is considered Chicago's front door, since it resides in Grant Park, the city's front yard near the intersection of Columbus Drive and Congress Parkway. The fountain itself represents Lake Michigan, with four sets of sea horses (two per set) symbolizing the four states—Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana—that border the lake. The fountain was designed by beaux arts architect Edward H. Bennett. The statues were created by the French sculptor Marcel F. Loyau. The design of the fountain was inspired by the Bassin de Latome and modeled after Latona Fountain at Versailles.
Quincy is a rapid transit station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system. It is located between the Washington/Wells and LaSalle/Van Buren stations in the Loop. The station is located above the intersection of Quincy Street and Wells Street in Downtown Chicago, Illinois. Having opened in 1897, it is one of the oldest surviving stations on the 'L' system.HistoryDesigned by Alfred M. Hedley from wood and stamped metal, Quincy opened on October 3, 1897, it retained much of its original surroundings over the years and was restored in 1985 - 1988, so that it is considered one of "150 great places in Illinois" by the American Institute of Architects. The station is located in the South Loop Financial District and is the closest CTA rail station to the Willis Tower, approximately one block west. It is also close to Union Station, the terminal for several Metra and Amtrak routes and about three blocks west of Quincy, although the Clinton station on the Blue Line is closer.Quincy is an elevated station, located above Quincy Street between Adams Street and Jackson Boulevard. It features two side platforms and station houses, one on the west to serve the Outer Loop track, and one on the east to serve the Inner Loop track. Turnstiles for fare payment are located in the station houses on the platform level. The station once had a transfer bridge, but this was removed in the 1980s. This means it is not possible to change from one platform to the other without paying another fare or asking for employee assistance. There are auxiliary exits to both Adams and Jackson on the Inner Loop platform, while the Outer Loop only has an auxiliary exit to Adams. Both platforms are designed to handle eight-car trains, the longest the CTA 'L' system can run.
Harold Washington Library-State/Van Buren is a handicapped accessible 'L' station serving the CTA's Brown, Orange, Pink, and Purple Lines. Originally, the station was to have direct access to the second floor of the Harold Washington Library building, but this direct connection was never built. Farecard transfers are also available at the station for the Blue and Red Lines via the Jackson/Dearborn and Jackson/State subway stations, respectively. It was originally known as State/Van Buren when it first opened in 1897. The original station closed on September 2, 1973, along with six other stations, due to low ridership, and demolished in 1975. The new station was rebuilt and reopened on June 22, 1997 in order to serve the Harold Washington Library. The Chicago Transit Authority board voted unanimously on Wednesday, October 6, 2010, to rename the station to its current name. It is the second newest station in the Loop with Washington/Wells being the first and Washington/Wabash being the future third.
Madison/Wabash was an 'L' station which served the CTA's Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, and Purple Lines. From 1919 to 1963, it also served interurban trains of the North Shore Line. This station and Randolph/Wabash are scheduled to be replaced by Washington/Wabash in 2017. The station closed on March 16, 2015.As of summer 2016, the Washington/Wabash station construction has begun. Nothing remains of the Madison/Wabash station except for the structure it was built on.DemolitionDuring the weekend of May 23 - 24, 2015, the entire Inner Loop platform was completely removed.On June 6, 2015, the transfer bridge was completely removed.During the weekend of June 20 - 21, 2015, the entire Outer Loop platform was completely removed.From July to August 2015, the station house, the fare controls, and the mezzanine were removed.The Washington/Wabash station will be completed in spring of 2017.
Ring in the New Year in style with over 4,000 party-goers in two ballrooms at NYE 2013: New Year’s Eve Celebration at Hilton Chicago. From the moment you enter the historic Hilton Chicago and its awe inspiring architecture you will feel transported into upscale nightlife paradise. The uplifting beats of world renowned performers and DJs will make you dance, while you play a hand in our casino with gorgeous Playboy Playmates. The savory hors d’oeuvres and sweet champagne are only a prelude to the excitement of 4,000 party-goers counting down to midnight.
20th Annual Chicago SummerDance Fridays–Sundays, June 24–September 11, 2016 Swing, waltz, cha-cha...or simply enjoy the music at the largest annual outdoor live music and dancing series in the United States. Dancers of all ages and skill levels are invited to take part in introductory, one-hour dance lessons by professional instructors followed by live music and dancing.
June 10-12, 20116 in Grant Park, the Chicago Blues Festival is the largest FREE blues festival in the world and remains the largest of Chicago's music festivals. During three days more than 500,000 blues fans prove that Chicago is the "Blues Capital of the World." FREE Admission.
TikiBoat Chicago is the premier party boat on Lake Michigan. Amenities include: waterslide, Bluetooth compatible HD stereo system, BYOB, gas grill, bathroom, large deck space (on two levels). TikiBoat is great for bachelorette, birthday, anniversary, graduation parties! Reserve today! chicagotikiboat.com
The Maxwell Street Market is a Chicago tradition of bargains and bargaining with an international flavor. The market offers an eclectic mix of merchandise—from tools to tires, plus fresh produce, furniture, clothing, rare finds and collectibles—and some of the best Mexican and Latin street food in Chicago.
We love cooking, and serving you guys the best!! We cook from the heart and serve it to you as if we were serving our FAMILY. We guarantee that everything is 100% fresh. Handmade tortillas are always being made right in front of our customers.