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.
Grant Park is a large urban park (319 acres or 1.29 km²) in the Loop community area of Chicago. Located in Chicago's central business district, the park's most notable features are Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum Campus. Originally known as Lake Park, and dating from the city's founding, it was renamed in 1901 to honor Ulysses S. Grant. The park's area has been expanded several times through land reclamation, and was the focus of several disputes in the late 19th century and early 20th century over open space use. It is bordered on the north by Randolph Street, on the south by Roosevelt Road and McFetridge Drive, on the west by Michigan Avenue and on the east by Lake Michigan. The park contains performance venues, gardens, art work, sporting, and harbor facilities. It hosts public gatherings, and several large annual events.The park is often called "Chicago's front yard". It is governed by the Chicago Park District.HistoryThe original plans for the town of Chicago left the area east of Michigan Avenue unsubdivided and vacant, and purchasers of Michigan Avenue lots were promised that it would remain unoccupied. When the former Fort Dearborn Reserve became part of the townsite in 1839, the plan of the area east of Michigan Avenue south of Randolph was marked "Public ground. Forever to remain vacant of buildings."
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.
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.
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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.