Chicago’s Millennium Park ‘The Bean’ Now Open to the Public After Renovations

CHICAGO — “The Bean” is open again.

After nearly a year of renovations to Grainger Plaza in Chicago’s Millennium Park, one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city and the entire Midwest reopened to the public on Sunday.

On its official X account, Millennium Park posted: “We are happy to announce that Grainger Plaza, the area surrounding Cloud Gate (aka “The Bean”), has completed construction and is now open to the public. Visitors can once again have full access to Anish Kapoor’s iconic Chicago Cloud Gate.

The sculpture, designed by Kapoor, is officially known as Cloud Gate but is commonly referred to as “The Bean” due to its shape. It has been a staple of Millennium Park since 2004, attracting thousands of tourists and visitors each year.

It was completed last August so crews could rebuild the plaza’s podium, replace paving stones and improve accessibility, including new accessible stairs and ramps. The plaza also has a new waterproofing system, a spokesperson told WGN News.