Buckingham Fountain

Labor day weekend was hot as a sumo wrestler’s balls after a match. If it’s going to be hot when you come visit, come earlier in the day or at night! We did not. Despite common sense we went in the afternoon at like 2pm… when it is probably the HOTTEST time of day. We were literally dripping with sweat and after, ran to the shade for refuge. That being said, there wasn’t any shade nearby to sit and enjoy the fountain. You have to go pretty far. Nevertheless the fountain is pretty… from the whole 5 minutes we were there. haha

The fountain is very beautiful, and a tranquil place to hang out in Grant Park/​Millennium Park (not sure where the dividing line is, if there is one). The one star gets deducted, because both times we were here, the fountain was empty, with no water flowing. This was disappointing, as I would love to see the spectacle.
However, still worth checking out. I’ll be back in the future.

I proposed to my wife here — one summer night. The fountain was lit and the area around it was crowded with city-​folk from all walks of like staring at it in wonder.
From afar — as one is driving up and down Lake Shore Drive, the fountain is delightful to see. As a Child I was told that this was the biggest fountain in the world. Whether that is true or not — it is impressive — and the citizens of Chicago are proud of it.
But the real wonder is when you actually walk around it — so that the mist hits you — and you can small the water — and hear its roar. This is impressive — especially at night when it is lit with colored lights.
This is not a sight to travel across the globe to see — but if you are here already — then it is an experience well worth checking out.

Married With Children is one of the classic television shows from bygone years. One of my favorites during it’s time on the air. Don’t judge me!
After visiting, I heard that Buckingham Fountain was the fountain used in the opening scene for every episode. Only saw the fountain in the evening so I did not recognize it from the tv show. Still it was very cool to view the Buckingham Fountain at night. The lights changed colors which lighted up the fountain beautifully! Will have to return during daylight hours to be reminded of Married With Children.
Anyways check out this landmark when you are in Chicago, if you want to see something truly wonderful.

A huge fountain, but not exactly a fun & splashing experience because the fountain was off.
Built in 1927, this is the same fountain that appeared in the opening credits of «Married With Children». Starting at 9 AM, there’s a 20-​minutes water show that occurs every hour until 10 PM ~ 11 PM. Just a note, the fountain only operates from April through October. Oh, the Buckingham Fountain is modeled after the Latona Basin in the gardens of Louis XIV’s Palace of Versailles.
Another famous Chicago landmark — so stop by for a quick visit.

Estava desligada e em reforma! Perdi meu tempo, uma vez que não tinha sequer nenhum aviso informando!

As far as North America goes these types of visually pleasing things are few and far between as far as fountains in cities go. This wonder is essentially right in the center of what is Grant Park.
The fountain sometimes streams a jet of water high into the air at times and the pool that surrounds the fountain is huge basically the footprint is about the size of a Chicago city block in the Loop.
The area surrounding the fountain is all open as is most of Grant Park which is very wide as far as vision around you goes there is plenty of space here to feel recessed from the skyscrapers just a few blocks away.
For those old enough to remember yes, this is the fountain from the beginning of Married with Children.
Buckingham fountain is just another one of those things that makes Chicago special and makes them stand out as far as big cities in North America go. It’s another one of those things that definitely add to the beauty and uniqueness of a great city which is a great fountain in a great park.

Short and simple: a must see!
The light show in the night is awesome!

Nestled into a bucolic park and set against a backdrop of architectural splendor to the west and majestic Lake Michigan to the east, Buckingham Fountain is truly a Chicago icon.
As I was completing a Labor Day evening bike ride I decided to make a short stop and enjoy the fountains water and accompanying light show. It was a calm, balmy, but not overly humid summer night and tourists, families, couples, individuals, bike riders were lingering around enjoying the last gasps of summer light.
Unbeknownst to me, the light and water performance was accompanied by an interesting music section of Americana and patriotic songs and other familiar classics such as Battle Hymn of the Republic (Glory, Glory Hallelujah) America the Beautiful, highlights of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture etc.
The combination of the performance, beautiful park, surroundings, setting sun made the experience a truly memorable Chicago moment and further demonstrated to me that Chicago is both a world class city and a class act.