Located in Millennium park, Cloud Gate is a ‘must-see’ when you visit Chicago area. This reflective structure, designed Anish Kapoor, was completed in 2006. It isn’t hard to understand how it gets its name, as it truly looks like it would be a gate or opening to the heavens. With that said, most people refer to it simply as, ‘The Bean’, because that’s what it looks like…a giant silver bean! The curved shape seems to change and morph just by walking around it. The city landscape, clouds, sky, and visitors all get warped and twisted depending on how you are viewing it. The effect is mesmerizing and its fun to watch people looking at their reflections. Young children reach out in amazement as they try to touch their image on the smooth surface, and adults smile and laugh as they purposely distort their reflections trying to get the perfect picture. Check out my pictures to see what a certain little frog did…..
Peggy, Polly, and Liz saying hi at Millennium Park
Polly's first view of Cloud Gate
Another Angle...I love how the city landscape seems to double!
The entire structure seems to morph just by observing it from a different vantage point!
Look! You can even walk underneath! Depending on how you close you stand, you will look short and stumpy or like a skinny string bean!
'The Bean' was one of Polly's top 3 picks for her favorite places in Chicago!
Tags: Polly 3
July 2nd, 2011 at 6:56 am
Very cool post! I think I’d like join Polly #3 for a great picture op in front of “The Bean” in the Windy City someday…I can just imagine the stir that two good looking frogs like us would cause!
July 3rd, 2011 at 6:08 pm
This is a part of Chicago I haven’t seen, of course I was merely a tadpole the last time I was there. I’m sure the bean wasn’t there then. I forget how grand Chicago looks.
Great photos.
July 16th, 2011 at 9:22 pm
Wow! Great post!
July 19th, 2011 at 7:05 am
I am going to Chicago this summer. I will look for the bean!
December 10th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Wow, it seems like a big, giant mirror that has a tunnel. Now that seems amazing!