Millennium Park Grand Opening, Jul 16

Chicago's Millennium Park, the $475 million downtown showcase boasting work by some of the world's most prestigious artists and architects, finally opened with a three-day bash.  The park's focal point is the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the new home of the Grant Park Orchestra.

London-based artist Anish Kapoor's stainless steel sculpture "Cloud Gate".

 

Gehry's Pritzker Pavilion with state-of-the-art acoustics.

 

People arrived early to grab a piece of lawn under the trellis for the opening night concert.

 

Popular with kids, Jaume Plensa's Crown Fountain features water cascading 
off two 50-ft video-screen towers showing a succession of Chicago faces.