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Buckingham Fountain, Chicago

4.5

#23 of 629 in Things to do in Chicago

Fountain · Hidden Gem · Landmark

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One of the largest fountains in the world, Buckingham Fountain was built in 1927. Taking its inspiration from the Latona Fountain at the Palace of Versailles, the attraction features an ornate Rococo style. Designed to represent Lake Michigan, each seahorse that decorates the fountain symbolizes its bordering states. Every hour on the hour for 20 minutes the fountain produces a water display, with the center jets shooting 45.7 m (150 ft) into the air. The fountain also features other colored light shows. With our online itinerary creator, Chicago attractions like Buckingham Fountain can be center stage of your vacation plans, and you can find out about other attractions like it, unlike it, near it, and miles away.

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Buckingham Fountain reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating

3,410 reviews

Google

4.7

By Von1287

This should be the number one thing to do in Chicago along with the Riverwalk! Make sure to come when the fountain is actually running as it does not run all year. We had a beautiful day here and...

This should be the number one thing to do in Chicago along with the Riverwalk! Make sure to come when the fountain is actually running as it does not run all year. We had a beautiful day here and... more »
By Grover R

One of the great outdoor features in Chicago is this fountain in Grant Park. It was the opening for the TV show Married with Children. It has also been featured in many other shows set in...

One of the great outdoor features in Chicago is this fountain in Grant Park. It was the opening for the TV show Married with Children. It has also been featured in many other shows set in... more »

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Google

By Greg Slaten

Visited in September, 2022. Buckingham Fountain is one of the most magnificent fountains I have ever experienced. It is very huge and beautiful. Visit Grant Park to see this fountain. This is a nice place to meditate or people watch. There is plenty of parking nearby. This is an excellent spot for taking pictures of the Chicago skyline and incorporating it into photos with the fountain.

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By PS

Absolutely Majestic Fountain , spent 1-2 hrs there looking at its beauty and how as night approaches, lights all lit up , it looks more stunning…. The Chicago Skyscrapers and beautiful skyline make it the most perfect backdrop….. loved it’s openness and huge gardens surrounding it ….and the beautiful Lake Michigan on the other side makes it’s even more beautiful

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