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Sunday, May 12, 2024
News Chicago Metro/State

Public access to ‘the Bean’ to be limited for months

Cloud Gate, or ‘the Bean,’ will be tough to see for a while as Grainger Plaza undergoes construction.

By  Mary Norkol
   
SHARE Public access to ‘the Bean’ to be limited for months
Tourists pose and get their photos taken next to Cloud Gate also known as “The Bean.”

Tourists snap photos next to Cloud Gate, also known as “the Bean,” at Millennium Park April 21.

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Those looking for a chance to see Chicago’s famous giant, shiny, silver bean will be out of luck for the next several months.

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Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago, la sección bilingüe del Sun-Times.
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Access to and views of Cloud Gate, or “the Bean” as it’s known to most, will be limited as Grainger Plaza undergoes construction beginning Tuesday, according to the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

The city is planning to replace pavers and do other routine maintenance on the plaza, which surrounds the sculpture at 201 E. Randolph St. in Millennium Park. Construction is set to run through the spring of 2024.

The changes, including accessibility upgrades, aim “to enhance the nearly 20-year-old park’s appearance, visitor experience, and position as the No. 1 attraction in the Midwest,” according to a statement on the city’s website.

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