Buckingham Fountain in Chicago, Illinois
Photograph © Wayne Lorentz
Buckingham Fountain
Columbus Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605 United States
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Quick Facts
  • Construction end: 1927
  • Designed by: Bennett, Parsons, and Frost; and Jacques Lambert
  • Type: Monument
Notes
    » The bronze sculpture was created by Marcel Francois Loyau.
    > February, 2008: A plan is announced to close Buckingham Fountain in the Fall and Winter of 2008 for a $25 million renovation.
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There are two comments.

  who wouldnt enjoy the Buckingham Foutain. It is a beautiful foutain that many generations have enjoyed and will enjoy.

kirby - Thursday, December 7th, 2006 @ 8:46pm  

  All of my life I have enjoyed this fountain, as well as the whole area it is located in. Now with satellite imaging I can really see how intricate the entire location is. It was designed after the Latona fountain in Versailles, so they say, but I see no resemblance to it other than they are both round. Buckingham fountain is twice the size of Latonia and is the largest fountain in the World, with 113 jets and three levels, the highest being 25 feet above the bottom one. The gardens around the fountain are intricate, but not nearly as intricate as those found at Versailles though. But then again, Versailles is a palace and Buckingham fountain and the accompanying gardens are part of a public park. It is still a spectacular setting that you can find no place else in America. Where else can you go and see a water show and a light show absolutely free today? The dancing of the jets as the colors change is something you will never forget. When I was young and we were poor I would walk to the lakefront and just sit there watching the fountain put on its show, then go over to the Field Museum and look at the dinosaur skeletons, the Planetarium to watch the star show and finally the Shedd Aquarium to watch the fish. It was a full day of adventure for a young boy and cost nothing. Today you do have to pay to get into the museum, planetarium and aquarium but the fountain is still free for everyone.

Dale Johnson - Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006 @ 5:31am  

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