Buckingham Fountain, Chicago, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

Buckingham Fountain is a grand ornamental fountain in Grant Park, on the Chicago lakefront at the edge of the Loop. Dedicated in 1927 as a memorial gift, it is one of the best-known sights in the city and a favourite meeting point for visitors and locals alike.

The story behind it

The fountain's full name is the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain. Kate Sturges Buckingham, an art patron and philanthropist, paid for it in memory of her brother Clarence. It was unveiled in 1927 and is often described as being modelled on a fountain at Versailles, though on a much larger scale. It is built of pink Georgia marble.

Behind the scenes, a two-story underground pump system drives the water displays, moving thousands of gallons every minute. Around the main basin are four figures by the sculptor Leonard Crunelle: a boy with a fish, a girl with a crane, a boy with a turtle and a girl with a dove. They stand to the north and south of the fountain.

What to look for

• The tiered pink marble basin, whose scale only becomes clear when you stand beside it and look up at the central jets.
• The sculpted sea horses around the base, said to stand for the four states that border Lake Michigan.
• Crunelle's four figures to the north and south, each pairing a child with an animal: a fish, a crane, a turtle and a dove.
• The view back across the water toward the Loop skyline, with the lake at your other shoulder.

Tips for your visit

• The fountain is outdoors in an open park, so you can walk right up to it. Allow 15 to 30 minutes for a relaxed look and some photos.
• The water show runs on a seasonal schedule, so check the current schedule before you plan around it. Evening visits add the lighting.
• Grant Park is all around you, and Michigan Avenue and the Loop's architecture are a short walk to the west.
• There is little shade nearby, so bring water on a hot day and a layer when the wind comes off the lake.

See it on a quest

Chicago Loop Highlights: Battle the Supernatural passes this fountain as one stop on a longer walk through the Loop. You reach each place on foot, the app tells you about it as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever suits you, with no guide and no set departure time.