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Buckingham Fountain is the center piece of Grant Park and one of Chicago’s most recognizable landmark. Buckingham Fountain runs from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. every day from mid-April to mid-October. The fountain was gifted to The City of Chicago by Kate Buckingham in memory of her brother, Clarence Buckingham, in 1927 and at the time was the worlds largest decorative fountain. Kate Buckingham also established a trust fund to ensure that the people of Chicago would never have to pay for the upkeep of the fountain, and that trust fund was used to pay for a $2.8 million restoration project in 1994.

Many times I have been walking through Grant Park only to a large geyser of water rising above the trees. The geyser of course was coming from Buckingham Fountain, and one day I found a sign that explained the this geyser. Every hour on the hour for 20 minutes the fountain produces a major water display and the center jet shoots 150 feet into the air. Beginning at dusk, every hour on the hour for 20 minutes the fountain’s major water display is accompanied by a major light and music display. The final display of the evening begins at 10:00 p.m. (Chicago Park District)

A popular destination for tourists and Chicagoans alike, many people know of Buckingham Fountain because of its place in pop culture history. The television show Married With Children featured Buckingham Fountain in its opening credits.

Buckingham Fountain was designed by Edward H. Bennett with sculptures by Jacques Lambert and modeled after Latona Fountain at Versailles. The fountain contains approximately 1.5 million gallons of water, 134 jets, 820 lights and 4 statues each representing one of the 4 states that border Illinois.

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