Buckingham Fountain is a Chicago landmark, situated in the center of Grant Park. Dedicated in 1927, it is considered one of the largest fountains in the world. The fountain is built in a rococo wedding cake style and was inspired by the Latona Fountain at the Palace of Versailles, but it is meant to allegorically represent Lake Michigan. From April to October, it has regular water shows and evening color-light shows. During the winter, the fountain is decorated with festival lights.
Because it is found in Grant Park, the fountain is considered Chicago's front door. It represents Lake Michigan, with each sea horse symbolizing the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana, that are bordering the lake. It was designed by beaux arts architect Edward H. Bennett and the statues were created by the French sculptor Marcel F. Loyau.
The fountain was donated to the city by Kate Buckingham at it costed $750,000. It was built in the memory of her brother, Clarence Buckingham and the official name of this beautiful fountain is Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain.
The fountain operates daily from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. from mid-April through mid-October. Each show lasts 20 minutes and occur every hour. It is a beautiful show of water, music and light.
Please check out the this video and enjoy the beautiful show of the Buckingham Fountain.
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