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Landmark · Chicago · Illinois

Buckingham Fountain

Buckingham Fountain is a Chicago Landmark in the center of Grant Park, between Queen's Landing and the end of Ida B. Wells Drive. You will find it in Chicago. It goes back to 1927.

Photo: not specified, Public domain
Where
In Chicago
382 places to stay
Open since
1927
Wikipedia readers
37K
a year · #686 of 7,770
In brief

A landmark inside Chicago

Winters are cold

January nights drop to 18°. When to go ↓

You can stay in Chicago

Buckingham Fountain is inside Chicago, which has 382 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓

Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep and Oct

May, June, July, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 63–84°. When to go ↓

An airport 9 miles away

Chicago Midway (MDW) has airline service, about 9 miles from Buckingham Fountain.

Established in 1927

Buckingham Fountain dates from 1927. About ↓

Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.

When to go

Highs and lows by month

Below are typical highs and lows near Buckingham Fountain.

Jan32° / 18°
Feb36° / 21°
Mar47° / 30°
Apr58° / 39°
May70° / 49°
Jun80° / 59°
Jul84° / 65°
Aug82° / 64°
Sep75° / 56°
Oct63° / 44°
Nov49° / 33°
Dec37° / 24°
Typical highs and lows in Chicago. Green months are the mild ones. Weather: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Chicago. Chicago’s full climate →
About

Buckingham Fountain

Buckingham Fountain is a Chicago Landmark in the center of Grant Park, between Queen's Landing and the end of Ida B. Wells Drive. Dedicated in 1927 and donated to the city by philanthropist Kate S. Buckingham, it is one of the largest fountains in the world. Built in a rococo wedding cake style and inspired by the Latona Fountain at the Palace of Versailles, its design allegorically represents nearby Lake Michigan. The fountain operates generally from mid-April to mid-October, with regular water-jet displays and evening colored-light shows. During the winter, the fountain is decorated with festival lights.

Type
Landmark
Established
1927
Listed
Chicago Landmark (2000)
Wikipedia readers
37K a year
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Facts: Wikidata.
Where to stay

Nights near Buckingham Fountain

Nearest for a night are Chicago (382) and Leyden Township (36).

Buckingham Fountain12345678Chicago382Leyden Township36York Township52Thornton Township46Rosemont22Stickney Township12Lyons Township18Maine Township24Soldier FieldWrigley FieldBarack Obama Presidential CenterArt Institute of ChicagoRate FieldUnited Center10 mi
Buckingham Fountain12Places to stay in town
  1. 1Soldier Field
  2. 2Wrigley Field
  3. 3Barack Obama Presidential Center
  4. 4Art Institute of Chicago
  5. 5Rate Field
  6. 6United Center
  7. 7Field Museum of Natural History
  8. 8Hull House
In town

Chicago

382 places to stay · 320 hotels · 20 motels · 20 inns & B&Bs · 9 lodges & cabins · 8 hostels · 3 campgrounds · 2 RV parks

You’re already here.

2,731,585 people

20 min drive

Leyden Township

36 places to stay · 29 hotels · 7 motels

90,402 people

14 mi west of Buckingham Fountain

30 min drive

York Township

52 places to stay · 45 hotels · 2 motels · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds

128,137 people

18 mi west of Buckingham Fountain

30 min drive

Thornton Township

46 places to stay · 32 hotels · 9 motels · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds

152,667 people

19 mi south of Buckingham Fountain

Compare 8 towns
TownFrom Buckingham FountainDrivePlaces to stayPeopleTypical homeSafety
Chicagoin town—382 320 hotels · 20 motels · 20 inns & B&Bs · 9 lodges & cabins · 8 hostels · 3 campgrounds · 2 RV parks2,731,585$334KD
Leyden Township14 mi west20 min36 29 hotels · 7 motels90,402$288K—
York Township18 mi west30 min52 45 hotels · 2 motels · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds128,137$397K—
Thornton Township19 mi south30 min46 32 hotels · 9 motels · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds152,667$157K—
Rosemont15 mi northwest25 min22 22 hotels3,815$345KD−
Stickney Township11 mi southwest15 min12 11 hotels · 1 motel40,266$269K—
Lyons Township14 mi southwest20 min18 11 hotels · 6 motels · 1 lodge or cabins112,345$364K—
Maine Township17 mi northwest25 min24 20 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 2 campgrounds136,611$375K—

Day trip from

Straight-line miles.

Getting there

Nearest airports with airline service

MDWChicago Midway · major hub9 mi
ORDChicago O'Hare · major hub16 mi
GYYGary/Chicago21 mi
Places to stay: Overture Maps (hotels, motels, inns, lodges, campgrounds, RV parks; not vacation rentals) · town figures: U.S. Census ACS · Safety: TownRatings Safety grade · airports: OurAirports. Distances are from Buckingham Fountain’s main visitor area; drive times are estimates.
Make a day of it

Also within reach

The best known nearby are within 7 miles.

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Soldier Field: Photo by Joon Han Contact: [email protected], CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wrigley Field: Ryan Dickey, CC BY 2.0 · Barack Obama Presidential Center: AlphaBeta135, CC0 · Art Institute of Chicago: ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0 · Rate Field: User Enoch Lai on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · United Center: User:JeremyA, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Field Museum of Natural History: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hull House: User talk:Hied5, Public domain

Common questions

A visit to Buckingham Fountain: questions

Is Buckingham Fountain in Chicago?

Yes. It’s inside Chicago, IL.

When is the best time to visit Buckingham Fountain?

May, June, July, August, September and October, with highs of 63–84°.

What is the closest airport to Buckingham Fountain?

Chicago Midway (MDW), about 9 miles away.

Where should I stay near Buckingham Fountain?

Chicago (in town, 382 places to stay), Leyden Township (14 mi, 36 places to stay) and York Township (18 mi, 52 places to stay).

From locals

From people who live in Chicago

Be the first to share a tip in Chicago’s Town Square.

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.