Cloud Gate

public art · sculpture · Chicago

Made of 168 plates. Cloud Gate is built from 168 stainless steel plates that are welded together so perfectly that you can't see any seams on the outside, making it look like one smooth, shiny object.

The ultimate mirror. The sculpture's super-polished surface reflects Chicago's famous skyline, clouds, and people around it, which is why it's called Cloud Gate.

Nicknamed The Bean. People started calling it The Bean because of its shape, and even though artist Anish Kapoor didn't like the nickname at first, he ended up loving it.

Seriously hefty. Cloud Gate weighs 110 short tons and measures 33 by 66 by 42 feet, making it a massive artwork that took two years to construct between 2004 and 2006.

Heart of Millennium Park. The sculpture sits in Grainger Plaza at Millennium Park in the Loop, one of Chicago's coolest neighborhoods, and it's become one of the most famous artworks in America.