If you’re not a Chicago native, you may know last week’s Find It! location best from the image that opened the goofy Fox TV sitcom “Married With Children” to the tune of Frank Sinatra’s “Love and Marriage” — hence our “love and marriage” clue.
And for you ’60s pop geeks out there, the “kind of a drag” clue was a reference to the title of the 1967 No. 1 hit by Chicago’s own The Buckinghams.
But the 154 of you who guessed this one right probably didn’t need the cryptic song references. To most Chicagoans, Buckingham Fountain–the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain, to be precise–is that magical place their parents took them to on a hot summer night when they were children. They might remember the water-spouting seahorses, or the guy who took their picture, the glowing necklaces sold by vendors or the cooling spray off the fountain when the middle geyser shot up into the air.
This spectacular monument at Congress Parkway and Columbus Drive was given to Chicago by Kate Buckingham in memory of her late brother. It was designed in 1927 by Edward H. Bennett, also the creative mind behind Wacker Drive and the Michigan Avenue bridge.
Buckingham established a $300,000 trust fund, administered by the Art Institute of Chicago, to ensure that taxpayers would not have to pay for the fountain’s upkeep. This came in handy in 1994 when the fountain underwent a $2.8 million restoration.
The fountain was built by Marcel Loyau with four seahorses representing the four states that border Lake Michigan. Weather permitting, it runs each day from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. April through October. At the top of each hour, its center jet shoots water 150 feet into the air and–depending on the wind direction–onto onlookers as well.
The fountain’s basin is constructed with pink marble from Georgia and was inspired by the Latona Basin in Louis the XIV’s gardens of Versailles in France — which is why Marie Antoinette might feel at home there. Inside the fountain, 134 jets powered by three pumps spit out more than 14,000 gallons of water per minute.
For many years the computer that ran the fountain’s pumps was located in Atlanta. But during the 1994 renovation, it was moved to a pump house next to the fountain.
You can snap a photo in front of all that water, with the Chicago skyline in the background. Or if it’s a warm summer night, several local photographers–some with permits, some without–may offer to take your digital photo, print it out and slip it into a cardboard frame for $10.
For the evening light show, Kate Buckingham wanted to create the effect of “soft moonlight.” Today, the lighting color combinations produce a soft, dreamy look.
Over the past 79 years, the fountain has remained intact except for two fish-head sculptures that were stolen by thieves but later retrieved when a salvage shop tried to sell them and the buyer thought they looked familiar.
On a hot summer day, a stroll around the pink gravel plaza can feel a little punishing due to the lack of shade. A quick retreat to the cool mini-orchards on the four corners of the fountain plaza might take the edge off. Or visit the nearby Bobtail cafe for coffee and tea, ice cream cones, cold coffee drinks, pastries or hot dogs.
Buckingham Fountain
Congress Parkway and Columbus Drive
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To get to the fountain, public transportation is your best bet as nearby parking is scarce. If you find parking on Columbus Drive, it will cost you 25 cents for every 5 minutes. Better to take one of the buses that go to Michigan and Congress or the “L” to Harold Washington Library stop on the Brown, Pink or Orange Line or Metra to the Van Buren Street stop.
Near Buckingham Fountain
Stroll the gardens: The acres of maze-like hedges, (surrounding the fountain) the elegant rose gardens (to the north and south) and the little orchards with gnarly–partially-hollowed–trees (in the four corners), make for great romantic strolling day or night.
Lincoln and lettuce: Directly northwest of the fountain, across Columbus, you’ll find a huge organic garden full of fresh herbs, tomatoes, squash, corn, tomatillos, chard, kale and ornamental chile peppers. As tempting as it might be to sample a bit of this bounty, Park District officials discourage it, noting that the food is harvested through the end of the season and donated to the needy. Overseeing the organic garden is a statue of a seated Abraham Lincoln, who often has a seagull perched atop his noggin.
Enjoy tea and scones: During pleasant weather you can buy a large organic Intelligentsia Earl Grey tea $2.50 and a fresh scone at Bobtail Cafe and enjoy it at an outdoor table with views of the lake, rose gardens and Buckingham Fountain.
A taste of the East: Two of the most surprising finds near the fountain are adjacent Asian shops. At Oriental Jewelry & Gifts (402 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-663-0304), it’s as if you’ve stepped into a Chinatown gift shop. The usual kitschy souvenirs are here, but you can also snag a lovely silk handbag for $9.95, a delicate tea set for $13.75 and a sake serving set for $8.50. Next door is Osaka Sushi Express & Fresh Fruit Drinks (400 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-566-0118), a tiny sushi bar and bubble tea hut that occupies one of those old marble-heavy former Fannie May Candy locations in the corner of the Fine Arts Building. Sip a fruit drink and some miso soup with a lunch box combination at the stand-up counter or buy a whole pound of sashimi to go from the bar. Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Sat.
Feel like an artist at a cafe: The Artists’ Restaurant (412 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-939-7855) was opened in 1961 and feels like it is frozen in time with its Greek diner fare and friendly, coffee-refilling waitresses. You’ll get a jolt into the present, though, when you see the 13 varieties of coffee on the menu, including cafe au lait, cafe Romana and our favorite cortadito–made with a shot of Cuban coffee and a tiny squirt of steamed milk. On a pretty night, there are few more pleasant urban ways to enjoy a night out. 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Mon.- Thurs.; 7 a.m.-12:30 a.m. Fri. and Sat.; 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun.
–M.E.
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This week’s T-shirt winners
Grant Anderson, Krystyna Cygielska, Elizabeth Frackiewicz, Larry Graff, Amy Hagerman, Erica Montgomery, Patty Moyer, Susan Olson, Judy O’Mara, Mary Beth Turek.
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