The most recognisable fountain in Chicago and one of the largest in the world, Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park was donated to the city by Kate Buckingham in 1927 and designed in the style of Versailles's Latona Fountain but four times the size. The fountain operates from mid-April through mid-October, with a nightly light-and-water show at 9 pm adding color and music to the display.
The fountain is the symbolic centre of Grant Park and the default meeting point for large outdoor events on the lakefront. The bronze seahorses around the central basin represent the four US states that border Lake Michigan. The surrounding formal gardens of Grant Park provide the best context for seeing it. Michigan Avenue at Congress Parkway.