Millennium Park — Accessibility
Millennium Park > Plan Your Visit > Getting Here > Attending An Event > Accessibility > Millennium Park Campus
Every aspect of the physical space of Millennium Park has been designed to be accessible to all patrons for full inclusion.
Accessibility Summary for Millennium Park DCASE Events:
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If you enter the park through a park only entrance (C or D) and need an accessible route into the event space please see the guard where the C entrance path and the B entrance path meet (Washington and Randolph).
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American Sign Language interpretation is available for Jay Pritzker Pavilion concerts. Email dcase@cityofchicago.org at least 1 week before the event you are planning to attend to request for other stages/areas.
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Assistive Listening Devices are available at all Millennium Park events from the Patron Service Tent.
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Wheelchair loan is available at all Millennium Park events from the Patron Service Tent.
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Accessible seating (with companion seats) is available throughout the seating bowl.
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Films are open captioned (including preshow).
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Large print programs are available at Welcome Center & Patron Services Tent.
Parking and Transportation
Millennium Park access drop off point for events is 238 East Randolph, nearest to a security check point and entry to the seating bowl and Great Lawn. If you need to visit Patron Services (on West walkway of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion) please drop off at 201 East Randolph.
Accessible parking is available in each of the underground Millennium Garages – Grant Park North, Grant Park South, Millennium Park, and Millennium Lakeside. Spaces are limited. Visit Millennium Garages to pre-purchase parking online and save up to 50% off drive-up rates.
The Grant Park North garage (25 N. Michigan Avenue) pedestrian access location is on Randolph Street north of the 201 E. Randolph Welcome Center. Grant Park South garage (325 S. Michigan Avenue) has a pedestrian access location near the Millennium Hall entrance on the Michigan Ave. side of the park. The Millennium Park and Millennium Lakeside garages (5 S. Columbus Drive) have pedestrian access locations on the Monroe St. side of the park across from Art Institute of Chicago.
No. 3, 4, 6, 26, 60, 124, 143, 147, 151, 157, 850, 851, 855, and J14 have stops around Millennium Park. Accessible CTA trains stops are located at Clark & Lake and Washington & Wabash, less than one half mile from the park. Visit transitchicago.com to route your public transit trip.
Seating
Accessible seating and companion spaces are available throughout the seating bowl of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion on a first come first served basis. Seats may be released as general seating once the performance starts.
Security gates open at 3pm for the Summer Film Series during the Grant Park Music Festival season, security gates open 90 minutes before all other event start times. The Parks event footprint will be closed to the public for 1 hour before the gates open.
If assistance finding a seat is needed, please stop by the Patron Services tent on the West walkway of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, and ask a for a Front of House staff member, or approach ushers in light blue shirts stationed around the seating area. The distance from the security check points to the seating bowl ranges from 395-575 feet.
Seats near the American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter on the Jay Pritzker Pavilion Main Stage are located audience right.
Some aisle seats have movable armrests, to allow for easy transferring onto the seat. Wheelchair accessible seating is also available around the perimeter of the seating bowl
There are places to sit and rest throughout the park.
Restrooms
Accessible restroom stalls are located on the east and west lower level of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in multi-stall facilities. Additional accessible restrooms are in the McCormick Tribune Plaza adjacent to Millennium Hall on the Michigan Avenue side of the park.
There is a single stall accessible restroom on the east side of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion’s lower level.
Mobility Access
All areas of Millennium Park can be accessed by wheelchair.
The Crown Fountain was designed with ramps so a person with a mobility disability can participate in this space with full inclusion.
All security gate entrances are accessible, but we recommend using the entrance located just South of the McDonald’s Cycle Center (238 E. Randolph) for the shortest lines and the West walkway (201 E. Randolph) for the easiest access to Patron Services or the Welcome Center.
Accessible concession windows are available at vending locations in the park.
Wheelchair accessible seating are available throughout the Seating Bowl. Additionally, some aisle seats have movable armrests, to allow for easy transferring onto the seat from a wheelchair, and to assist patrons using walkers or canes.
Wheelchair spaces are available in both the free seating area and the membership/reserved seating area.
Wheelchair accessible restroom facilities are located on the east and west side of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Additional accessible restrooms are also located in the McCormick Tribune Plaza adjacent to Millennium Hall on Michigan Ave.
Events are wheelchair accessible, but please be aware that this is a large venue with varied distances between stages and points of interest. Also, events are situated in a park, therefore, if it should rain, there will be mud in some places.
Courtesy manual wheelchairs are available to borrow while onsite visiting Millennium Park and during events from the Welcome Center (201 E. Randolph St.) or Patron Service tent (West walkway of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion). They are available upon request on a first come, first served basis. They should be returned to any front of house usher or security guard by the end of the event or before park closure. Please note: Wheelchair accessible seating are available throughout the Seating Bowl.
Accessible parking spaces are available in all the Millennium Garages (5 S. Columbus Drive) please visit: Millennium Park Garages.
d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Access
Assistive Listening Devices (ALD) are available before and during events at the Patron Services Center located on the West walkway of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. ALD should be returned to an usher at the end of the event.
Text based scripts of the Millennium Park audio tours are available in the Millennium Park Welcome Center in standard and large print. Enquire with the security guard.
We endeavor to have an American Sign Language interpreter at all City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events mainstage programs that take place in Millennium Park. If you would like to request interpretation for areas other than the mainstage please email dcase@cityofchicago.org at least 1 week before the event you are planning to attend.
All City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events film programs in Millennium Park are open captioned and we aim to live caption the speaking portion before the film when possible.
If you need assistance getting a seat near the Main Stage to see the ASL interpreter, please ask a Front of House staff member.
Blind and Low Vision Access
Large print copies of the Grant Park Music Festival program book are available at the Patron Services Center, located on the West walkway of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
If wayfinding assistance is needed … please ask a Front of House staff member at the Welcome Center (201 E. Randolph) or at the Patron Services Desk (on the West walkway of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion). At both locations Front of House staff can be reached via radio.
Digital version of printed materials are available upon request by emailing dcase@cityofchicago.org
Sensory Friendly
If a patron needs to step away from the crowds or concert for a while, we recommend these sensory friendly locations:
- Visiting the Lurie Garden just south of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, behind the shoulder hedge. Some of the performance may still be heard from that location.
- Visiting the Chicago Cultural Center located across the street (78 E. Washington Street) which offers a chance to cool down.
- Visiting the sculpture garden at the Art Institute of Chicago across the Nichols Bridge. (The Nichols bridge may be closed when the security perimeter is in place.)
Other Information
Service animals are permitted throughout the Park.
Event drop off is at 201 East Randolph, which is east of the corner of Randolph and Michigan and on the west side of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. During events there is a security check point along the walkway a short distance from this drop of point.
Questions or Requests
If you have a request that is not listed above or have questions about our accessibility services at DCASE-sponsored events at Millennium Park, please contact dcase@cityofchicago.org. A two-week advance notice for accommodation not listed is kindly requested.
Feel free to email with questions or feedback at any time.