Parking Chicago – 7th Street Garage – 710 South Wabash Avenue – 722 South Wabash Avenue – 90 East Balbo Street – Call 312-427-4044
Looking for Convenient Parking Chicago? Welcome to the 7Th Street Garage!
Located in the city’s south Loop, the 7th Street Garage is at the center of several business and tourist and destinations. We’re a Parking Chicago facility that offers convenient accessibility to Chicago’s lakefront, business district and museums in addition to Grant Park and Soldier Field. Our facility’s self-Parking Chicago garage is on Wabash Avenue just south of Balbo Street. You’ll find us right next door to Buddy Guy’s Legends and across from the Chicago Hilton.
If you’re planning to visit some of the Windy City’s most iconic and interesting attractions, make us your choice for Parking Chicago! Without a doubt, Grant Park remains one of the most popular destinations for our Parking Chicago customers.
Encompassing over 300 acres, Grant Park is a public facility located in the city’s main business district within the Loop. Some of the park’s most well-known features the Museum Campus, Maggie Daley Park, Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain and the Art Institute of Chicago.
A municipal centerpiece, Grant Park serves as home to many of Parking Chicago’s famous attractions and landmarks. The park features:
-The Museum Campus. Site of first-rate museums like the Art Institute of Chicago, the Adler Planetarium, Field Museum of Natural History and the Shedd Aquarium. The park also is home to the Buckingham Fountain, constructed in 1927 to offer a focal point while also protecting the park’s amazing lakefront views.
Grant Park has tennis courts, baseball diamonds and scenic gardens. The park is host to many of Chicago’s largest music and food festivals such as The Taste of Chicago, Lollapalooza and The Grant Park Music Festival. If you’re a part of the city’s running community, you probably know that Grant Park is where the Chicago Marathon starts and finishes too!
Convenient Parking Chicago – 7th Street Garage on South Wabash Avenue
Grant Park has served as the location for large, historical civic events. For example, in 1911, the park hosted the Chicago International Aviation Meet. In 1979, Pope John Paul II provided an outdoor mass to a massive crowd and during the 1990s, the park hosted celebrations for the victorious Chicago Bulls.
Named for 18th president and Civil War commander Ulysses S. Grant, the park was created as one of the Windy City’s first park spaces and was expanded via land space reclamation. The park was at the center of many disputes during the late 1800s and into 1900s regarding usage of open space.
Randolph Street borders the park to the north, Roosevelt Road to the south, Michigan Avenue to the west and the waters of Lake Michigan to the east. The convenience of our Parking Chicago facility makes it easy for customers to enjoy this amazing park!
Grant Park offers many various attractions in its open, well-maintained spaces. For the most part flat, boulevards and foot bridges cross the park to provide connections across Columbus Drive to Maggie Daley and Millennium Parks for patrons. There are also other Parking Chicago garages beneath the park, close to Michigan Avenue.
Some of Grant Park’s notable features include:
-Millennium Park. Located at the northwest corner of the facility, renovations from 1998 to 2004 created what is now the very appealing Millennium Park. It features a wide range of creations by renowned artists and architects. Tourists can some of the city’s most known attractions, including the Lurie Garden, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the Crown Fountain and the Cloud Gate. The Nichols Bridgeway and BP Pedestrian Bridge offer a convenient connection to Grant Park’s east side.
Parking Chicago – Call 7th Street Garage for More Information at 312-427-4044
-Buckingham Fountain. Among the most recognized sites in Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain is one of the biggest fountains in nation. Constructed in rococo-style wedding cake design, the fountain in 1927 was dedicated as a gift to Chicago from philanthropist and art collector Kate Sturges in the memory of her brother, Clarence.
The fountain runs seasonally, usually from May through October, featuring water displays each 20 minutes in addition to a light display from 9 to 10 p.m. Use our Parking Chicago location if you plan to check out the fountain.
-Maggie Daley Park. Once known as Daley Bicentennial Plaza, the site was converted into a welcoming recreation center along the city’s lakefront. The park’s features include an ice skating ribbon, a fieldhouse, a climbing wall and a large playground. In fact, the skating ribbon offers an ice skating experience that is quite distinctive.
With Chicago’s skyline as a scenic background, visitors to the park can skate on a frozen ribbon that integrates with the landscape to provide a delightful sensory experience. The ribbon’s twisting path offers a lap that’s about double the length that a traditional rink would provide.
Complementing the ice ribbon are lots of options for climbing walls, enjoying hot chocolate and skate rentals. During the summer season, the ice ribbon is utilized for roller-skating and riding scooters as well for exhibiting art and other special events. Skaters can enjoy the 7th Street Garage’s Parking Chicago convenience to access the park this winter.
Choose 7th Street Garage for Parking Chicago – We’re Close to Many of the City’s Main Hotels and Attractions
Maggie Daley Park has a field house that serves as a hub for all sorts of outdoor and indoor programs. Traditional programs like summer day camps are available in addition to other special activities that take advantage of the new park’s features like the climbing park and skating surfaces. There are also rental spaces available within the field house for your next special event.
-Petrillo Music Shell. Host to large-scale as well as more intimate musical gatherings, the Petrillo Music Shell is where yearly events like Chicago Jazz Festival, Lollapalooza and Taste of Chicago are based.
Located at 235 South Columbus Drive, the shell’s area entails the whole block that has Lake Shore Drive to the east, East Monroe Street to its north, Columbus Drive on the west boundary and East Jackson Street to its south. The structure was moved to this present site in the 1970s from the southern end of the park. Its amphitheater and paved surfaces for seating is at the southwestern corner.
-Congress Plaza. Located in the middle of Grant Park at its western side, there are two semi-circular plazas formed by East Congress Plaza Drive and East Congress Parkway. Congress Plaza contains attractive gardens, fountains and remarkable artwork that includes statues depicting warriors that seem to serve as sentinels for the park.
-Museum Campus. The city’s Museum Campus is a spacious addition to the southeastern section of Grant Park. The Museum Campus is where Parking Chicago customers can access some of the area’s most notable, exciting museums dedicated to the wonders of natural science: the Field Museum of Natural History, the Adler Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium.
-The Art Institute of Chicago. Established in 1893, the institute sits on the westerly edges of Grant Park. Since then, it continues to serve as one of the nation’s premier art museums. The Institute is especially known for its vast collection of American and Impressionist artworks.
-Parking Chicago Lakefront Trail. The city’s lakefront trail is a multiple-use, 18-mile pathway along the coastline of Lake Michigan. Naturally, it is very popular with runners, walkers and cyclists. The trail runs through Jackson Park, Lincoln Park and Grant Park.
-Hutchinson Field. This large field accounts for much of Grant Park’s south end, where visitors can find lots of softball and baseball diamonds.
-Harbors and Marinas. There are a pair of boat marinas along Lake Michigan that are accessible from scenic Grant Park. Monroe Harbor offers mooring cans, tender services and facilities at the harbor that’s east of the park. Plus, it’s home to both the Columbia Yacht Club and the Chicago Yacht Club.
There’s also DuSable Harbor, which is northeast of Grant Park. It features over 400 docks and a convenient harbor store. The harbors are accessible from off Lake Shore Drive close to Monroe Street.
-Skating in Grant Park. The city’s park district converted just under two acres of space at Grant Park’s southwestern corner into recreational and event facilities with wheel-friendly surfaces for riding scooters, rollerblading, skate boarding and BMX biking. The skate park’s designs include multiple-skill level ramps, grinding handrails, bench seats and native landscaping along with other amenities.
Grant Park’s origins trace way back to 1835. It was then when forwarding-thinking citizens wanted to shield open spaces from commercial development of the lakefront. Consequently, the park’s initial area just east from Michigan Avenue was declared as public grounds to remain free of buildings.
Officially called Lake Park, the site would soon suffer from the impact of an eroding lakefront. The Illinois Central Railroad consented to build breakwaters to protect the lakefront in exchange for building an offshore railroad trestle. After the infamous Great Fire in 1871, the section between the lakeshore and train trestle became a dumping ground, making it the first of several landfills.
In 1901, the South Park Commission named the facility for Ulysses S. Grant. Architect for the project, Daniel H. Burnham, saw Grant Park as a landscape with civic buildings and landscaping. However, work was delayed by lawsuits sought mail-order tycoon Aaron Montgomery Ward, who wanted to protect the open characteristics of the park.
Lastly, in 1911, the state’s Supreme Court ruled in Mr. Ward’s favor. Brand new landfill at the south border of the park enabled construction on what became the Field Museum to start. Evolution of the park moved slowly but steadily.
Parking Chicago – 7th Street Garage – Access to Chicago’s Finest Attractions
In the mood for great blues music? Our Parking Chicago facility puts you next to Buddy Guy’s Legends on South Wabash Avenue. Check out the following fun facts about this amazing venue:
Ever since opening its doors back in the summer of 1989, Buddy Guy’s Legends continues to earn its reputation as one of the USA’s premiere venues for blues. With a foundation built upon Mr. Guy’s own stature as a mainstay of the blues community in Parking Chicago and his more than 50 years as an entertainer, Buddy Guy’s Legends is known worldwide for presenting a range of emerging and established blues artists.
Just some of the remarkable musicians who have performed at Legends over the years includes Koko Tayler, Johnny Winter, Willie Dixon, Otis Rush, Dr. John, Albert Collins, Junior Wells and B.B. King in addition to rockers like Slash, Eric Clapton, Gregg Allman, The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top and David Bowie.
Buddy Guy typically takes the stage at his club each January for a multiple show residency to the delight of blues fans that travel to Legends from locations around the world. Some blues fans will even camp out for the night to be sure they nab a seat in the front row. Utilize the convenience of our Parking Chicago facility to experience an unforgettable night of music!
Are you planning to visit the Windy City and stay in a hotel? Our Parking Chicago facility is an easy walk to fine hotels on Michigan Avenue including the Essex Inn, the Chicago Hilton and the Renaissance Blackstone.
The Chicago Hilton has quite an interesting history. It was built during the 1920s, an era that brings to mind Art Deco, dancing flappers and terrestrial radio as a main source of media and entertainment.
Created in the architectural style of the Beaux-Arts, the hotel opened in 1927, although it was first known as the Stevens Hotel. To this day, it continues to carry out the vision of its initial founder and namesake. This bold vision was to establish a hotel that was practically self-sufficient, able to provide the most accommodating facilities for conventions and conferences as a main destination. That dream lives on today, as the Hilton Chicago maintains its traditional integrity while also offering the conveniences and amenities that contemporary travelers expect.
The Grand Ballroom in the Hilton still contains its initial structure from the 1920s. There are no pillars in the ballroom, for instance, which is an example of that era’s architectural practices. The ballroom also still features its original French-made crystal chandeliers.
The inaugural gala held in the Grand Ballroom was in 1927 for the Motion Picture Association, which drew attendance from many film stars of the day. In 1942, the ballroom was the site of a different kind of even when it served as a mess hall for the armed forces. The chandeliers were taken out and later returned when the space was transformed back into a ballroom. However, the center crystal chandelier was misplaced and was even rumored to have found its way to the White House.
The hotel’s Grand Ballroom has served as host to many celebrities, American presidents and foreign dignitaries over the years. In 2011, for example, a welcome dinner was held in the ballroom for President Hu Jintao of China.
The Hilton’s Normandie Lounge displays parts from the S.S. Normandie, which was a French cruise liner repurposed for usage by the U.S. during the Second World War. It was eventually renamed as the USS Lafayette. Some of the vessel’s original components are incorporated as part of the lounge, such as the chairs, sections of the bar and some parts of the woodwork.
In 1984, the Hilton’s Rooftop Ballroom was renovated into the spacious Conrad Hilton Suite, which is among the biggest suites in the region. At a cost of about $1.6 million, the 5,000-square-foot space occupies two floors of the hotel. It presents a view of Lake Michigan and Grant Park and features a grand salon, dining space for 14 people, a library with a bar and pool table, a kitchen, three bedrooms, a private helipad and a roomy balcony.
Famous guests who have stayed there include Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, King Carl Gustav of Sweden and actor John Travolta. It has also served as a location for film productions such as Home Alone 2 and ER. The suite received $1.8 million in renovations in 2013.
The 7th Street Garage is Your Source for Convenient Parking Chicago
Our Parking Chicago facility is also close to another historic hotel: the Renaissance Blackstone. Developed in 1910, the hotel is named for businessman Timothy Blackstone, who served as president of the Chicago and Alton Railroad and also as the president of the city’s famed Union Stock Yard. In addition, Blackstone served a term as mayor of the city of La Salle, Illinois. He constructed his mansion upon the site where Tracy and John Drake later built the hotel.
Ever since opening its elegant doors, The Blackstone Hotel has been host the many U.S. presidents. In fact, it was at the historic Blackstone that President Harry Truman presented his staff with a private piano rendition of the “Missouri Waltz.” Dwight D. Eisenhower viewed his nomination for the presidency in 1952 on TV at the Blackstone. And John F. Kennedy dined on Boston Clam Chowder at the hotel before departing Parking Chicago for Washington in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
International leaders have also stayed at the Blackstone, such as the president of Poland and the German chancellor. The Blackstone also was a Parking Chicago frequent hotspot for sighting celebrities like Rudolph Valentino, Marilyn Monroe, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole.
Parking Chicago – 7th Street Garage – 710 South Wabash Avenue – 722 South Wabash Avenue – 90 East Balbo Street – Call 312-427-4044