To say that Cloud Gate is an experience is an understatement. When you first encounter this sculpture by British sculptor Anish Kapoor your senses tell you that you're seeing an impossible illusion. At 33 feet tall and measuring 66 feet in length Cloud Gate stands like an enormous convex mirror presenting a compressed, variably distorted view of its surroundings. It's simply impossible to maintain a bad mood when you first approach it. Chicagoans, preferring a more descriptive name for the sculpture, immediately began calling it "The Bean" much to the chagrin of Mr. Kapoor. But the pseudonym stuck. If you ask a local resident for directions to "Cloud Gate" you'll likely get a blank stare. Ask where "The Bean" is and you'll most likely get the immediate reply, "It's at Millennium Park!".

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