Artist Anish Kapoor designed it, and it was built from 2004 to 2006. It was partly unveiled at the Millennium Park opening on July 15, 2004, finished in August 2005, and formally dedicated on May 15, 2006.
It is made of 168 stainless steel plates, joined and polished so the seams are hard to find. It is about 33 feet tall, 66 feet long and 42 feet wide, and weighs about 110 short tons.
The public nicknamed it "The Bean" while it was under construction. Kapoor did not like the nickname at first but later accepted it. The arch underneath has its own name, the omphalos, Greek for navel.