Two bronze lions guard the front steps of the Art Institute, and your path runs between them. Edward Kemeys sculpted them, and they were placed here in 1894, just after the building itself opened. The museum was raised in 1893 to coincide with the World's Columbian Exposition, built as a permanent home that would outlast the fair's temporary white palaces.
The two lions are not identical: the south one stands with mouth closed, described as on the prowl, while the north one roars, described as defiant. Chicagoans dress them in helmets when the Bears, Bulls, or Blackhawks reach a championship, and rub them for luck. Inside hang Seurat's Sunday on La Grande Jatte and Hopper's Nighthawks.
Climb the steps between the lions and glance across Michigan Avenue at the wall of the city; this is one of the most photographed thresholds in America.