Lincoln Park Zoo
Chicago Illinois
If you are visiting downtown Chicago, Lincoln Park Zoo is a great place to go. My husband and I went a couple times before we had kids and we used to enjoy it, especially in the summer. What's great about Lincoln Park Zoo is that you forget you are in the big, busy city of Chicago. It is pretty cool to have all these exotic animals living within a city. The other cool thing about Lincoln Park Zoo is that it is open year round and is FREE! Yes, it is free to get into the zoo. You will have to pay to park your car, but that isn't a big deal when you know you can spend the day at the zoo for free. If you park in the zoo's parking lot you will pay up to $24, depending on how many hours you park. Whenever we have gone to the zoo, we were never able to find a parking spot in the parking lot. You may have to park elsewhere, in another lot or feed the meter along the street. You may spend some time driving around for a spot. Just stay relaxed, that is how things are in Chicago. You can also choose to take public transportation or a taxi around the city. Lincoln Park Zoo is located off Lake Shore Drive at the Fullerton Parkway Exit. It is just minutes North of downtown Chicago.
There are lots of exhibits at Lincoln Zoo, which is so nice to find in a large city. There is an African Journey exhibit, several types of bears (I love the polar bear that you can view swimming,)
a bird house, birds of prey exhibit, penguin and seabird house, primate house, lion house, sea lion pool, family children's zoo, small mammal/reptile house, swan pond, flamingo habitat, antelope & zebra area, and a farm in the zoo that is really fun.
The newest addition to the zoo is the $26 million center For African Apes building. This new building has 29,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space for the zoo's apes. Beside having a fabulous space to show of the zoo's apes and gorillas, there are bamboo stands, trees, 5,000 feet of vines for the apes to swing on, skylights, termite mounds for chimpanzee "fishing," a waterfall, moat, heated logs, and fresh air. Throughout the year the zoo also offers special events.
Within the zoo there are also some additional rides and attractions that do cost extra. There is a carousel that has 48 wooden animals on it that are made up of rare and endangered animals. It is $2.50 per ride. There are also paddle boats that you can rent so that you can enjoy a float on the lagoon. There is also an African Safari Simulator Ride and a children's train ride.
There are quite a few options of places to purchase food throughout the zoo. The Park Place Cafe' is the zoo's year round food court. There are also seasonal restaurant locations, which are the Big Cat's Cafe', Cafe' Brauer, Landmark Cafe', and the Safari Cafe'. You can also bring your own food or have a picnic. One time my husband and I brought our little grill and had a picnic next to the zoo's lagoon. Furthermore, if you want to eat before or after your visit to the zoo you can choose to eat at any of the great restaurants throughout the city of Chicago. There are also several zoo shops that you can shop at for souvenirs.
For you convenience, the zoo offers a first aid station, security, a lost & found, stroller and wheelchair rentals, lockers, and an ATM.
Lincoln Park Zoo is a great zoo to visit, for adults and children. If you don't want to drive all the way into downtown Chicago, you can instead visit Brookfield Zoo. Brookfield Zoo is located in the suburb Riverside/Brookfield. Brookfield Zoo is bigger and you will have to pay for admittance and parking.
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