Lincoln Park Zoo, Illinois, United States

5AndrewWhitby85 5:00 PM Jan 29, 2023

A great little Zoo
We came here twice within the same vacation. The first time it was OK but many of the exhibits and animals were not on show. Because of that we spent time in the Gorilla house and African Savannah buildings which were nice to walk through. The second visit 5 days later was on s particularly cold snowy day but this time we got to see the Lions and Polar bears which was a real highlight and totally made the second trip worthwhile. The Zoo is free of charge surrounded by beautiful Lincoln Park so I'd definitely recommend at least one visit whilst visiting Chicago. Free Tours by Foot Architecture walking tour. This tour was an excellent introduction to the city of Chicago and it's amazing architecture including the birth of the skyscraper. Although you can appreciate the awesomeness of these buildings just by looking at them getting their history, purpose and aesthetic choices of the architects involved is priceless. Our guide Mitch was knowledgeable, friendly. I would wholeheartedly recommend booking a place onto this tour.

4SerenKimbo 5:00 PM Mar 10, 2023

Good way to spend a day
Major drawback for me was that there were no paper maps. I understand everything is digital nowadays, but for people caught unawares, aka me, makes it easy to get lost. Time spent was about 5 or 6 hours to take it all in. Some habitats didn't have animals as they were inside, but taking a second look a short time later was a good way to find the others. Check out the barn area to see goats and cows. Staff were very hands off with visitors (again, aka me) so it wasn't too engaging. In the gorilla enclosure and another one (near where the polar bear is, the name escapes me) are one way through the buildings, but they aren't well signposted until you're standing at the wrong door! Also in the gorilla enclosure be aware that some of the gorillas will bang and make themselves seem a danger. Lot of people caught unawares. You can purchase coins here, 4 designs depicting different types of gorillas. At the gift shop they offer you to round up your purchase to the next dollar amount to help the zoo. As expected almost everything is exorbitantly priced (individual post cards .25 cents; pack of postcards makes them work out at .35 cents each). Not everything is clearly marked. Hoodies etc run at around $50-60. They have toys, magnets, tshirts etc. A lot was closed this time of year. No train, only 1 gift shop. Not sure if any eateries were open since I brought a packed lunch. Inside the reptile house there is a video about the zoo which plays for a little bit. Good place to get off your feet and learn about how the zoo has evolved.