A Day at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois

What's Not to Love

Chicago is a city full of wonderful attractions for vacationers or life long residents. Folks love Navy Pier, enjoy the incredible shopping and dining opportunities and of course can't wait to get close to the lake shore. There is so much to do in Chicago that you might overlook one of its real treasures, the Lincoln Zoo. Whether you are a first time visitor to the "windy city", a repeat tourist or a life long resident, the Lincoln Zoo has something special just for you. My husband visited the Lincoln Zoo when he was a child on vacation and our daughter and her family are enjoying it as newly arrived residents. It's just a wonderful attraction in a city full of great places to go.

The Basics. If you are living or visiting in the Chicago area then you are within an easy drive of Lincoln Park Zoo. The Park is located just off Lake Shore Drive At Fullerton Parkway Exit just North of downtown Chicago. The only money you have to spend at Lincoln Park Zoo is for parking when you arrive. The amount you pay to park depends upon the amount of time you plan to spend. Instead of paying individual admission based on the number in our family you only pay one parking fee and you can control that amount by the length of your stay. The maximum fee for 5 hours or more is $24. For a family of 4 that breaks down to a simple $6 for a full day of unmatched entertainment in a healthy outdoor environment.

The Zoo is open seven days a week and it is always free and ready to provide you with fun, a little education, some science info and suggestions about conservation and the care of our planet's wildlife. Grounds open at 9 a.m. and remain open until 6 p.m. Zoo buildings and the Farm are open from 10-5. My grandchildren were happy to discover that on weekends during the summer the Zoo remains open until 7 p.m. Of course the result was that the parking fee for that trip was the maximum $24 but worth every penny.