Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago) Reviews

Beatiful place to visit all year round! Either with your family, by yourself, or with your significant other!

Great place to take family, free parking on street. Don't buy popcorn, extremely salty.

A great stop, especially since it's free! It sits right in the city so you can't beat the location. It's a few minutes walk from good restaurants in Lincoln park or the lakefront. Definitely bring the family here if you're looking for something cheap to do in the city! I would recommend taking public transportation to get there though, since parking always looks difficult whenever I have visited.

Only spent a short time here but:
A bit small and nothing to write home about...

We had an awesome time here. Granted it s winter time and all the animals were not outside but let s be serious the zoo is free and all the indoor exhibits were accessible. People complaining on here are just unreal. There s nothing to complain about for a free attraction, let s get real people.

Lincoln Park Zoo was fantastic at social distancing, clean & sanitized bathrooms, crowd control. Lots of animals in the outside enclosures for viewing. Vending machines only take cash though. There were outdoor food vendors sporadically placed. Plenty of benches, tables, outdoor areas for snacks & breaks. It was easy to reserve the free tickets on event brite.

Ok to kill some time in Chicago. I wouldn't really call it a zoo since their collection is far from anything that resembles true zoo, but its definitely a tourist attraction that's "free". Parking is expensive ($30 for three hours) and everything inside is "Chicago downtown" pricing. If you really want to see animals, go to Brookfield zoo.

This is a wonderful place! Free entry. You can see everything in 4 hours. Unfortunately we didn't get to see the large cats as they are on vacation at the Kansas City Zoo so their enclosure can be redone.

This park and zoo in downtown Chicago is free! The landscaping and grounds are gorgeous and the area is very well maintained. We saw everything from polar bears to flamingos and enjoyed the playground just outside of the zoo area as well. Parking is tough to find for free on the street, but patience paid off for us. Otherwise there is a paid parking lot there too.

Fantastic views, lush green grass, world-class zoo, and excellent running trails.

A perfect day indeed! Not too big. Not too small. Our children enjoyed the seal, penguin, polar bear, rhino, and monkey exhibits! Enjoyed lunch in the park. Great place.

Good place to hangout with family and kids... You can also enjoy the best wildlife prospective

Free! Lots of fun animals to see. My kids loved it!

It's has gotten bigger and better since the last time here

Not many animals out, and those that were out were clearly tired and didn't want to be bothered.

I think is the greatest thing to have a free zoo for everyone in the middle of the city. They just need to open all exhibits . I love the way they treat the animals with respect.

One of my favorite places to go in Chicago. The animals are awesome to watch

Nice place especially with children and free entrance.

Best Zoo in the States in my opinion...not to mention it is entirely FREE!!! Grab the kiddos and head on over to the Sea Lion tank and watch the show! Fun for everyone!

There were a lot of exhibits that were closed and hardly any animals in the open ones. Did see some good ones though, but it should've been better...

Very nice experience with Lincoln Park zoo winter light festival. Walked a good 2 hours around looking at lights and a few animals. There are some snacks and other things to eat.

Always a great time, and going during the Fall was extra fun and beautiful!

A great zoo on Chicago's Iakefront. Take the kids in the morning and visit RJ Grunts for lunch.

The walk under the lights are magical,Family with kids will love it , and Couples too.

Hands down one of the best zoos. Free to go, accepts donations. Wonderful and different animals, and also check out the conservatory

Great day out! How it's free entry I well never understand. Roar lions

I think the zoo is a treasure of the city of Chicago. For me the word is "neat" to describe it. Though it can't compare to the Brookfield zoo in the suburbs in many aspects, but its animal selection, exhibition design, and the whole experience for the visitors is just very nice and neat. The whole park is very neat. And it is totally FREE. Any one passing by can just come and enjoy nature, which is something not always easy in such a big city. I like it a lot but just scared of parking.

This is such a fun zoo! You can do picnics here, brew at the zoo too! It is adult friendly! Also, many may not think to go here in the winter but it is beautiful.

It's a truly great zoo. It's amazing that it is free. A perfect plan for families.

I thought it was great and could not beat the price. The weather was cold so not all the animals were outside but that understand able as we didn't even want to be out side. They had educators around to ask questions.

The last free zoo in America and it is still wonderful. See a wide range of animals from lions to tigers to zebras, giraffes and the like. It's a great place just for a run or an afternoon. The new exhibits are well done too.

One of the best zoos in the city, LPZ does a lot of good for endangered species and research on urban wildlife. Stop in and make sure to ask the proper staff about the animals and what they recommend. Don't miss the otters, as they love having an audience.

I love this zoo!! And being frim San Diego originally, THAT us really flattering! I qas impressed at hiw many curators there were tk ask questions of and how clean alk the enclosures were. I loved how the zoo is laid out and how easy the site map is to follow. The gals that wkrk in the gift shops are very knowledgeable about tbe animals that live there. AND The zoo is free!! So keeo in mind they run on donations, anything you give goes to support these beautiful animals. My favorites are Molly and Pavel tbe tigers!

Lights are something to see but you need early reservation now. Wait time is week +.

We lucked out and were there at feeding time. Great!

Great zoo for the family. Parking is a little difficult,but worth the effort

If you like walking I would definitely recommend you to go to this place

Lincoln Park zoo was a great experience for me and my family and the regenstien's African journey was very realistic.

The people who work/volunteer there are knowledgeable and kind. The animals look happy and cared for. Great experience!

Very beautiful big park but it is a beautiful. Great for family outing and even a date spot great for a nice picnic or a long stroll.

Didn't have as many animals as they used to several years ago, but it's a FREE zoo so enjoy what they have. Parking is tricky & can be impossible at times, so I take public transportation & skip the headache. The eatery is quite expensive, but that's expected. Beautiful skyline view.

Perfect size. Easy to navigate. Price is right. FREE!

It would've been more enjoyable if the animals were out :(
But even though they weren't all out to visit, it was still a nice trip! We'll be back later in the year to visit more animals :)
We enjoyed seeing the few animals that were out though! Very peaceful and family friendly walking environment.

So great that places like this are free to the public. Animals looked happy and the zoo looked well taken care of.

Park was great. Construction though. Parking was expensive!

Lots of exotic animals! The giraffes and penguins were amazing!!

Always a wonderful opportunity to connect with the family.

Amaizing place for free, great views of City. Must visit when you are in Chicago

This is a wonderful zoo, especially considering it's free. They have almost all the animals you are accustomed to seeing and the habitats are mostly spacious and well kept. It can be very crowded during the summer, even on weekdays, as there seem to be a lot of children's groups that frequent the place. There is also a "farm zoo" area which has a working dairy milking exhibit that younger kids are sure to enjoy.

A great day out! We went on a super cold day in December, the zoo was quiet but so good. The polar bear really was in its element! Importantly the zoo is free so it's great for a budget day out, but remember to donate while there to keep this fabulous zoo going!

A lovely, well-maintained park. Free too! Took the kids to see #zoolights and it was a very nice evening. The light displays were beautiful and there was other random entertainment. Being winter and nighttime meant not a lot of animals were out but it was still a great memory for us.

Free zoo. The rides are included with the go Chicago pass. Lions and gorillas are at this zoo. There is also a nice park across the street. Restaurant has good healthy options for kids.

Unexpectedly awesome. Really cool to see this and the conservatory next door.

Superb Urban zoo! It is a wonderful place to take the family.

10am today at the Farm they had musicians for little kids!

I loved this place its fun for kids. They have HIPPO, Lions. They kids are gonna love it. Keep up the good work

We all had a wonderful time, even with the late morning rain ...

Really neat Zoo with a nice backdrop of the city. The African Animal exhibit, primates, reptile room were my favorites. But there s a lot to explore in this FREE zoo in Lincoln Park.

Get their during the day to get the best of the park many animals are off view at night to allow them to sleep. Lights were done great, could of had more interaction with zoo staff/ volunteers to explain exhibits and maybe even get donations. Could try to have rooming entertainment with animal themes, donations are key to the keeping the park free.

Would be a 3 star zoo, but because it's free, how can you not go? Parking is expensive, but if you go during off hours, you can find parking on the street that goes by the front gate. The animals here seem pretty happy, and in general they have large enclosures, except for the cats. You can get very close, and they even interact with you.

One of the best experiences here is to come at 10:00 and feed cows. There is also a nice conservatory across the way that is worth checking out.

Again, because it's free, ratings go way up.

I always forget there are really only like 6 animals there, but it's a nice visit and it's free so it's a nice day out!

Went during winter lights festival,very nice. Best part it s free!

Not a big fan of zoos. Live seeing animals never seen b4 but they are in prision. For some it's all they know so it's ok and some really need it but for the rest, maybe they should roam free in the natural habitat

Nice but small zoo. Would be better in warmer weather. Winter there is not much out or open. But for a free zoo it was nice

Great place to visit during the day and specially for the lights during Christmas and New Year...

We went back for the first time on Sunday 6/28. We had to sign up for an hour entry window. They seem to be doing a good job of ensuring social distancing all throughout. The entry was quick and organized. There are now arrows on the sidewalks keeping the flow of people in one direction. All the indoor spaces are closed at this moment but it was nice to be outside and see some of our old friends and some new babies.

Love Lincoln park zoo, especially the holiday lights. The entire family came out together to walk around and enjoy the sights and lights. Everyone had fun, while eating popcorn & hot chocolate. So magical to walk around the zoo with all the lights & music, and downtown in the background. Definitely recommend it.

Lincoln Park zoo added a rock climbing wall to their rides. It is just inside the East entrance next to the carousel and across from the lions

A beautiful Zoo! Well maintained plus admission is free! If you drive there parking can go up to $30 for 4 hours at Lincoln Park's Zoo parking lot.

A great lovely place to spend a day and learn about wildlife! All staff were very welcoming and helpful.

Enjoyed the zoo but the vending machines take your money and nothing comes out.

Didn't know it was free! It's a real nice zoo, goos size, and a bit hidden.

Had a lovely couple of hours there today. Was very cold so we virtually had the place to ourselves. Staff were very helpful and knowledgeable and keen to help us out and share. Animals were fantastic and it was great to get so up close to a wide range of information.

What could be better than a Free Zoo?! I love it, my son loves it. It's always clean, you can take in your own water and snacks. One of the Best places to visit in Chicago.

It's great to spend time here with family, I like it so much!!

Sadly some of it was being renovated bit that means they care about the animals and the guests

A great small zoo on next to Chicago's north beach. The zoo is free but offers most if attractions of larger zoos which have entry fees. Only complaint is there was only a drinking fountain.