Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago) Reviews

Lived in chicagoland area all my life, first time at Lincoln Park zoo. It was worth finding parking.

Small, yes. But free. And beautiful. Great views of the city and just a nice place to walk and breathe in some fresh air.

Good place to stop but it is pricey for souvenirs and food because the admission is free.

We went here to check out the Conservatory and surrounding landscapes. Truly beautiful views of the city from the paths surrounding the zoo.

Great free zoo! Beautiful garden and views from the skyline of the city. There's a lot to see and is such a good place for a walk.

I ve been to a lot of zeros and this is by far my favorite zoo in the country. The grounds are absolutely amazing they have plenty to see indoors and out best of all it s free but you should definitely make a donation because donations are what help keep this amazing zoo alive

Zoo lights, fun and colorful. Wall to wall people on weekends. Lots of exhibits were closed making things even more congested. Gift shop was terribly understaffed.Better times to go, right after Christmas . Open till January 7th.

Great place! Enjoyed the animals, seems super chill. It being free it's a great plus. I had a good time :)

Enjoy this zoo. Free admission and has lots of interesting programs throughout the year.

Visited this place after half a decade, very lovely place to visit. Parking is a bit hard

Great social distance policy. Very professional workers

We took a part of our family reunion guess and love it.

Chicago's free zoo makes this a great place to check out. Animals might be a bit sparse but worth a visit.

This is great entertainment for kids and all ages and it is 100% free and i managed to get parking near by for 1$ for four hours through parkwhiz app using coupon bcz zoo parking is about 20$. Lot of animals, birds and mamals

Horrible even though admission was free. Animals unhappy. staff uncaring. About the only thing good was the botanical gardens they were very pretty.

Always an amazing zoo to go to! There s usually some parking on the streets if you really want to make the experience worth your dollar.

Always a blast. Knowledgable guides and clean spaces!

For a free zoo, this is great. We had great weather and got to see some great animals. Still bums you out to see them in there but cool animals nonetheless

Wonderful place to spend the day with the family while watching the animals ..Polar bear is the highlight here ..Lions will be coming in soon for now they have been sent to another zol with s better habitat .

Had an amazing time with an event held outside the zoo. It had some setbacks, but was still really fun.

I love being able to go to the zoo especially since I took my grandson for his first zoo visit and he got to see all the lights for Christmas

We went to the zoo nights event where you pay $5 to get in at night. Total waste of money. They don't bother to turn on any extra lights so you literally pay $5 just to walk around and not see anything. We saw one rhino butt from a distance. Besides that most of the animals were sleeping and most of the exhibits were pitch black since there were no lights. Not worth going here at night. Would have been a great deal if the exhibits had been light up since there was hardly anyone there. Disappointing really since overall this zoo is pretty nice during the day time.

Many of the exhibits closed due to covid. Understandable but hard to rate it higher without experiencing them. I'm from St. Louis too so the zoo bar is pretty high.

Great value for money (Free admission). Lots to see. Nice and quiet on winter.

Had a fun time with the family watching the zoo lights

We had good time most animals weren't visible , washroom were semi- clean and food prices were high, recommend to take own food.

Loved every thing about this park/zoo. Friendly staff, animal education programs everywhere and places to rest between exhibits just a wonderful experience.

Not only is this zoo free to enter, but it's nestled inside Lincoln Park, near the Lincoln Park Conservatory, and very close to the Lakeshore Bike Trail. It's a great place to spend an afternoon or bring guests from out of town. After visiting multiple times, I still come across areas I haven't seen yet. While many of the animals aren't around for the winter, they still have events such Zoo Lights and the Holiday Market!

Nice to be located in the middle of the city, and it's free!

my grandchildren love going to Linkin Park to pay never get tired I also have gone with the school to the zoo beaubien School

Zoo lights this year was super exciting. Atmosphere was warm and inviting. Spirits were high. Crowded, but comfortable. Hadn't been in years.

This place has been remodeled for the last months, can wait for summer to visit it, down side is to find parking on the street, their parking is way too expensive

I was there when it was coldish and evening. Many of the more "interesting" animals were not visible. A lot of walking but that's what a zoo is about. Not too crowded but it was evening and light rain. I would go back

Great place to spend part of a day! It's always been clean and the animals seem well kept. We never pay for anything except parking and always enjoy ourselves. Bonus: it's right by the beach!

Love the layout and design of the park. It was enjoyable.

Did not have high expectations and was floored by how good the zoo actually was. Well worth the time and I actually feel bad for not having higher expectations

It's a nice place and I like coming here with my family, but I wish they added penguins or some other marine animals

A free zoo. Unheard of. Truly a great kept zoo. Worth the visit. Truly

Great FREE family fun. Pack a lunch and wear comfy shoes.

Cool park/zoo. Definitely check out the Christmas Light display in December!

Free admission. Bring the kids and wander this beautiful zoo.

Beautiful lights, great atmosphere. Chicago jewel. Like everything in Chicago parking.too expensive.

Great zoo! I was pleasantly surprised especially considering it s a free zoo. It s very well worth the visit! The only thing that was a bit pricy was the parking, but hey, the entrance was free so it balances out. The kids had a lot of fun and I would very much recommend this zoo!

Nice little zoo but not that great. When they open it you have to wait for the animals to get out. Which takes a long time.

Getting so close and personal with nature and great place to share memories with family.

Fantastic light show. Free entry. Free special effect glasses at wild thing connection .Conservancy has a beautiful flower display

Such a great place to take a family or go for a stroll

All of the exhibits were closed, but there was no indication of that, neither on the web site nor at the zoo entrance

Not only is this zoo wonderful, it is absolutely free. This is a must see. We love coming here. Parking can be difficult, but worth it.

Well maintained, free zoo. Enclosures seem relatively interesting for the current residents. Loved the two polar bear teens!

Its beautiful zoo lights but definitely more expensive than last year hot chocolate toooo expensive and cookies decorating pricy but worth it.

The only FREE zoo left in the US. Great family friendly entertainment at NO cost. Street Parking is very limited due to its location, but there is a pay lot on the east side.

Love this place it's one of the oldest zoo of America and free entry.....was started with two bears we're brought and kept here then gradually the animals increased and now they have a wide variety ....the staff in the zoo is so very helpful and doing a good job...from Thanksgiving thru Christmas they have awesome lights decor and open till midnight...so happy going

It's really nice just not ass many animal as before.

Not normally a huge fan of zoos but this was outstanding. And all for free as well, highly recommended

Parking is HORRIBLE and the parking lot is a little far walk on a 90 degree day

I love going to this zoo... Is totally free, on the street there is a free parking, hard to find but not impossible! I suggest check their website before visiting during afternoon or weekend days sometimes there is some events and they closed at 3pm

Omg I went to the lincoln park zoo with my son,my grand daughter,and his girlfriend and my son father...We had a blast,I havent been to Lincoln park zoo since my son and children were small.It has changed alot,to the better!!!.There was ssooo many animals there,I was just amazed ,we seen coyotes with her 2 babies,a black bear,seals, an ostrich,so many birds,different array of beautiful flower I love flowers ,I took alot of pictures.This time I took pictures of a place that I visited,I know i kept forgetting to take pictures but I will try to remember next time,VERY SORRY.Its a awesome place to spend with your whole family,Omg whats not to love.Thank you Lincoln Park Zoo for a new beginning to new memories .

Cool, free zoo in a giant city. The winter's zoo lights are equally excellent.

What more is there to like. Lincoln Park Zoo is Gorgeous. It's not huge in size which makes it the perfect City Zoo. Well maintained a knowledgeable staff and, Oh Yeah it's free!

Super cute- FREE- zoo- I feel bad the animals are enclosed but its a lovely sight for kids and adults alike- they should give the big cats for time outside away from the crowds - leopoard looked miserable ;(

Great Christmas light displays! Totally free to visit at night from 6-9 during the holiday season. There is a light show synced with holiday classics that shows every couple minutes near the entrance of the park. Great for families and strolls in the park.