Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago) Reviews

My favorite place in the city!

Put a heavy emphasis on conservation and have great exhibits for adults and kids.

A wonderful place to visit . One of the best places in the entire city

This zoo was one of the most interesting zoo's I've seen, if you're visiting Chicago you should definitely stop by. My favorite was the African safari. It's free and it has a lot to offer.

All of the indoor exhibits were closed and only a few animals were out, but it was a beautiful day to be at the zoo. Free entry too! Kids loved it. No crowd at all.

I was there 21 years ago. I loved to walk at the zoo, where admissions were free. And there s a tropical green house I used to visit almost every day. Walking along the lake by the zoo was also very leisurely. Still keep warm memories of this area.

Took my grandson, many of the animals were hiding. All the big cats are away while the building is remodeled.

Took the grandkids for the donut tasting. It was a blast!

You get what you pay for here. Hardly any animals to see. Also it was 90 degrees and they purposefully shut off the water fountains to force people to but 5 dollar water. PATHETIC!

Free just parking need to be paid if you can't find free parking. Good quantity of animals and species.

Love this zoo its great. The zoo is 100 percent free with many light and animals to see.

Beautiful displays in this free zoo not many large animals but that's ok the space is limited

In the heart of Lincoln Park and free...Great exhibits and place for the kids to experience nature..good gifts and food..love the iced tea.

How in the world is this zoo free?! A great zoo even if it wasn't. Of course, donations are always welcomed and we'll deserved. The staff is friendly and give you little tidbits of information as you walk through. The only qualm is the cafeteria, it's a hit or miss with the food. Mine was good (but expensive) and my husband's tasted like taco bell for the price of a nice restaurant. But I didn't mind spending a little on the food to support the animals and the staff.

Very good experience. Not as good as other zoos, but it is free. So, that s a huge plus. Definitely worth stopping by for a few hours. I love their emphasis on conservation.

Great and it s free! Though some of the animals look like they are going mad...

Great zoo, lots of things to do at an absolutely free attraction.

Chicago will eat you alive when it comes fees and parking fines. Its a relief to finally enjoy something free. Free admission. Lions were on vacation and kids area unavailable until further notice. Penguins, polar bears, giraffes, rhinos, birds and fish all present and accounted for. Only drawback was very few signs to direct or guide you, even at or near exhibits. Pick up free map at office. Any employee in green shirt will guide you there.

Great neighborhood park and zoo! Some great renovations over the past few years.

if you give this 5 star, may be it's time to visit Africa!

One of the best place to spend a day with kids! Free admission and if you find a street parking it's totally free.

Nice zoo. When I went I was pleasantly surprised. My only concern is certain animal enclosures seem too small.

Love! Free entrance but you do pay for parking. Staff is welcoming. Animals appear healthy and well looked after. Wear comfortable shoes. Check out their website for any special events.

* The website does mention free parking for the first 30 minutes, if you plan to make a quick stop. I don't know anyone who visits a zoo for 30 minutes but if you're just stopping by, you don't have to pay for the first 30 minutes. Also, the website says there is "free parking" nearby.

Folks, if you find a free parking spot around Lincoln Park, Harambe (the Cincinnati Zoo Gorilla) IS LOOKING OUT FOR YOU!!!

Paws up for Harambe! LOL!!

Amazing zoo for family and children, plenty of animals and spectacular view of city! Best of all, it is free.

There are also lots of great food options around the area, so this is a favorite weekend spot for our family to hang out and dine.

When you come to see the animals, don't miss the bridge (by the cafe) where you can oversee downtown Chicago, a great area to snap some selfies or family portraits.

Such an amazing experience with the make a wish foundation on superhero day

For a free attraction, it's amazing. We didn't realize how big it was and spent quite a bit of time at the entrance attractions

Lots of animals and is free. Great for little children and lots of festival lights in the winter

Great zoo,nice setting with water and trees,highly recommend

This is Chicago's zoo. Free and full of opportunities to observe and learn. Excellent habitats for seeing animals. Lots of programs for children and many trails and paths next to the zoo for observing Chicago's wildlife in the center of the city.

Excellent zoo bc 1. It's free 2. It has lots of animals
Parking isn't great (if you don't want to pay).

A nice place. I loved the birds area and the fish. The zoo is small and needs to be expanded.

My son s 1 st experience with the Christmas lights, it was amazing

It's one big zoo and it has so many different animals to look at. Every section of the zoo can be taken as an individual zoo. The place it self is very clean and looks pretty modern.

All of this and it's totally free!! I would say more but I am generally not that much into zoos.

Spring break was still chilly but that didn't stop children having fun, especially the bird house.

Great zoo! The children's area is especially awesome - we went on a rainy, cold day and our three year old LOVED it (Bonus: it wasn't crowded or anything!) What a great place to get out of the rain for a little bit.
Otherwise, make sure you stick around and watch the music-coordinated light show and to see the whole park lit up at Christmas time.

Grandkids had a good time seeing the animals and getting a souvenir from the gift shop

Come to Chicago YOU have to see the best zoo and gardens

Still great even after 10 years of being away from home. My boy loved the gorilla portion as well as the hands on farm exhibits.

Free to get in. Good selection of animals. Clean and very kid friendly.

Decent free zoo. Not much in terms of animals or presentation though.

Lovely setting and great animals! Parking a little hard to find near entry gates, but there was pay parking a little farther away on Clark Street. Could use a few more signposts on the grounds to direct one to various animal exhibits. But maps are available and they help. Excellent signs on exhibits themselves with facts about the animals and their habitats.

The zoo is very large. We can spend good time with kids. Plenty of animals, creatures and birds . Worth place to visit in Chicago.

A bit messy and unorganized but great entertainment for free.

I have been to better zoo's with free admission. This was my first time visiting Lincoln Park Zoo and was dissapointed. Cant compare it with Brookfield Zoo.

Fun, clean, free zoo! I went while the air show was going on so the parking lot was full, ended up using a parking garage app and found parking that was cheaper and just a short walk away ! Some exhibits were empty, but for the most part the animals looked healthy !

I was surprised how nice this free zoo was! They have a large variety of animals all in beautiful enclosures. There are indoor and outside viewing areas for most of the animals so everyone is comfortable. They also have a few of rides like a carousel and a Ferris wheel. There were multiple places to eat but you can also bring in your own food. We had a brownie and an apple cider from one of the stands but there was definitely a large variety at the cafes.

It has lotta animals like chimpanzee, giraffes, zebras and so on. The best part is it s free

Very limited selection of animals. Almost impossible to find parking unless want to spend $26 for official zoo parking. It's an ok zoo for being in the middle of a big city but if you want a much better and free zoo than go to St Louis.

Pretty good for a free zoo. The food is good there and as for the staff they are really friendly and polite. Good place to take the family if unable to afford the Brookfield zoo. There are a variety animals to check out. I have no complaints.

LPZ is a staple of Chicago attractions. The zoo is free but parking isn't. If you don't mind a walk, you have a decent chance of finding parking within a quarter mile, either free or cheap.

I will always love this zoo! Winter, spring, summer or fall they have such a great and amazing things. Spending morning or afternoon it doesn't matter! Great place to hanging out with friends, family or by yourself.

This zoo is free. Plenty of parking and great views of the city. Walking distance from Lake Michigan. Family friendly .

We went in early March so it was fairly cold but thankfully the animals were all out and about anyway. We had never been to this zoo before and we had fun checking it out. Some of the exhibits seem a little on the small side but that's understandable given the age of the original buildings.

It was crowded but it was a nice day so what more can you expect it was still beautiful would all the lights they had on display great place for the kids

This is such a wonderful Zoo with so much to do and see. We really enjoyed our visit!

Went during the thanksgiving light show. It was cute but the weather was cold!

Great zoo with some really interesting animals. A great out for the whole family.

The zoo is a great place to bring the family and its FREE!