Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago) Reviews

Great place to visit, free admission. Free parking may be available nearby, pay parking available

Any zoo with chimpanzees is already amazing in my opinion, but this zoo is just overall great and worth the visit. The amount of animals they have and the quality of the buildings and outside enclosures makes the fact that Lincoln Park Zoo is free even more impressive.

We're here often. Free, great place in Chicago. Your kids will love it!

amazing time !! great for kids reasonable prices. Animals are amazing i recommend the polar bear exzibit!! it was amazing to watch these animals up close!! and the best part!!!! ZOO IS FREE!!!

It is a great place for kids and joggers. They have beautiful jogging spaces. They have some farm animals feeding area which will be fun for kids but you need to pay for it. The zoo entry is free for everyone all along the year. It is not too big and not too small .definitely worth visiting. You can expect much when you are not paying for it. For sure it will not disappoint you.

so weird to have a zoo in the middle of a city. but its there. so relaxing to stroll through and enjoy the animals.

Great Zoo! Animals were very active grounds well maintained.

Nice clean and free, however it seemed a lot of the animals were in hiding!

Love this zoo as a child and I adore it as an adult.

Really cool zoo right in the heart of downtown Chicago. It's free so that's a positive! But this zoo for not being huge does draw a large crowd. Still worth the visit.

Beautiful day. at the zoo. Only complaint that when ready to leave parking area, there were parking pay machines that were not working. Many people did not know where to pay.. There should be a sign that only the machines at the final exit at park work!. At the end of a beautiful but tiring day, no one wants to walk around trying to find where to pay for parking. And if machines are not wor king either a sign should be placed or they should be removed from parking area.

Fun place to take the kids for fun and to keep them active

Love seeing all the animals, some are unexpected pleasant suprises!!

Needs more frog, lots if exhibits closed was annoying and no signs told us that.

Great selection of animals, lovely surroundings and best of all its free and if you're lucky enough you can get free parking

Its free and its just as good as something you usually have to pay, what more could u ask for

My boyfriend and I were in Chicago for a long weekend and were told we had to go to the zoo. It's free! I'm really glad we listened because it was a great experience. We were in town the weekend before Halloween and the zoo had a trick-or-treat event around the zoo where you could get candy and food and kids could participate in activities. We didn't know that this event was happening and although we weren't dressed up kids we still enjoyed getting candy and seeing all the animals. It was very crowded but we were still able to enjoy the animals. We often got confused where we were and I think the zoo would benefit from more maps around it or more signs pointing things out.

Walking to the zoo is a very pretty stroll. We were on Michigan Ave right in the heart of the city and our 20 minute walk along Lake Michigan was beautiful. As you get closer to the zoo you walk through a nice park where plenty of dogs are playing and then walk over bridges on a little lake/stream type body of water. It's a very pretty entrance to the zoo.

Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the best thing about Chicago. The Zoo is free!!! It has all the animals that you would want to see: Goats, flamigos, monkeys, meerkats, lions, zebras, and do not miss the baby rhino! It's just the perfect size too. 2 hours is the max I am willing to spend in a zoo, even less if I'm with a kid. This zoo make it possible for me to spend that amount of time and still see everything.

Another great thing about this zoo is the view. South of the main entrance, and east of the farmhouse, there's this beehive-like structure called the People's Gas Pavillion. Right in that area is an pretty little pond, and beyond that pond is a breath-taking view of the city!

Oh, and spend $2 and you can make a mold-erama of a pig in the farmhouse. MUST DO!

One downsize - parking in the lot is very expensive and parking on the street is very scarce. Thankfully, a bus comes by right in front and I would highly suggest taking it.

Definitely an experience that you most try.
Try Mondays
They the carousel

it's free.
has apes & seals.
seems good for kids

Online says it was open. Lots of exhibits were closed. Very very few animals were even outside. Couldn't even find the parking lot when we were looking for it. Had to park really far away. Paid 22 dollars to park. What a ripoff.

Yes some parts of the zoo need a little TLC and yes sometimes its sad to see animal in cages but it is pretty wonderful to have a free zoo that puts a lot of effort into the care & well being of their animals. They are also one of the largest zoo based conservation and science programs in the country. And Zoo lights people! Its one of my favorite things to do during the holiday season.

Amazing zoo, nice conditions and better than most paying zoo

Never can complain about free. Parking goes towards the park, definitely makes the $20 feel worth it.

It's a nice park with a lot of exhibits. Free admission was awesome as well. When I was there the lion exhibit was closed. A lot of the animals were on lunch break when we got there. Definitely want to visit again when the weather warms up.

because it's a relaxing place to go and I used to go there as a child

Wonderful place to take photos! Also, To bring your whole family and spend the whole day walking around seeing all the beauty...for free!

We saw the zoo was open 365 days a year and decided to visit. We were little worried about not seeing the animals out because it was cold but we were pleasantly surprised we got to see numerous animals out. We also got educated by the seal exhibit trainers which was great . We look forward to coming back in the spring.

Great layout. Exhibits were well planned and fun for the kids.

the greatest free attraction in the city. hands down. Writing a book about the apes there and know a great deal about them.

Wow is amazing place to spend time with family and friend, people work there they treat you very kindly

the animals were not here so I was sad.. but it was super cold so I'm glad they kept them inside... where I should of been

It is great that it's free! The sealion exhibit is awesome because you can go underground and watch them swim which I dont think a lot of people know! Ive been there a few times and often the animals are pretty sparse but when you get to see them it's great!

This place is fantastic, especially for a free zoo. My 3 year old had an awesome time, as did my wife and I. I highly recommend stopping by if you are in the Chicagoland area. They also have a parking lot and the rates are extremely reasonable.

It's an absolutely amazing place! There is so much to see, and it's completely free, which is unbelievable for such an experience. Food options are very limited within the territory, but it wasn't problem for us anyway. Love this!

What a nice way to spend a day! Especially considering this place is free of charge, it was very clean and well-organized. We got to see the seals do a training activity and it was the cutest thing - look that one up on the schedule before you go and plan around it!!

Awesome exhibits but it is very crowded. If you plan correctly you can avoid much of the crowd by going to the opposite end (by polar bears) in the morning and work back towards the main parking gate.

My kids and I enjoyed all the animal exhibits. Food is kind of expensive.

I love to take a walk in Lincoln Park Zoo and check in on the animals. Its relaxing.

Very nice. Good array of animals and the place is well kept.

Lincoln Park Zoo is awesome. Definitely free to get in daily. One of my favorite things to do in Chicago actually!

Free entrance which makes Lincoln Park Zoo a must go place for tourists. Parking was $20 for an hour so that I must usually find some free street parking spots nearby. The zoo was pretty big, primarily when it was a city zoo. However, I personally thought the zoo still had many things that could be improved. Frankly, there were not so many animals to watch as I wished there was elephant, crocodile, or bison. I also preferred Polar Penguin to the Madagascan Penguin living in the zoo. Despite all of that, I believed this zoo could please everyone, from Orchid lovers with Lincoln Park Conservatory to bird lovers with McCormick Bird House to even reptile lovers. There were also polar bears, sea lions, rhinos, tiger, lions, zebras, and camel. One thing which reminded me of the Southern ranch was the Main Barn where I could pretend to hatch from eggs, harvest vegetables or steer the tractor at the heart of the exhibit.

For a free zoo it's better than most six you have to pay to get in. The enclosures are good size for most of the animals and provide a very natural setting.

A terrific spot for the whole family. Entrance fee is quite reasonable and if you live in the area the annual family pass is not much more. It's a small zoo, but well maintained. Lots of interesting exhibits, a butterfly garden you MUST see, and a cool train ride.

It's fun for the whole family

The reptile house was extremely well lit. The zoo is laid out well and staffed with knowledgeable and engaging workers. Spacious enclosures with enrichment opportunities for the animals.

The fact that this zoo is free makes it a must visit. The setting is great and the animals seem very well taken care of. My family loved it.

Love going to the adults only zoo lights. What a wonderful and beautiful experience.

The Lincoln Park Zoo is a great place to bring the kids and most venues are free to visit. Note that parking however is *not* free and likely will cost ~$35 for any amount of time beyond 30 mins, unless you're able to find street parking -- possible, but certainly not guaranteed.

Even if you pay for the parking, all in it's a reasonably-priced spot to visit with the family. Public transit to and from the LP Zoo is also available (mainly via bus). All around good spot for locals and tourists alike.

i love the zoo! it is free and always fun. Great way to spend a part of your day if you are downtown!

WOW!!! Just delightful. Lights. Music. Animals (human and others). Ice sculpting. Free!!! Must see!

I liked this zoo. It was completely free and nice to walk around in during the afternoon. It was actually quite large and required a good +3hours to browse the entire thing. It was crowded with lots of families, kids, and camps, however I was able to find quiet pockets in various exhibits to just enjoy the animals. There are various sections, from a bird sanctuary, to an ape den, to safari type areas for zebras, kangaroos etc. Check out their website for a map so you can see the variety of exhibits on display. The zoo is accessible by bus. I think the 151 stops closest to the zoo, but this bus can get really crowded! The zoo appears to really make an effort to replicate habitats, biomes and niches - to ensure the health and happiness of the animals. It also looks like they try to rotate the animals so they get adequate outdoor time in the larger sanctuaries. I'd definitely visit again.

A must see for all Chicagoland residents. Has a wonderful variety of animals and hosts events throught the year. All this for free.

Very nice zoo. Free admission and free parking. It sits in the middle of Chicago. The kids loved it and had connected with the monkeys really well.

It's was so much fun I even got to see the polabears :D

Not bad, probably open only 30/100%
I thought it is bigger but it's ok

Very Nice Zoo, its pretty and relax, and ship to enter

It's free! You can find parking on the nearby roads for free.

Loved bringing our little toddler to this free zoo! What a great investment for the city to provide this well kept zoo!

Awesome! Beautiful and free!! Check out thepolar bear, he's the cutest!!

When to the zoolights event with the family. It was pleasant and they gave out some 3d glasses which changed the way you saw the lights. We discovered a lot of variations of the 3s glasses which was really fun for everyone. Only complaint was the food and beverage cost, but the money goes to the animals so I'm not too upset about that. Just remember to bring money with you.

This if free to go in it has a lot of stuff and it's amazing but it smells bad

Great zoo. It has all the major attractions and is free.

Awesome experience for my son and I. The staff is very nice and helpful. It is definitely different than our Zoo in Houston. The indoor enclosures are neat to experience. Plenty of room to see the animals , had no problems wth that. Restrooms were clean. Sadly, the Polar bear exhibit is under construction. For afternoon fun, it was great. We rode public transportation so parking wasn't an issue for us!

Zoo lights is very crowded and the construction areas do not help.

Most exhibits were closed. All we saw was a Zebra, some ducks, some seals and some flamingos. That's it. They shouldn't have been open.

There is a lot of construction and renovations going on. Many exhibits are shut down.