Chicago
Lincoln Park
Visiting Chicago with younger kids? It's just a short bus ride north to Lincoln Park, a super area with shady trees, acres of grass to run around, ponds with ducks, lakes for pedal boating, playgrounds, a zoo and farmyard. Just west of the park are casual restaurants and eateries where you can find a quick meal.
Lincoln Park Zoo -
One of the oldest zoos in the United States,
Lincoln Park Zoo
is
free
, so take advantage of it! It's a perfect small scale zoo, with open encloses of llamas, zebras, gorillas, rhinos, polar bears, flamingos, a seal pond, duck and geese lagoon. There's also indoor monkey and lion houses (lovely jaguar), and a rainforest house (that tropical warmth is welcome in the colder months).
Little ones will enjoy a ride on the endangered animal
carousel
(with pandas, sun bears, jaguars etc.) or small
miniature train
, the LPZoo Express.
The zoo has an indoor snack bar, cafes and
picnic tables
(so bring your lunch in the nice weather.)
Farm-in-the-Zoo
- What a wonderful introduction to life on the farm! In the white Dairy Barn, kids can check out the black and white dairy cows and watch the cows being fed and milked. In the red Main Barn, there's a large John Deere tractor to climb on (kids can sit behind the wheel), a chick hatchery and hands-on activities. Outdoors are baby goats, miniature ponies, sheep and pigs, a vegetable garden, and picnic tables. Farm is free.
Cummings Playground
- Across from the zoo (western entrance) is a large playground with sand pit, bronze animal statues (adorable mama mountain lion and cub and a cubby turtle), swings, climbing structures and slides.
