Calendar & Events

Calendar & Events

Featured Event

Craft Brews

Saturday, June 28

Savor the flavor of more than 100 craft beers, ciders, and other beverages at Lincoln Park Zoo’s annual Craft Brews! This fan favorite tasting event also includes delicious bites from food trucks, live music surrounded by blooming gardens, and a unique after-hours experience you won’t want to miss, exclusively for the 21+ crowd.
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Events

Craft Brews

Saturday, June 28

Savor the flavor of more than 100 craft beers and ciders at Lincoln Park Zoo’s annual Craft Brews at the Zoo, co-hosted by Lou Dog Events.

Family Workshops: Morning in Nature

Sunday, June 29

Enjoy a fun-filled morning of outdoor adventure! Engage in interactive camping activities, get campsite tips, and make nature-inspired crafts with our learning team.

Malott Family Penguin Encounters

May–October

During this immersive program, you will get a personal introduction to Robert and Mayari Pritzker Penguin Cove and find out what the daily lives of penguins are like both at the zoo and on the southern African coast.

Sunset Garden Tours

Select Thursdays, May–September

Join a zoo horticulturist for a relaxed evening in the garden at Lincoln Park Zoo—after hours!

Early Bird Member Morning

Second Saturday Each Month: March–October

Join us for a series of members-only hours at the zoo! Members can enjoy an exclusive morning of early access to the zoo, free rides, and more!

Second Saturday Garden Tours

Second Saturday Each Month: April–November

Join fellow nature lovers for a free guided tour of Lincoln Park Zoo’s diverse plant life and ecosystems.

Memory Enrichment

Third Friday of Each Month

Memory Enrichment at Lincoln Park Zoo is a free, welcoming program for people living with dementia and their loved ones and care partners.

Sound Meditation With Jay Taylor

Select Saturdays, May 17–October 4

Lie back, relax, and sink into an immersive sonic landscape with sound meditation facilitator Jay Taylor.

Zoo Ball

Friday, July 11

Join us at the 48th annual Zoo Ball, our signature fundraiser! This gala provides critical support for Lincoln Park Zoo and helps ensure Chicago’s zoo remains free and open to all.

Summer Wine Fest

Friday, July 25

Get ready to stroll through lush gardens with a glass of fine wine at Lincoln Park Zoo’s annual Summer Wine Fest!

2000s Night at the Zoo Hosted by River North Fests

Saturday, August 9

Grab your peeps, and join in on an evening of fun at 2000s Night at the Zoo Hosted by River North Fests!

Adults Night Out: Block Party

Thursday, August 21

It’s the last hurrah of summer! Enjoy a night out at the zoo for the 21+ crowd, complete with carnival games, mini golf, drag bingo with Veronica Pop, and more!

Adults Night Out: The Rewilding

Saturday, September 6

Adults Night Out: The Rewilding is a night out in nature to restore, reconnect, and revel after-hours at the zoo.

Friday Night at the Zoo Hosted by River North Fests

Friday, September 19

At this after-hours event at Lincoln Park Zoo, adults 21+ can sip drinks while strolling through the zoo, sing at karaoke, dance to a live DJ, and more!

Fall Fest

September–October

Chicago’s free and family-friendly fall celebration returns to Lincoln Park Zoo with a full slate of harvest-time fun!

Haunted History Tours

Tuesdays and Wednesdays in October

Join Adam Selzer—author, podcaster, and host of Mysterious Chicago Tours—for spine-tingling walkabouts that dig into the zoo’s cemetery roots and locations from throughout its allegedly haunted history.

Zoo Fiesta

Saturday, October 11

Delight in the animals, cultures, and conservation efforts of Latin America at Zoo Fiesta!

Spooky Zoo

Saturday, October 18

Hosted by the zoo’s Auxiliary Board, Spooky Zoo offers a free, festive, and accessible experience for more than 15,000 Chicago families and children.

Adults Night Out: Howl-o-ween

Friday, October 24

This 21+ Halloween party at the zoo includes a haunted trail, Halloween-themed animal chats, and more. Costumes are encouraged!

Adults Night Out: Holidaze

Thursday, December 11

Don we now our ugly sweaters for the holly-est, jolly-est night of the year at Lincoln Park Zoo—Adults Night Out: Holidaze!

ZooLights Presented by ComEd and Invesco QQQ

November 2025–January 2026

ZooLights will feature more than 3 million lights, including hundreds of luminous LED displays and festive seasonal experiences.

Programs

LEAP: Learn, Explore, and Play

Select Dates

Join us for a morning of investigating and exploring the natural world through play. Children guide the way as they choose whether to dig in the dirt, manipulate loose parts, create a collaborative work of art, or settle in with a story underneath a canopy of colorful fabric.

Family Workshops

SELECT DATE

Join Lincoln Park Zoo’s Child and Family Learning team for a morning of nature play! We’ll discover the benefits of playing in and with nature, explore some of our favorite materials and activities, and send you home with resources and inspiration.

Conservation Camp

Summer 2025;
9 a.m.–3 p.m. weekdays

Campers, rising grades PreK-5, will explore the zoo and learn about animals and how we care for them. They’ll also make new friends and spend time outdoors.

Children laughing and playing

Summer Zoo Crew

July 7–August 16; 9 a.m.–3 p.m. each day

Through team-building and immersive learning, campers entering grades 6–8 in the fall will explore the relationships between animals, humans, and ecosystems.

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