Welcome to Your Free Zoo
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Self-Guided ToursPlan Your Visit
Hours & Location
The zoo is located off Lake Shore Drive, just minutes north of downtown Chicago. Hours vary by season.
Accessibility
The zoo is for everyone. Learn about how people with disabilities can make the most of their trip.
Visitor FAQs
The answers to all your zoo-related questions.
Zoo Map
An interactive map to help you maximize your experience.
Shopping & Dining
Snag a souvenir at the Gift Shop and grab a bite at The Patio at Café Brauer, Bird’s Eye Bar & Grill, or Park Place Café.
Guest Guidelines
Creating a safe, welcoming space for all is a responsibility for everyone.
Things to Do
Everyday activities and experiences to make your visit that much better.
Calendar & Events
Go beyond the everyday zoo experience during one of our many special events. Each is unique, with one thing in common: the wildest backdrop in the city.
View Upcoming Events
Choose Your Own Adventure
Pick a self-guided tour to experience the zoo your way. All tours start and end at the Gift Shop near the center of the zoo. For a less hectic visit, we recommend visiting early in the morning, on weekdays, and during the fall and winter seasons.
Must-See Highlights Tour
Get an overview of what Lincoln Park Zoo has to offer with a tour that showcases the most popular habitats, spaces, and attractions.
Tour Highlights
- AT&T Endangered Species Carousel
- Polar Bears
- Chilean Flamingos
- Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloths
- Giraffes
- African Penguins
- Western Lowland Gorillas
Big & Furry Tour
See some of the zoo’s most popular animals: nature’s “charismatic megafauna.”
Tour Highlights
- Giraffes
- Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth
- Polar Bear
- Eastern Black Rhinoceros
- Harbor Seal
- Western Lowland Gorilla
- American Black Bear
Weird & Wonderful Tour
Choose the trail less traveled and explore the more fascinating characters at the zoo, including arachnids and reptiles.
Tour Highlights
- Meerkat
- Golden Silk Spider
- Cinereous Vulture
- Crowned Lemur
- West African Gaboon Viper
- Egyptian Fruit Bat
- Naked Mole Rat
Green & Leafy Tour
Get some shade as you visit some of the trees—some very old, all very beautiful—that helped earn Lincoln Park Zoo arboretum accreditation.
Tour Highlights
- Bur Oak
- Flowering Dogwood
- Golden Rain Tree
- Redbud
- Weeping Purple European Beech
- Tulip Poplar
- Ginkgo
Little Explorers Tour
Take in the world of wildlife with experiences designed for families with children.
Tour Highlights
- Lionel Train Adventure
- Wild Sapling Play Forest
- Tree Canopy Climbing Adventure
- Farm-In-the-Zoo
- AT&T Endangered Species Carousel
- Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo
- South Lawn