Things to Do
COVID-19 Update
To ensure the safety of our staff and the public in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all programs and offerings listed below are suspended until further notice. We look forward to resuming these offerings when it is safe to do so per state and city guidelines.
Daily Activities
Lincoln Park Zoo’s daily activities are open to all ages but change from season to season. This season’s activities are listed below; however, all programs are subject to cancellation due to animal needs or inclement weather. Programs last approximately 10 minutes.
Daily activities are generously supported by Bank of America.
Ape Cognition and Care
1:30 p.m., Monday–FridayDiscover the surprising methods used to learn about and care for great apes.
Experiences
Malott Family Penguin Encounter
Experience the zoo from the inside with penguins waddling right at your feet! Get a personal introduction to some of the African penguins living at Robert and Mayari Pritzker Penguin Cove, and find out what their daily lives are like both at the zoo and on the southern African coast.
Attractions
Lionel Train Adventure
Hobbyists have been stoked about Lionel Trains since 1900, the year the iconic train manufacturer was founded. Now, the Lionel Train Adventure ride at Lincoln Park Zoo is on track to become another cherish pastime.
This beautifully crafted attraction is located near the zoo’s West Gate and just south of Regenstein Macaque Forest. The trackless, 28-passenger train crossed over a quaint country bridge and wends past forest and canyon scenery before returning to a redbrick station. It features passenger cars, a coal car, and a wheelchair-accessible caboose.
AT&T Endangered Species Carousel
The AT&T Endangered Species Carousel is a Chicago landmark adorned with 48 intricately hand-carved and beautifully hand-painted replicas of threatened animal species, plus two chariots. Both the young and the young-at-heart will enjoy these colorful models of baby gorillas, zebras, wild dogs, and more.
Early Childhood Activities
Play Days at the Farm
10 a.m.–noonEarly learners, join the zoo’s play assistants for hands-on nature play activities at Farm-in-the-Zoo! From sorting pinecones to digging in smooth seeds, children will explore the sights, smells, and textures that nature has to offer during this fun, open-ended experience. They will take in a tall tale at story time, get messy at the process art station, and sift and scoop at the sensory bin.
Edible Gardens
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.Join zoo volunteers and staff from the Green City Market to plant, weed, compost, and harvest–establishing a deeper connection to the resources that sustain humanity. The seasonal green-thumb fun includes planting tomatoes, pulling weeds, thinning carrots, harvesting green beans, and digging purple potatoes.