This is during COVID 19, so a lot of blocked off stuff. However I respect their efforts during these times. I did have a great time still and will be coming back next year ^^

Lovely lake front zoo. Wow what a treat, in Chicago and on the lake front! Free admission, you have to pay for parking so thats to be expected (street parking if you can find it). Bring your walking shoes! We saw most of the animals and the fall setting was beautiful. Reserve ahead because the spots fill up quickly. Ample parking as well. Overall a great outing and great family fun for all.

Love this zoo, but we were very rushed through it. We could only get a 9pm reservation and the zoo closed at 10pm so we missed out on a few things because we didnt have the additional tickets and the gift shop was closed so we couldnt purchase them.. still a beautiful place to visit. And we will go back when its warmer and we can see the animals

A fine Fall day and had a great time walking and watching various animals. The Zebra mom and baby were the star of the show.There was a seal show, where the seals were performing little antics. Not sure if they had to suffer while learning these tricks. The Giraffes looked happy in their lot but can not say the same about the caged birds. The Polar bear appeared sick, looked like he had no love for life left.

Well we are understanding that with Covid the indoor exhibits will be closed. What we didnt realize was there werent going to be any animals at all. I have posted 16 pictures with is 1 of every single animal they had available to see. Including the ducks and seagulls.The big cats were not there because they are still under construction. ALL of the bears were gone.It wasnt what we expected. Even for a free zoo. We paid quite a bit for parkingThey could have said online that 3/4 of the animals were being kept inside with no way to see them.Had we known we would have went to Brookfield.We like Lincoln Park because its the last free one and I love being able to donate which I do when I buy the tickets.I just wish they would have warned us.My daughters were ready to leave after 15 minutes of empty animal houses. Thankfully we chose a day that wasnt humid or we would have left without out seeing everything.Luckily they had the flamingos which was what my girls wanted most after the rest was empty. Thats why we saved it for last or they would have wanted to leave after seeing them.

Beautiful, interesting and exciting place for a walk with the whole family. Really nice time we spent in the Lincoln Park Zoo.

The Lincoln park zoo is pretty unique. Its free. Something that is not very common for most Zoos. Because of this, its absolutely worth a visit. However be warned that you could easily walk and see all the animals you might want to within 1.5hs, and maybe less depending on whats out. It is not very large, and is pretty compact. The draw is the price. There is however another zoo around Chicago that is much better. Be sure to check out Brookfield zoo if you really want a full blown zoo experience.

Lincoln Park Zoo was fantastic at social distancing, clean & sanitized bathrooms, crowd control. Lots of animals in the outside enclosures for viewing. Vending machines only take cash though. There were outdoor food vendors sporadically placed. Plenty of benches, tables, outdoor areas for snacks & breaks. It was easy to reserve the free tickets on event brite.

Did a great job with traffic control at the Zoo. We felt safe, no crowding.Lights were beautiful, dont plan on seeing animals besides the lights if youre going at night. Christmas music wouldve been a nice addition.

Unbelievable! I loved the zoo, the animals, facilities... As well as the precautions against covid

The zoo was very clean and easy to walk through with all the arrows on the ground, what really bothered us and all of the people around us, was the fact that the rhinoceros was clearly under stress and was walking frantically back and forth trying to go through a closed door, the staff needs to pay more attention to the animals and their wants and needs, if the rhino wanted to go inside he should have been allowed to go and not be forced to stay outside so that we can see him. On our way out of the zoo we overheard a group of people complaining about the same thing to the man guarding the exit, it was very sad and it really ruined our day

Enjoyed my time at the zoo, even though I had to wear my mask. It also sucked that we couldnt go into the buildings but safety first! Also, they are rebuilding the lion house, which is awesome! Cant wait to see it when its done!!!

The whole experience was alright, i expected a Lot More from this place. They are overbooked, many ppl are wanting to come here. I dont recommend going to the Enchanted Forest $3 additional fee with 3D glasses, 5 minute walk. But if anything its a great way to stretch ur legs, i did 13k steps walking around the perimeter. Very cold night.

The light show at Lincoln Park Zoo was festive. A one hour walk was perfect timing to see everything. Wear gloves I forgot my gloves. Make reservations at lpzoo.org I got my tickets at noon on the same day that i went to the zoo.. Tickets become available when people cancel.

Its a great place to be visited with or without children. When in Chicago you should reserve a day to go to the Zoo, preferably in the morning. Take the opportunity to visit some others spots neaby, such as the Lincoln Park itself, the Beachs and also the neighborhood which is lovely an full of places to eat and visit.

Enjoyed the Zoo very much but very few animals were on display because of cold weather, recommend to go on train and walk to zoo to minimize spending money in parking! Overall fun experience to enjoy with family

Have to reserve tickets and timeslots now due to Covid-19 but still free. Excellent zoo! Great trip for the kids, even with limited exhibits and animals its still a must do

Love this place cant wait to be done with covid so it can all go back to normal

Love to walk around the zoo on a warm summer afternoon looking at the animals or on a snowy December night looking at the Christmas lights! Best of all its free! Very family friendly!

Best place ever to go with your kids and have fun I recommend seeing the Lions they are the best do you to Covid you may not be able to go

One of our annual family outings. Pretty setup, and they enforced mask wearing which im glad. I just wish they synced some of the lights to the music like last year.

Had a great time with the family today at the zoo had not been there in years felt good to be there

Very disappointed. The last time I was @ LPZ, they were going through major renovations many years ago. I can see where the improvements were made but it looks like an open abandoned nature park now. The animal habitats looked unmaintained. They should post on their website that all houses are closed and you have to catch the animals outside. The lions were moved to Kansas last year because renovations to the lion house. No big cats at all. I saw one happy male polar bear.

The zoo lights were worth the $5. Plenty of space to move around and keep your social distance. Best public zoo in the country

The Zoo is still a great family place. Love that its free. With our new reality during this pandemic its great how they have you register for free tickets to keep crowd control. Will try and get back.one more timenthus season.

Its free which is not that common for a Zoo. Booking was smooth and easy (mandatory due to Covid restrictions). Unfortunately there was not much to see, since it was our first visit it is hard to say if it was just that day or if it is always the case.

For a free Zoo. This is probably of the best in the nation. (Have traveled to all across US). Will still get better Soon access as to be expected for pay for Zoos (such as Brookfield)

During my visit, I liked the fact that it wasnt overcrowded. I wish the website would be more detailed as to what animal is available.. The lions werent available due to construction on their home. I wish I would of known that prior to making the visit. Overall, clean, friendly and helpful staff!

All of the indoor exhibits were closed and only a few animals were out, but it was a beautiful day to be at the zoo. Free entry too! Kids loved it. No crowd at all.

I visited a zoo after a decade I guess and Im glad it was the famous Lincoln Park Zoo The entry was free - I was excited to see the animals but unfortunately due to winter season, most of the zoo part was empty. But I got to see some really amazing animals and experienced the cleaning and feeding process of sea lions during my visit.Was lucky that zoo was not crowded so enjoyed my experience :D

One of my favorite places to visit in Chicago. Best place for family and kids. Best part is, its free.

Barely any animals out. Almost all of restrooms were all closed. It wouldve been nice if they posted that online. Only Exit was a revolving door not stroller friendly with a packed stroller and toddler was horrible to get through. If I were alone I would be in trouble.Would not have wasted a trip if I had known. Thank goodness it was free to get in.

This is one of very few free things that you can still do. We like being outdoors and walking around with the kids and we are great fans of the giraffes so we had a good time. Not all of the animals are out to see.

Loved it! Job well done! Social distancing, arrows placed for walking directions, limited amounts of people,and staggered admission times.

One time watch, minimal animals, staff were friendly overall a good experience...

Not a lot of things to see. . Covids got the best of us :(

Awesome my daughter had so much fun. We all enjoyed the walking all around the zoo.

Amazing place for free!! But we come as visitors and I think we waste our time there, we didn’t see that much things, a few animals, but the park is beautiful for kids.

Had an excellent fall day at the zoo! Loved all the animals. Took covid precautions seriously. We weren’t able to go in the indoor exhibits.

Perfect setup, totally worth the 5 dollars. No crowds like years past, so the zoo felt very comfortable and safe

Second time here, first during Christmas and second during Halloween! Always a joy. Its a modest zoo but my main points of reference are the Detroit and Toledo zoos. Nice people, plenty of space for distancing but dont touch anything... Lots of kids putting hands and faces on pretty much anything they can.

A Positive was that although all primate exhibits were closed, there was still plenty to see. A negative was that available restrooms were limited. We walked the entire zoo twice and on both instances noticed that the only restroom open was located new the Clark Ave. entrance.

Great walkable city zoo. Nice animal habitats and magnificent city views!

Went to see the Zoo Lights,they were Fantastic, the kids really enjoy it

Very pretty. Epic animals. Great place to go for a walk in Chicago.

Zoolights is usually a 5 star experience I look forward to every year with my kids. This year it was a half way job. I walked it in 17 minutes. Try again next year lpz

Lights are something to see but you need early reservation now. Wait time is week +.

With the covid restrictions, it says that they will have arrows saying which way to go, but there are multiple arrows and you just have to decide which to follow, which resulted in us going in circles a couple of times. When we got the hang of it, the zoo is beautiful with all of the flowers and plants, but with the restrictions and construction, there was not a lot to see other than the plants. We only saw a couple of animals. The zoo is free though and in a pretty area, you just have to pay for parking.

Great place, even during these cold and COVID-crazy times it was a nice place to visit. Even at the end of October there were many animals out and it was a neat experience to visit. Its well maintained and the employees were all amicable.

AMAZING!! First time back to my favorite zoo after COVID-19, and I was so very impressed with how the animals were taken care of. I was also honored to see that a baby seen here was in our view! It made for a spectacular family come back!

Two polar bears and free, what can be better?Pavilions are closed during pandemic (as of August-27 2020), most open cages have animals.Need to reserve entry time 1h slot online (never seen them sold out and you can do it right at the gate)

Its okay because its a free zoo BUT i do think that all of the animals can use some water and food. Like LITERALLY all of the animals were sleeping or just exhausted. Im not sure if they are taking proper care of the animals. For example, a polar bear was laid out in the hot sun. As you can see in the pictures the rhinos and kangaroos were laid out looking miserable.

Its a fun place but sadly because of COVID-19 and construction theyre are less animals to see. But overall its a fun experience mostly for the children.

I love Lincoln Park zoo! It is so beautiful! The kids enjoyed it. There is plenty to see and do! We got lucky the day we went and were able to watch Shakespeare in the park right outside of the zoo. The proximity of the zoo to the beach and to restaurants and other sights is perfect! The nature walk is absolutely stunning!

We went for the last day of the zoo lights and it was a truly magical experience! All the trees where decorated in thousands upon thousands of christmas lights! They had spiced wine and other holiday drinks! The park also gave out fun glasses that turned the lights into stars or candy canes! *kinda like 3d glasses but it changes the shape of light* it was such a fun time walking through the zoo decorated! They had a fun light maze and a really cute light show that went to the rhythm of Christmas music! Cant wait to come back next year!

Clean, not overly busy, well kept. Big cat area is under construction and some things are closed (presumably because of COVID) but other than that it is nice.

Staff is super awesome and kind. Animals are well taken care of and I cannot wait for the next time!! Love the breeze we get off of the Lake! Absolutely amazing

My daughter loves coming here and I do too. New renovations will have us and others coming back for more decades to come. Great diversity of animals and it’s really clean. Pack some snacks. there are many spaces to relax and take a break.

This place is such a great place for the family. It is well laid out and landscaped beautifully. They do not charge admission. However all the food items and souvenirs are really overpriced.

COVID online booking is shady. On the admission page, instead of showing sold out, they show a visit date and time button to book that only takes you to a donation ticket. When you click, it shows donation admission page. yes it does say no entry, but I did not read it thoroughly because thinking its only asking for a donation before proceeding; The admission is a button to select a visit time. Donations are not refundable.

More of a farm than a zoo, limited number and variety of animals. Its free, thats the best thing, have to make reservations nowadays. Parking can range from 20 to 40 dollars depending on how long you park. There are parking pay stations inside the zoo and at the exit, so you can park at the zoo and walk around near the lake as well. Parking closes at 11pm.

Im a member of the zoo because I really appreciate what they do for animals and the city of Chicago. I was impressed with how much work they did to make the zoo safe for the public to come back. There are directional arrows all over to keep everyone moving in a way that can be socially distanced. The staff was all very friendly and helpful with any questions.

This is my favorite zoo in the US. It’s a great zoo, the volunteers are extremely knowledgeable (shout-out to Vanessa for teaching me so much about polar bears!), and it’s free to all. You do need to reserve a ticket ahead of time during covid but it’s still free. I always come to this zoo when I’m in Chicago, it’s lovely, fun, and so cool.

We went on Aug 23 2020 and first it was super hot and we had to wear a mask. Then walking for 29 mins we saw one animal. I know its free but when we went to leave had to pay $25 for being there 30 mins. Next time ill need to check if a least 80% of the animal going to be out so we can see them.and go when its not that hot or humid

I have been going here since I was a little girl and I love it just as much now as I did then.

Halloween was great at the zoo, $5 admission and full access to the entire outdoor zoo facility. Saw a bale eagle and 2 snowy owls, walking through the zoo at night created an awesome Halloween atmosphere.

Such a great little zoo on the shores of Lake Michigan. We were here just before Christmas to see their light display and carnival; it was a very delightful experience with lit up animals and decorated trees. If youre in the area and want to do a fun family activity to get in the mood - do yourself a favor and head to the Lincoln Park Zoo for their holiday fest!

Nice to see the animals enjoying the outside. Staff went out of their way to remind people to stay safe and wear their masks. It would be a good idea if staff reminded people while they were walking around. Not everyone complied all the time.

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I didn’t go to Lincoln Park Zoo as often as Brookfield. I was so pleasantly surprised by how lovely it is! The process of reserving tickets was easy and made us feel so much better about heading out during the pandemic. The COVID regulations were thorough and well-followed. My son, husband and I had an amazing time at our son’s first trip to the zoo! A month later, my son still talks about how the flamingos go “squawk squawk squawk”.

Its very good that Zoo is free but I can see why it is free. There is just like 5 animals to see (not including birds, snakes and fish) park is beautiful, clean but really wish that there is more animals to see. Sea Lions were the best experience, at 2pm they have feeding and show. Its was really good show and we was able to sit down and enjoy it. Few cages was under construction so hopefully soon they will be ready for animals. They have a few cafes where you can grab some food, snacks, drinks and you can sit outside. Its was good experience and Im glad we did it. Hopefully they will have soon more animals and shows

I took my 3-year-old on a hot Friday and we had fun. I knew going in that the big cats would not be there due to construction for their new home. Some of the animals were trying to stay cool in the shade but we got to see giraffes and monkeys so that was fun, as well as others. Will make another reservation to come check out more animals on a cooler day

Theres a lot of construction going on. Many exhibitions were closed, however I enjoyed walking around & being outside. Just know that you need to reserve tickets on line before you go or you wont get in. Tickets are free. Wear your mask & VOTE

My favorite Chicago Zoo! Beautiful setting in the middle of Lincoln Park.. and free. Walkable in one day and great events during the year like ZooLights.

Its great for the downtown spot they have. They dont have any tigers lions or elephants. They also need funds. So do consider a visit

So cold and windy on November. I couldn’t see many of animals. The Zoo seems empty(

We love visiting this great zoo. The new updates are awesome and it’s great that it’s free admission, although it may not be for long. Parking has gone up but it still beats the normal price of tickets for a zoo this nice. This is a treasure in north Chicago that anyone that loves animals should take the time to visit.

Loved it! Even though Im a vegan and an animal welfare activist, this place didnt bother me. In fact, I loved it. The animals seem so well taken care of and happy. They have a lot of room to roam, and the staff makes sure that the visitors dont bother them. The animals even like to interact, so its a fun time for everyone.

Where are the animals? Free is great, but I can get my steps in walking along the bike path on Lakeshore. I took my Granddaughter there 9/2020... Hoping for a better next time.

We went to the zoo nights event where you pay $5 to get in at night. Total waste of money. They dont bother to turn on any extra lights so you literally pay $5 just to walk around and not see anything. We saw one rhino butt from a distance. Besides that most of the animals were sleeping and most of the exhibits were pitch black since there were no lights. Not worth going here at night. Would have been a great deal if the exhibits had been light up since there was hardly anyone there. Disappointing really since overall this zoo is pretty nice during the day time.

It was nice to get out and take a walk, no complaints there..But a 30 minute drive +$25 to park just to see a rhino, a couple birds, a seal and plenty of construction..Maybe next year will produce a better outcome for me..

Despite the cold was still really fun to see all the animals and Christmas decorations definitely want to come back when the lights are lit up and the animals are maybe a little bit more willing to come out of the hiding.

Make reservation before going, had to go back the next day. Friday was sold ️ out. The day I went was very hot. Stay hydrated and sanitized and have a marvelous visit. Very clean. Be safe

Great zoo to visit with family when in Chicago, free admision. They have a good variety of animals and they seem well taken care of. The Africa exhibit was pretty cool. The polar bears seemed a little stressed, but they explained it was because of the season allergies (I hope this is true). Other than that, great place. They have snacks and a gift shop inside.

Social distancing procedures make 0 sense. Not able to go into any building except stores. To be fair, they exist in the Communist Republic of Chicago and might not be in full control of what they can do on their own property at this time. Normally, its been a great place to visit.

Easy parking and accessible to other sites around Lincoln Park Zoo.. Strongly recommend to go in morning for an all day event or outing with the family. Such a great way to spend time with the family..

We went back for the first time on Sunday 6/28. We had to sign up for an hour entry window. They seem to be doing a good job of ensuring social distancing all throughout. The entry was quick and organized. There are now arrows on the sidewalks keeping the flow of people in one direction. All the indoor spaces are closed at this moment but it was nice to be outside and see some of our old friends and some new babies.

Who doesnt love the zoo! Steps were taken as you can only go with a reservation and some exhibits are closed but it is still a wonderful place to visit whenever you can.

This zoo is absolutely amazing. It is 35 acres worth of animals to visit for free. If you are planning on visiting the zoo, you will need to reserve ticket for the day and time you plan on visiting. The information is all on the website. The reason why they are asking you to reserve a ticket is to ensure the safety of all visitors from COVID-19 by enforcing a limited amount of people being in the zoo. Currently all of the indoor exhibits are temporarily closed. Definitely bring your friends, family, spouse, anyone to the Lincoln park zoo because it is a beautiful place to visit, and it is 100% free.

Good Zoo! I couldnt see the lions due to remodeling.The store has many souvenirs.

Its free and a full-fledged zoo. What more can you want!! Stopped in during the rain and CoVID and still had a great times. There was still plenty to see from Monkeys to Zebras. Just make sure you reserve a time slot before showing up!

They are doing a great job with trying to keep folks spread out. It would help if people could follow arrows. Pretty sure everyone knows what an arrow is. All in all a good trip.

Lincoln Park Zoo is a Chicago treasure.I don’t really like going to zoos or seeing animals in captivity, but there’s something magical just the same to see these amazing creatures so close up... that’s why I like that it’s free.I don’t have to commit to a whole day of the zoo, I can just pop in for a few animals at a time. And they do try hard to make the animals as comfortable as they can.The African Journey exhibit is amazing and I appreciate that they acknowledge people also live there! Not only wild animals!The kids zoo is great. The farm is fun when it’s warm. The great apes and small primates houses are fascinating if heartbreaking.I also love people watching there! The fact that it’s free attracts people from all over Chicago and beyond. I love all the families that come (and the drama that ensues). It’s also great for families because they can bring their own food and not pay expensive park food prices.

Fantastic zoo right in the heart of Lincoln Park and just north of downtown. Very easy walk from there and navy pier. Just walk along the lakefront and there is a crossover of lakeshore drive right into the park and the zoo. Plenty of animals to see ranging from lions, seals, reptile, polar bear, rhinos, flamingos and zebras. There is an African safari exhibit and houses for birds, reptiles, monkeys, and gorilla. There is also a childrens section and a nice train for the kids. Best part is that the whole place is FREE. In the winter they have a spectacular zoo lights presentation.

One of my favorite places in the city.Even with the social distancing rules its a great inexpensive trip for those with kids.Or just a good afternoon stroll

Went during covid. Its free but parking is far from free. The jungle cat exhibit is closed and so are most of the attractions inside other than the outdoor kept animals. A good place to visit, maybe not during covid but still decent. Prepare to spend $50 per vehicle depending on parking, and prepare for large groups of people waiting to see the exhibits that are open.

Many of the exhibits closed due to covid. Understandable but hard to rate it higher without experiencing them. Im from St. Louis too so the zoo bar is pretty high.

Wonderful Zoo and Farm for kids and so much to see in park in general. Great scenic views of the city. I love photographing there.

A good variety of animal exhibits and its all free! Great place to bring your kids or a romantic date!If Covid is still a thing, you will need to make a reservation online and choose a timeslot.

This zoo is an incredibly quality zoo, for a very low cost. Free in fact! This zoo is part of Chicagos park district, meaning that it is free of charge to visit. One of Chicagos most iconic destinations, it encompasses world-class animal exhibits, wildlife, and architecture into one small swath of land across Lake Michigan. The diversity of the animals that they house is also stunning. You can see everything from Japanese Macaques to African Painted Dogs, and so much more. While some attractions are up-charge, such as the carousel or the train, most of the zoo is free of cost. It is clean and well-kept, and the animals always seem happy and healthy. Some standout exhibits for me are the farm at the far end of the zoo which has all of your standard farm animals, the penguins and polar bears which have very extensive and expansive enclosures, and the many indoor spaces around the zoo such as the small mammal and reptile house, or the African house. You could easily spend a whole day here and not want to leave. Spending your day at the Lincoln Park Zoo would be a great way to spend your day in Chicago.

It was ok after looked in for almost one year the atmosphere seeing a lot of people and kids having fun socially 2day it was 70 degrees sunny and beautiful day but when it comes to the zoo it self it organized clean everybody is so nice but Rhee was no animals just one or 2 I think the could come with a way to keep every thing the way it was and just limit the number of guests and come up with a better plan but any way it was fun family day. Thank you.