Lincoln Park Zoo - Chicago, IL Review

We visited the Lincoln Park zoo on a hot afternoon in August 2008.  I had this on my list as a last day type of thing because you have to drive from it or otherwise take transportation to it since it is about 15-20 minutes from downtown Chicago. 

The Zoo is free but pricey. The Zoo itself is free and they love to use that as their selling point, however parking will cost you.  The buses may be cheaper, but we decided it was worth driving there so we could just head home afterward.  Food will also cost you A LOT.  We got 2 slices of pizza and 2 slushies for $17!  That is a lot if you ask me.  I know these places have to make money somewhere but I feel they would sell more if they charged less.  I recommend packing lunches if you have a lot of kids to bring.

The Zoo is pretty largeand I could see spending a whole day there if we didn't have a 4.5 hour drive ahead of us.  We walked around about 1/2 of the zoo, ate, and left.  After I had wished we would have skipped the $17 meal and grabbed a cheaper bite on the ride home, but what's done is done!

There are plenty of animals, and most of them were out and about during this afternoon, even though a lot of them were lounging because it was HOT.  There isn't a lot of shade as you walk the zoo, so expect to be warm in the summer.  The penguin and monkey indoor areas were stuffy and smelly :(  I've never had this problem at another zoo, even in the dead of summer.

The Zoo is a little confusing and we got stuck on a path various times that took us in a circle or to a dead end.  The Detroit Zoo has little foot prints that guide you around which I love.  The Lincoln Park Zoo had signs, but not enough of them, and too many paths that went in no particular direction.  Maybe we were just getting annoyed because it was HOT and because we didn't have much time, but even so, they should straighten this out a bit.

Overall, I would visit again but next time I'd try to get there during a cooler day or cooler time of day at least.  I would also either pack my own food, or eat something before or after my visit.  I can see buying a snack there, but for a meal that hardly fills you up, it is too much.  I didn't think the cost of parking was enough to stop me from driving there, but I would recommend other transportation if you can get it.  This place will surely keep you busy for at least 1/2 a day.  Enjoy!!