Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
4 Lincoln Park Attractions
Lincoln Park is the city's largest park, and certainly one of the longest. Straight
and narrow, Lincoln Park begins at North Avenue and follows the shoreline of
Lake Michigan northward for several miles. Within its elongated 1,200 acres are
a world-class zoo, a half-dozen beaches, a botanical conservatory, two excellent
museums, a golf course, and the usual meadows, formal gardens, sporting fields,
and tennis courts typical of urban parks. To get to the park, take bus no. 22,
145, 146, 147, 151, or 156.
The
statue of the standing Abraham Lincoln
(just north of the North Ave.
and State St. intersection) in the park that bears his name is one of two in
Chicago by Augustus Saint-Gaudens (the seated Lincoln is in Grant Park).
Saint-Gaudens also designed the Bates Fountain near the conservatory.
Cafe Brauer
This landmark 1900 building, a fine example of Chicago's
Prairie School of architecture, is not technically open to the public, except for a
cafe and ice-cream parlor on the ground floor. But the Great Hall on the second
floor, flanked by two curving loggias, is one of the city's most popular wedding-
reception spots, so if you stop by on a weekend, chances are you can sneak a
peek while the caterers are setting up. Even if you don't make it inside, Cafe
Brauer makes a nice stopping-off point during a walk around the park. Sit and
sip a coffee, or rent a paddleboat at the edge of the lovely South Pond ($10 per
half-hour). Best of all, though, is the picture-postcard view from the adjacent
bridge spanning the pond of the John Hancock Center and neighboring sky-
scrapers beyond Lincoln Park's treetops. Allow a quarter-hour, longer for a pad-
dleboat ride.
2021 Stockton Dr.
&
312/742-2400.
Daily 10am-5pm. Bus: 151 or 156.
Chicago Historical Society
At the southwestern tip of Lincoln Park
stands one of Chicago's oldest cultural institutions (founded in 1856), but one
that has successfully brought its exhibits into the 21st century. Inside the His-
torical Society's lovely redbrick and glass-walled building, you'll find well-
designed displays of significant objects, artifacts, and artwork—but the overall
effect is instructive rather than interactive (this isn't the place to bring young
children).
Casual visitors can get a good overview of the highlights in about an hour;
history buffs will need more time. The must-see permanent exhibit is
A House
Divided: America in the Age of Lincoln
, which explores the institution of
slavery in America and the devastation of the Civil War (items on display
include the bed that Lincoln died in and an original copy of the 13th amend-
ment abolishing slavery, signed by Honest Abe himself ). Another highlight is
the CHS's
costume collection
, which includes clothing worn by George
Washington, John Adams, and, of more current vintage, one of Michael Jordan's
uniforms, along with numerous gowns by contemporary fashion designers
(pieces from the collection are displayed on a rotating basis). Other worthy stops
are the Charles F. Murphy
architectural study center,
featuring one of the
nation's largest collections of architectural working drawings; the decorative and
industrial-arts collection, including stained-glass designs by Frank Lloyd Wright
and Louis Sullivan; and
We the People,
a permanent exhibit that explores how
“ordinary people” founded the United States. (After your visit, head a few blocks
away to North Ave. Beach, the best beach in the city, and or wander the neigh-
boring residential streets of the exclusive Gold Coast.)
