Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Historical Society also sponsors lectures, symposia, and seminars; film
screenings; family programs; historical reenactments and performances by local
theater companies; and music concerts on the beautiful plaza overlooking
Lincoln Park. On the ground floor of the museum, past the gift shop, is Big
Shoulders Cafe, entered through a flora- and fauna-decorated terra-cotta arch
removed from the old Stockyard Bank and reassembled here. The museum's
website is worth checking out before your visit, especially the impressive online
“exhibit” on the Great Chicago Fire. Allow 1 to 2 hours.
1601 N. Clark St. (at North Ave.). & 312/642-4600. www.chicagohistory.org. Admission $5 adults, $3 seniors
and students, $1 children 6-12, free for children under 6. Free admission on Mon. Mon-Sat 9:30am-4:30pm;
Sun noon-5pm. Research center Tues-Sat 10am-4:30pm. Bus: 11, 22, 36, 72, 151, or 156.
Lincoln Park Conservatory Just beyond the zoo's northeast border is a
lovely botanical garden housed in a soaring glass-domed structure. Inside are four
great halls filled with thousands of plants. If you're visiting Chicago in the win-
tertime, I can't think of a better prescription for mood elevation than the conser-
vatory's lush haven of greenery. The Palm House features giant palms and rubber
trees (including a 50-ft. fiddle-leaf rubber tree dating from 1891), the Fernery
nurtures plants that grow close to the forest floor, and the Tropical House is a
shiny symphony of flowering trees, vines, and bamboo. The fourth environment
is the Show House, where seasonal flower shows are held.
Even better than the plants inside, however, might be what lies outside the
front doors. The expansive lawn with its French garden and lovely fountain on
the conservatory's south side is one of the best places in town for an informal
picnic (especially nice if you're visiting the zoo and want to avoid the congestion
at its food concession venues).
The Lincoln Park Conservatory has a sister facility on the city's West Side, in
Garfield Park, that is much more remarkable. In fact, the 2-acre Garfield Park
Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave. ( & 312/746-5100 ), designed by the
great landscape architect Jens Jensen in 1907, is one of the largest gardens under
glass in the world. It's open 365 days a year from 9am to 5pm. Unfortunately, a
rather blighted neighborhood with a high crime rate surrounds the conservatory.
If you want to see it, I recommend driving rather than public transportation.
Allow a half-hour for the Lincoln Park Conservatory.
Fullerton Ave. (at Stockton Dr.). & 312/742-7736. Free admission. Daily 9am-5pm. Bus: 73, 151, or 156.
Lincoln Park Zoo This is one of Chicago's don't-miss attractions
(especially if the weather is decent), and because it's free, it's worth at least a quick
stop during a stroll through Lincoln Park. But you'll probably want to wander for
a while. The term “zoological gardens” truly fits here: Landmark Georgian Revival
brick buildings and modern structures sit among gently rolling pathways, verdant
lawns, and a kaleidoscopic profusion of flower gardens. A complete tour of the var-
ious habitats takes all of 2 or 3 hours—a convenience factor even more enticing
when you consider that the nation's oldest zoo (it was founded in 1868) stays open
365 days a year and is one of the last free zoos in the country. The late Marlon
Perkins, legendary host of the Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom TV series, got his
start here as the zoo's director, and filmed a pioneering TV show called Zoo Parade
( Wild Kingdom 's predecessor) in the basement of the old Reptile House.
The zoo has taken on an ambitious modernization campaign, which is good
news for animal lovers. While many zoo residents used to wander listlessly in stark
concrete pens, exhibits have been renovated and expanded to reflect natural habi-
tats. For years, the zoo's star attraction has been the Great Ape House
Value
, which
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