Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
was completely rebuilt in 2004. Lincoln Park Zoo has had remarkable success
breeding gorillas and chimpanzees, and watching these ape families interact can be
mesmerizing (and touching).
Regenstein African Journey
is home to ele-
phants, giraffes, rhinos, and other large mammals; large glass-enclosed tanks allow
visitors to go face-to-face with swimming pygmy hippos and (not for the faint of
heart) a rocky ledge filled with Madagascar hissing cockroaches.
The
Small Mammal-Reptile House
is a state-of-the-art facility, housing 200
species and featuring a glass-enclosed walk-through ecosystem simulating river,
savanna, and forest habitats. The popular
Sea Lion Pool,
situated in the center
of the zoo and home to harbor seals, gray seals, and California sea lions, features
an underwater viewing area spanning 70 feet and an updated amphitheater. If
you're here for a while and need nourishment, the Park Place Café food court is
a good option. The Mahon Theobold Pavilion features a sprawling indoor gift
shop and a unique rooftop eatery called Big Cats Café that opens at 8am (1 hr.
before the exhibits do) and serves fresh-baked muffins and scones, focaccia sand-
wiches, salads, and flatbreads.
Allow 2 to 3 hours. For the adjoining children's zoo, see “Kid Stuff,” on p. 209.
2200 N. Cannon Dr. (at Fullerton Pkwy.).
&
312/742-2000.
www.lpzoo.com. Free admission. Buildings daily
10am-5pm (until 6:30pm Sat-Sun Memorial Day to Labor Day); grounds 9am-6pm (until 7pm Memorial Day
to Labor Day and until 5pm Nov 1-Mar 31). Free trolley service from area CTA stations and parking garages
on Sat-Sun and holidays 10am-6pm Memorial Day to Labor Day; visit the zoo website for route information
and schedule.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Built into the rise of an ancient
sand dune—once the shoreline of Lake Michigan—Chicago's newest museum
bills itself as “an environmental museum for the 21st century.” While that might
sound fairly dull, most of the exhibits here are very hands-on, making this a
good stop for active kids.
Shaded by huge cottonwoods and maples, the sand-colored exterior with its
horizontal lines composed of interlocking trapezoids itself resembles a sand
dune. Rooftop-level walkways give strollers a view of birds and other urban
wildlife below. Paths wind through gardens planted with native Midwestern
wildflowers and grasses, and trace the shore of the newly restored North Pond.
Inside, large windows create a dialogue between the outdoor environment and
the indoor exhibits designed to illuminate it. Don't miss the
Butterfly Haven
,
a greenhouse habitat where about 25 Midwestern species of butterflies and moths
carry on their complex life cycles (wander through as a riot of color flutters all
around you). Another top exhibit is
City Science
, a 3,000-square-foot, two-story
“house” with functional rooms where visitors can view the pipes and ducts that con-
nect our homes with power sources miles away.
Water Lab
is a model river system
demonstrating the uses and abuses that a waterway undergoes as it meanders from
Kids
A Great View
After a visit to the Lincoln Park Zoo or the Peggy Notebaert Nature
Museum, take a quick stroll on Fullerton Avenue to the bridge that runs
over the lagoon (just before you get to Lake Shore Dr.). Standing on the
south side of Fullerton Avenue, you'll have a great view of the Chicago
skyline and Lincoln Park—an excellent backdrop for family souvenir pho-
tos. This path can get very crowded on summer weekends, so I suggest try-
ing this photo op during the week.
Moments
