Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lincoln Park Zoo
One of the city's treasures, this
family-friendly attraction is not only open 365 days a year, it's also
free. Even if you don't have time for a complete tour of the various
habitats, it's worth at least a quick stop during a stroll through
Lincoln Park.
My favorite exhibit is the
Regenstein African Journey
, a
series of linked indoor and outdoor habitats that's 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.
Your second stop should be the
Regenstein Center for African
Apes
. Lincoln Park Zoo has had remarkable success breeding
gorillas and chimpanzees, and watching these ape families interact
can be mesmerizing (and touching).
One caveat:
I've found the
building incredibly noisy during weekend visits, so be prepared.
Other exhibits worth a visit are the
Small Mammal-Reptile
House,
which features a glass-enclosed walk-through ecosystem sim-
ulating river, savanna, and forest habitats, and the popular
Sea Lion
Pool
in the center of the zoo, which is home to harbor seals, gray
seals, and California sea lions (walk down the ramp and take a look
at the underwater viewing area). Allow 3 hours. For the adjoining
children's zoo, see “Kid Stuff ” on p. 116.
2200 N. Cannon Dr. (at Fullerton Pkwy.).
&
312/742-2000.
www.lpzoo.com. Free
admission. Buildings daily 10am-5pm (Memorial Day-Labor Day until 6:30pm
Sat-Sun). Grounds Memorial Day-Labor Day daily 9am-7pm; Apr-late May and
early Sept-Oct daily 9am-6pm; Nov-Mar daily 9am-5pm. Parking $14 for up to
3 hours in on-site lot. Bus: 151 or 156.
Value
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Built into the rise of
an ancient sand dune—once the shoreline of Lake Michigan—this
museum bills itself as “an environmental museum for the 21st cen-
tury.” While that sounds pretty dull, most of the exhibits are very
hands-on, making this a good stop for active kids (most exhibits are
designed for children rather than adults).
Rooftop-level walkways give strollers a view of birds and other
urban wildlife below, and paths wind through gardens planted with
native Midwestern wildflowers and grasses. Inside, large windows
create a dialogue between the outdoor environment and the indoor
exhibits designed to illuminate it. My favorite exhibit by far is the
Butterfly Haven
, a greenhouse habitat where about 25 Mid-
western species of butterflies and moths carry on their complex life
cycles (wander through as a riot of color flutters all around you). If
Kids
