Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago

The Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo is located in Lincoln Park. This multi-faceted 1,200-acre park faces Lake Michigan, and has a variety of recreational facilities, which include baseball areas, basketball courts, softball courts, tennis courts, 163 volleyball courts, field houses, a golf course, and a fitness center. The Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago also has a number of harbors with boating facilities, as well as public beaches.

The Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago was founded in 1868. During that year, the Lincoln Park Commissioners were given a gift of a pair of swans who bore the distinction of being the first occupants of the zoo. In 1874, a bear cub, which was the first animal that was purchased for the Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo, joined them. Additionally, the first bison that was ever born in captivity was born in the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Marlin Perkins, who eventually became the host of the television program Wild Kingdom, was director of the zoo from 1944 until 1962. The Lincoln Park Zoo is great for families on a budget, who will be pleased to discover that this free zoo is open year-round.

Since the arrival of the two swans, the animal population at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago has grown significantly. Today, the Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo is home to a variety of polar bears, penguins, gorillas, reptiles, monkeys, and other species. In fact, there are approximately 1,250 animals that call the Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo their home. Additionally, there is a burr oak tree in the Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago that dates to 1830, three years before the City of Chicago was founded.

There are two children's areas at the Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo. The Pritzker Family Children's Zoo contains an indoor structure for children to play in. John Deere developed the other children's area, known as the Farm-in-the-Zoo. This small farm contains pigs, cows, horses as well as a variety of other farm animals. Children are allowed to feed and pet the animals at the farm in the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

Whether you are traveling with kids, or if you are just a kid at heart, your visit to Chicago should definitely include a day at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.