Best Zoo in Lower West Side

"Start your morning by visiting the Lincoln Park Zoo which has free admission and is one of the oldest zoos in the USA (opening in 1868). Plan to spend two hours (or more) exploring the zoo grounds."

"Founded in 1868, Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the oldest in the country. It also happens to be one of the few free zoos in the country. The Lincoln Park Zoo is home to over 1,000 animals."

"An alternative to Lincoln Park is Chicago Zoological Society's Brookfield Zoo, located in the nearby western suburb of (you guessed it) Brookfield. Brookfield Zoo is spread out over 200 acres and offers larger, cage-less exhibits such as Tropic World, a massive indoor habitat with three distinct environments, filled with primates from around the globe. 1st Avenue and 31st Street, Brookfield, Ill., 708-688-8000."

"Brookfield, IL—25 minutes from The Loop Opened in 1934, this 216-acre park is home to more than 2,300 animals of 450 species. In 2021, the zoo welcomed a pair of new lions, brothers Brutus and Titus, who are easily visible near the north side of the zoo. The Dinos Everywhere exhibit features more than 40 animatronic dinosaurs, showing kids what these giants may have been like millions of years ago."

"Spend the day among more than 2,000 animals at this gigantic zoo. The highlights? First, there's the 7½-acre Great Bear Wilderness…"

"Lincoln Park Zoo is a renowned 35-acre zoo in Lincoln Park and a hotspot for tourists. It’s the zoo’s pavilion, designed to provide shelter for open-air on-site classes, that offers such a fantastically picturesque snap. With the design drawing inspiration from the appearance of a tortoise’s shell, the stunning curved wooden pavilion elegantly frames the Chicago skyline."

"The Regenstein Center for African Apes is also part or rather an extension of the Lincoln Park Zoo, where the visitors can come close to the apes, chimpanzees and the gorillas that have found their home there. It is home to some of the endangered species of western lowland gorillas as well as chimpanzees and exists to provide with the most realistic looking environment for them to live in comfortably. Location: 2058-2156 N Cannon Dr, Chicago, IL 60614, USATimings: 10 AM to 5 PMEntry Fees : –"

"The Helen Brach Primate House is yet another extension of the Lincoln Park Zoo and is home to primates of varying shapes, sizes and colour. The area is made in a way to imitate the natural habitat for the primates to make them feel safe and familiar at the place that they are residing in. It was opened back in 1927 which finally underwent an extensive renovation in the year 1992."

"Pablo Picasso produced this monumental piece of public art for Chicago in the mid-1960s. Standing in Daley Plaza, the Chicago Picasso weighs almost 147 metric tons and stands over 15 metres tall. Since it was unveiled in 1967, the work, rumoured to depict French model Lydia Corbett who sat for a series of drawings for Picasso in the 1950s, is a landmark for the city and something for kids to clamber on."

"This massive cubist sculpture by Pablo Picasso was the first major piece of public artwork of its kind in downtown Chicago, and today, this Daley Plaza piece is a major landmark. Choose your selfie position — “The Picasso” looks quite different depending on where you stand."

"The Beverly Arts Center is a multifaceted space that hosts regular programs on dance, film, theater and music. There is also a gallery space here that presents a rotating and diverse program of visual arts. Past exhibits have included works by local Chicago cartoonists, printmakers, photographers and painters, as well as programs focused on the LGBTQ community."

"It was very popular during the ‘80s and locals are still loyal to it. It is easy on the eye, with lawns and trees, and brick walls. Nowadays, it still attracts people and offers plenty of parking space, with security, and convenient shopping."

"Amazingly attentive service, funky vibe, great location, with a huge assortment of food and drink. The service here was so great - we got plenty of atten..."

"Bet you didn't think that Schubas-adjacent Tied House catered to the kids. The beautiful Lakeview restaurant has a dedicated kids' menu that's packed with parent-approved meals like fish and chips, spaghetti three ways, a chicken breast with mashed potatos and mac and cheese with bacon. Finish the meal with a scoop (or two) of birthday cake ice cream."

"(Primary Neighborhoods: Avondale, various events and locations, city and suburbs). Another food truck that demands to be tracked by culinary hunters is Dönermen(A döner is the vertical spit used for roasting meat). German street food is the concept behind this truck; or German by way of Turkey, as Turkish immigrants heavily influenced this mix of spiced meat, vegetables, and bread."