Best Zoo in Magnificent Mile

"Located in the heart of Chicago's Lincoln Park, this zoo offers free, family-friendly entertainment year-round including the festive Zoolights around the holidays (reservations are required for all visits though). The sprawling grounds are seamlessly woven into the park’s landscape, balancing open, natural spaces and numerous animal exhibits. If you skip the pricey concessions (but maybe spring for a paddle boat ride), Lincoln Park Zoo is a great option to keep all ages occupied while staying on a budget."

"An ape house, a birdhouse and a working model of a five-acre Midwestern farm are just a few examples of what makes this zoo special. Founded in 1868 and known as America's oldest free public zoo, the Lincoln Park Zoo still manages to charge no admission and remains open year-round. Set on scenic park grounds with lush lawns and pleasant walkways, the zoo greets visitors with the beauty of Georgian Revival buildings and a spectacular greenhouse."

"A Metra train ride out to the suburb of Brookfield, this zoo is in 216 acres of green parkland and boasts more than 450 species. The Brookfield Zoo made waves when it opened in 1934 as it pioneered the use of moats and ditches instead of cages, and was also the first in America to have giant pandas. One of the most recent additions is the Great Bear Wilderness, letting you get within inches of North Americas mightiest carnivores."

"Not only is Brookfield Zoo a wonderful place to visit the animals, it’s also a world leader in animal population management and wildlife conservation. Admission is free for zoo members and all active, reservist, and retired members of the military."

"Free admission at the Brookfield Zoo for all active, reservist, and retired members of the military with ID. Admission is also free for children age 2 and under."

"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."

"Breakfast: Monday – Friday 7 – 10:30 am, Saturday 7 – 11:30 am, Sunday 8 – 11:30 am Lunch: Monday – Friday 10:30 am – 3:30 pm, Saturday 11:30 am – 3:30 pm Dinner: Monday – Wednesday, Saturday 3:30 – 8 pm, Tuesday – Friday 3:30 – 9 pm, Sunday 11:30 am – 3:30 pm. Hold up… a soul food buffet?. Does this list get any better!?"

"Source: Photo by Flickr user Michael Coghlan used under CC BY-SA 2.0. Photo is only for illustrative purposes. Classic brunch buffet food with a genuine Southern twist is what you’ll uncover at Pearl’s Place."

"Source: Photo by Flickr user Patrick Hoesly used under CC BY 2.0. Photo is only for illustrative purposes. Addison is a smaller, cosy mall (fewer than 30 stores), located in the Avondale neighbourhood."

"900 North Michigan in Chicago is a world-renowned skyscraper that stands 871 feet tall and is the eighth-tallest building in Chicago. Completed in 1989 by Urban Retail Properties, 900 North Michigan was built as an upscale sister building to Water Tower Place one block away and was the second vertical mall built on the Magnificent Mile. The skyscraper is home to an upscale shopping mall known as 900 North Michigan Shops spanning more than 450,000 square feet of space with luxury stores like Bloomingdale's, Gucci, MaxMara, Kate Spade New York, Micheal Kors, L'Occitane and J."

"The shops at 900 North Michigan are based within a skyscraper of the same name. Situated between Michigan Avenue and Oak Street, the six-storey atrium offers an elite shopping experience; with Bloomingdales as headliner, the architecturally stunning building is home to such stores as Gucci, Michael Cors, Coach and Karen Millen. Once you have covered the 450,000 square feet of designer shops, dine in style at the award-winning Seasons Restaurant in the attached Four Seasons Hotel, or head to exclusive eateries like Oak Tree, Baisi Thai or Forty Carrots at Bloomingdales."

"Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user TonyTheTiger used under CC BY-SA 3.0. Enjoy a quiet and elegant shopping experience in the busy heart of the city. The north end of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile is where plenty (well, not 900 as the name suggests) of shops, restaurants, spas and fitness centres are found."

"Phoenix Restaurant is a Chinese restaurant serving savory and real tasting Oriental cuisine in Chicago, Illinois. The restaurant is in a suitable area and reasonable costs make their restaurant a refined pick for take-out or dine-in from the Chicago society. Phoenix Restaurant is well recognized for its selection in taste and more precious quality ingredients that are wholesome."

"Upscale urban style meets traditional comfort at the Michelin-guide-mentioned Phoenix, one of the best restaurants in Chicago for Chinese cuisine. Order classics from soup to dessert or try the more contemporary casseroles, all presented for viewing in authentic bamboo baskets and cooked fresh to order. Phoenix Restaurant | 2131 S."

"Frequent Chinatown visitors no doubt have their own favorite Tony Hu Lao location – Beijing, Ma La, Shanghai, to name but a few – but. is usually considered one of the best, with its emphasis on spice and bold, classic favorites. The most popular dish is the crispy dry chili chicken, with chunks of double-fried chicken and dried hot peppers."

"Locations in Chinatown, Uptown, Skokie, Aurora, Highland Park, Evanston, Downers Grove. A post shared by Lao Sze Chuan Downtown (@laoszechuanmagmile). Long recognized as one of the top Chinese restaurants in the U.S., Lao Sze Chuan spreads the wealth between many locations."

"Although fairly new to the North Shore, this downtown Evanston spot has quickly become a favorite. We love their Pan-Fried Chicken and Cabbage Potstickers and the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, but I also encourage you to look in the “Shang’s Authentic Flavors” section, where you’ll find the Sichuan Fish Casserole (sea bass and napa cabbage in a Sichuan peppercorn broth), Tomato Stir-Fried with Egg (real comfort food!), and Northern-Style Peking Pork Chop with Sweet & Sour Glaze."