Lincoln Park Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo Review

At this urban enclave near Lake Michigan, you can face off with lions (separated by a window, of course) outside the Lion House; watch about two dozen gorillas go ape in the sprawling Regenstein Center for African Apes, with three separate habitats featuring real bamboo stands, 5,000 feet of swinging vines, and termite mounds for chimpanzee snacking; or watch some rare and endangered species of bears, such as the spectacle bear (named for the eyeglasslike markings around its eyes).

Animals both slithery (pythons) and cuddly (koalas) reside in the glass-dome Regenstein Small Mammal and Reptile House; if you're looking for the big guys (elephants, giraffes, black rhinos), they're in the large-mammal house. Bird lovers should make a beeline for the Kovler Penguin and Seabird House, where you can watch razorbills and tufted puffins frolicking on a simulated North Atlantic coast and king penguins splashing in an 18,000-gallon pool. For youngsters, there are the children's zoo, the Farm-in-the-Zoo (farm animals and a learning center with films and demonstrations), the Conservation Station, which has hands-on activities, and the LPZoo Children's Train Ride. Be sure to leave time for a ride (or two) on the Endangered Species Carousel, featuring a menagerie of 48 rare and endangered animals.