2 Best Sights in Chicago, Illinois

At this urban enclave near Lake Michigan, you can watch snow monkeys unwind in the hot springs of the Regenstein Macaque Forest or ogle gorillas and chimpanzees in the sprawling Regenstein Center for African Apes, which has three separate habitats complete with bamboo stands, termite mounds, and 5,000 feet of swinging vines. Brave big cats (separated by a window, of course) outside the Pepper Family Wildlife Center, a 2021 redesign of the zoo’s lion habitat conceived with input from an app that collected data on the star residents’ behavior. Animals both slithery (pythons) and strange (sloths) reside in the glass-domed Regenstein Small Mammal and Reptile House, while the big guys (hippos, giraffes, and black rhinos) are in the Regenstein African Journey.

Bird lovers should make a beeline to the McCormick Bird House, which contains extremely rare species—including the Bali mynah, Guam rail, and Guam Micronesian kingfisher, some of which are extinct in the wild. Families with little ones in tow will also want to see Farm-in-the-Zoo (with its barnyard animals and learning centers), and the Lionel Train Adventure 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.

Shutterbugs will want to make a beeline for the Nature Boardwalk at the zoo's southern reaches. In addition to pretty indigenous vegetation, it's home to the Peoples Gas Education Pavilion, a massive honeycomb sculpture that frames the downtown skyline, making for an impressive snapshot. 

There are more than 3,000 animals at this gigantic zoo and highlights include the 7½-acre Great Bear Wilderness exhibit, a sprawling replica of North American woodlands for the zoo's population of grizzlies, polar bears, bison, Mexican gray wolves, and bald eagles. Watch the polar bears from the popular underwater viewing area. Elsewhere, monkeys, otters, birds, and other rainforest fauna cavort in a carefully constructed setting of trees, shrubs, pools, and waterfalls at Tropic World, while at the Living Coast you can venture through passageways to see sharks, rays, and Humboldt penguins.

One of the best educational exhibits is Habitat Africa, where you can explore the dense forest section with animals like the okapi (an animal that looks like a cross between a zebra, giraffe, and horse). In the savanna section, which has a water hole, termite mounds, and characteristic rock formations, you can spy such tiny animals as the 22-inch-tall klipspringer antelope.

The Swamp is about as realistic as you would want an exhibit on swamps to be. It has a springy floor and open habitats with low-flying birds that vividly demonstrate the complex ecosystems. For hands-on family activities, visit the Hamill Family Play Zoo, where kids can play zookeeper, gardener, or veterinarian. Special events—most notably Holiday Magic, which lights up the zoo on select December evenings—are also worth checking out. If you don't want to trek around the 216-acre property, don't worry. You can hop aboard a motorized safari tram ($6) on weekends in warm weather months.