Lincoln Park and the Nature Boardwalk with a stroller

Lincoln Park might be the easiest place in Chicago to fill a whole morning with a baby. You can watch turtles from a boardwalk, say hi to the giraffes, warm up among the palms in a Victorian glasshouse and still be steps from the lake.

The park itself is huge, stretching more than 1,100 acres along the lakefront from Streeterville to Edgewater. This guide focuses on its busiest, most family-friendly corner: the stretch around Lincoln Park Zoo, the Nature Boardwalk and the Lincoln Park Conservatory, between North Avenue and Fullerton Avenue. Almost everything here is free.

At a glance

• LoopAbout 1 to 2 miles, your choice
• SurfacePaved paths and boardwalk
• ShadeGood, with mature trees
• HillsFlat
• Best withAny stroller
• CostFree (paid parking)

Lincoln Park Zoo is free every day, with no reservations needed, and is open 365 days a year. Hours change by season, so check the zoo’s website before you go.

Map

Open in Google Maps

The map is centered on the Nature Boardwalk at the south end of Lincoln Park Zoo. North Avenue Beach is just to the east across Lake Shore Drive, and the conservatory sits at the zoo’s north end.

Stroller or carrier?

Lincoln Park is great with a stroller. The paths and boardwalk are smooth and flat. A few notes:

• 👶
  Best overallAny stroller

  Paths and boardwalks are smooth. A big basket helps for snacks and layers.

• 🏠
  Inside buildingsLighter is easier

  The zoo’s indoor exhibits and the conservatory can get crowded, so a compact stroller is easier to steer.

• 🧸
  Short and cozyBaby carrier

  Great inside the conservatory, where it’s warm and the paths are narrow.

The zoo rents strollers and wagons at its visitor center, according to its accessibility map, which is handy if a toddler gets tired halfway through.

Our favorite loop

This easy loop takes in the best of the area. It’s about a mile and a half, depending on how many detours you take.

• Start at the south end of the zoo. Begin at the Nature Boardwalk near Café Brauer, the historic building at the north edge of South Pond.
• Circle South Pond. Follow the boardwalk around the pond, past prairie plants and wetland, with the skyline framed to the south.
• Walk north through the zoo. Enter the zoo and walk its main paths north toward the farm, the treehouse and the big animals.
• Visit the conservatory. Exit near the north end of the zoo and visit the Lincoln Park Conservatory, which is free with a timed reservation.
• Head back along the lake. Cross toward the lakefront for a breezy return on the Lakefront Trail toward North Avenue Beach.

The Nature Boardwalk

The Nature Boardwalk is a peaceful place for a stroller walk, and it’s free. It’s a twelve-acre natural area within Lincoln Park Zoo, managed by zoo staff, with native prairie and wetland plants around the pond. The park district lists it as accessible, with paved paths and boardwalks throughout.

• What it was. The boardwalk opened in 2010 as a redesign of the zoo’s manmade South Pond, turning it into a wildlife marsh habitat.
• What you’ll see. Turtles, fish, birds and flowers, plus one of the best skyline views in the city.
• The pavilion. A striking curved wooden pavilion on the pond hosts education programs and makes a fun stop for photos.

Babies love watching the water and the birds. Pick a bench by the pond for a calm feed.

Lincoln Park Zoo

Founded in 1868, Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the country, and it’s still free. For families with little ones, a few spots stand out:

• 🌳
  Ages 0 to 10Houston Family Play Treehouse

  A free, immersive play space designed for kids of all abilities, with a wheelchair-accessible tunnel and lots of tactile elements.

• 🐄
  ToddlersFarm-in-the-Zoo

  A Midwestern farm with barnyard animals and demonstrations. The Main Barn has play stations for toddlers.

• 🎠
  Small feeCarousel and train

  The endangered species carousel and the train are a big hit, though rides cost extra.

On a recent schedule, the zoo’s gates and Farm-in-the-Zoo opened at 8 a.m., with buildings opening at 10 a.m. Hours vary by season, so check before you go.

The conservatory and gardens

On a gray Chicago day, the Lincoln Park Conservatory is pure magic: four Victorian glass rooms full of palms, ferns and orchids. Its tagline says it’s always 75 degrees inside, which feels like a gift in January.

• Free, with a timed ticket. Admission is free, but a free timed-entry ticket is required, with a suggested donation. Reserve through the Lincoln Park Conservancy, up to 30 days ahead.
• Hours. Recently open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no entry after 4:30 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
• Flower shows. The conservatory hosts seasonal shows. The 2026 spring show, Jewels of Spring, ran from February 14 to May 10.

Nearby, the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, a National Historic Landmark, is open seasonally from spring to early fall, and North Pond offers a peaceful loop for a longer walk.

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Just north of the zoo, the Nature Museum is a great add-on for little ones, especially on a cold or rainy day.

• 🦋
  Year-roundThe butterfly haven

  A warm, bright room full of butterflies, a favorite with toddlers.

• 👶
  Babies and toddlersNature’s PlaySpace

  A play area designed for the youngest visitors.

• 🌱
  OutsideThe museum gardens

  Native prairie plantings and pollinators around the building, free to walk.

Admission applies, and a 2026 family guide reports free Thursdays for Illinois residents. Check the museum’s website for current hours and prices.

Add North Avenue Beach

North Avenue Beach is just east of the zoo across Lake Shore Drive, reached by a bridge, and it’s easy to add to a Lincoln Park walk. The ship-shaped beach house, dedicated in 1940 and rebuilt in 2000, has upper decks for watching the lake and the trail. It has an accessible beach walk and restrooms, and the beach is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Swimming is only allowed in season, from the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, when lifeguards are on duty from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Our Lakefront Trail guide has more.

Make it longer

Want more miles? Keep going north from the conservatory to North Pond, a quieter loop with birds and native plantings, and the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, a peaceful landmark garden that’s open from spring to early fall. Or cross to the lakefront and walk the Lakefront Trail north toward Fullerton and Diversey Harbor. You can easily turn a zoo morning into a three or four mile walk.

Getting there and parking

By car

The zoo’s lot is at Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive. Parking is free for the first half hour, then $35 to $45 per day, and the gates don’t accept cash. Zoo members get free or reduced parking. The park district also has paid lots in the area, and private garages a few blocks west can be cheaper.

By transit

Several CTA buses serve the area, including the 22, 36, 151 and 156. There’s no train stop right at the park. Check the CTA trip planner for the best route from your neighborhood.

Restrooms and nursing rooms

This is one of the easiest walks in Chicago for bathroom breaks:

• Inside the zoo, restrooms are spread throughout, including accessible and all-gender restrooms marked on the zoo’s accessibility map.
• Nursing rooms, according to the zoo’s visitor guide, are on the lower level of Park Place Café, which is open year-round.
• North Avenue Beach, a short walk east, has a beach house with restrooms in season.
• The conservatory is a warm stop when it’s open.

Playgrounds

Little ones have plenty of places to play:

• The Houston Family Play Treehouse, inside the zoo, free and accessible.
• The Wild Sapling Play Forest, an outdoor play area at the zoo with log towers and balance beams.
• Oz Park, a short walk west in the neighborhood, with a playground themed around The Wizard of Oz.

Feeding and nap stops

When it’s time to stop:

• Benches by South Pond. Calm, scenic and close to restrooms.
• The zoo’s nursing rooms. Private and warm, on the lower level of Park Place Café.
• A lawn under the trees. The zoo’s South Lawn and the park around it are good for a blanket on a nice day.

Feeding in public is your right in Illinois, and you’ll see plenty of families doing it here.

Accessibility

Lincoln Park is one of the more accessible outings in the city:

• The Nature Boardwalk is listed as accessible, with paved paths and boardwalks.
• The zoo publishes an accessibility map showing accessible and all-gender restrooms, adult changing tables, a low sensory area and wheelchair rentals.
• Accessible parking is available along northbound Stockton Drive at several spots for vehicles with placards.

Coffee and food

Inside the zoo, Park Place Café is open year-round with a range of options, and Café Brauer overlooks the pond. Outside the zoo, the neighborhood streets to the west have plenty of coffee shops and bakeries.

A little history

Lincoln Park has a long story:

• 1860s. Part of an old city cemetery was turned into a park and, in 1865, named Lincoln Park.
• 1868. The zoo was founded, and it remains one of the oldest free zoos in the country.
• 1890s. The Victorian glasshouse that became the Lincoln Park Conservatory was built.
• 2010. The South Pond was transformed into the Nature Boardwalk, a wildlife habitat in the middle of the city.

Safety and weather

Lincoln Park is busy and well used, but plan ahead, especially for weather.

• Dress for the wind, not the thermometer. The City of Chicago warns that the lake effect makes cold weather feel even colder, with wind chills that can drive temperatures well below zero. Babies lose heat fast, so add a stroller footmuff and a weather shield, and check on little hands and cheeks often.
• Know where to warm up or cool down. In extreme cold, the city points families to warming centers, park facilities and heated stores. In summer heat, cooling centers open in libraries, park buildings and community centers. Call 311 or use the CHI311 app to find the nearest one.
• Never cover the stroller with a blanket in summer. It traps heat. Use a ventilated sunshade and a clip-on fan, and walk early on hot days.
• Sign up for alerts. The city offers Extreme Weather Alerts for heat and cold, so you know before you head out.
• Walk with a friend and share your route. Keep your phone charged and call 911 in an emergency.

Near the lakefront, watch for fast bikes where trails meet, and keep a close eye on toddlers near the pond and the lagoon.

Seasons

• SpringBlooming gardens, the conservatory’s spring show and baby animals at the farm.
• SummerShady paths, busy weekends and the beach nearby. Go early.
• FallGolden trees and quieter mornings. A perfect time for the boardwalk.
• WinterThe zoo is still open and free. In late fall and winter, the zoo hosts its holiday lights event, ZooLights.

Rainy day backups

Lincoln Park has some of the best rainy day options in the city:

• The Lincoln Park Conservatory, warm, green and free with a timed ticket.
• The zoo’s indoor buildings, including the treehouse and animal houses.
• The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, just north of the zoo, with a butterfly haven and play space for young kids. Admission applies.
• The Chicago History Museum, at the south end of the park. Admission applies.

Make it a routine

Lincoln Park grows with you. Start with a single loop of the Nature Boardwalk, then add the zoo, then North Pond or the lakefront as you feel stronger. Because there are so many warm places to stop, it’s one of the best walks in the city to keep up all year, even in January. If you’re postpartum, let your provider guide how quickly you add distance, and listen to your body on the days you’re short on sleep.

A sample morning

Here’s an easy plan for a first Lincoln Park outing with a baby.

• 8:00 a.m.Park at the zoo lot or arrive by bus. The gates open early.
• 8:15 a.m.Walk the Nature Boardwalk around South Pond.
• 8:45 a.m.Visit Farm-in-the-Zoo while it’s quiet.
• 10:00 a.m.Buildings open. Visit the treehouse or a favorite animal house, then feed in the nursing room.
• 10:45 a.m.Your timed ticket at the conservatory, then home for nap.

That’s about a mile and a half of walking, with lots of warm stops in between.

What to pack

Our short list for a Lincoln Park walk with a baby:

• Water for you, plus whatever your baby needs for feeds.
• Layers. Breezes off the lake can make it noticeably cooler by the water than a few blocks inland, even in summer.
• A footmuff and weather shield, for fall, winter and windy spring days.
• A ventilated sunshade and clip-on fan, for summer.
• A portable changing pad and wipes, since changing tables aren’t guaranteed.
• A Ventra card or app, for the ride home if little legs (or yours) are done.
• Your conservatory reservation, on your phone.
• A card for parking, since the zoo lot doesn’t accept cash.

Keep it light. You’ll be going in and out of buildings, so an easy-to-fold stroller helps.

Pro tips

• 🌅
  TimingArrive at opening

  The zoo is calmer and the animals are often more active early.

• 🏃
  BookingReserve the conservatory

  Free timed tickets can run out on weekends.

• 🚗
  ParkingConsider a membership

  Zoo members get free or reduced parking.

• 📍
  Meeting upMeet at Café Brauer

  An easy landmark at the north edge of South Pond.

If you’re postpartum, check with your provider before adding longer walks, and build up gradually. Our guide to postpartum exercise once you’re cleared is a good place to start.

Walk Lincoln Park with us

Lincoln Park is one of the places we expect our first Chicago walk clubs to start, with easy morning loops around the Nature Boardwalk and the zoo. We’re taking signups now, and founding members help choose the first routes and times.

See everything we’re building in Chicago.

More stroller walks in Chicago

• Lakefront TrailEdgewater to the South Side · our full stroller guide
• The 606Bucktown to Humboldt Park · our full stroller guide
• Humboldt ParkHumboldt Park · our full stroller guide