Things to Do In Lincoln Park

Lincoln Park, the park in which the neighborhood was named for, is the main attraction for many individuals and families when selecting Lincoln Park real estate. The 1200 acre park along Chicago’s lakefront stretches from Ardmore Avenue to North Avenue. Lincoln Park has many athletic facilities, including 15 baseball fields, 2 softball fields, 6 basketball courts, 35 tennis courts, 163 volley ball courts, field houses, the Lincoln Park golf course, and the Lincoln Park Athletic Club. Soft gravel and paved paths wind through the entire park, providing routes for bicyclists, joggers and inline skaters. Lincoln Park also includes a number of harbors with boating facilities, public beaches and landscaped gardens. Within the park is the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Peggy Notebart Nature Museum, the Lincoln Park Conservatory, an outdoor theater and the famed Lincoln Park restaurant, North Pond.

Lincoln Park began its existence as the city cemetery, until 1864, when the city council decided to turn the cemetery into a park, and had to relocate nearly 20,000 graves. A large group of graves relocated was that of approximately 6,000 Confederate prisoners-of-war who died at Camp Douglas. The Couch family, who owned a small mausoleum in the cemetery, refused to give their permission to relocate their family graves. The Couch mausoleum remains within Lincoln Park and can still be seen behind the Chicago Historical Society building. Also, as recently as 2000, construction in the park has revealed more graves left over from the nineteenth century.

Lincoln Park hosts many festivals, including Lincoln Park Summerfest. This two-day summer festival features live music, an upscale art show, great food and drink and a family area for children. The community is also home to other outdoor summer festivals, including the Park West Antique Fair, the Sheffield Garden Walk, the Old Town and Wells Street Art Fairs and the Taste of Lincoln Avenue.

Lincoln Park Zoo

The Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, the only zoo within city limits, is free and open year-round. The zoo was founded in 1868, when the Lincoln Park Zoo commissioners were given a gift of a pair of swans. The zoo includes animals such as polar bears, penguins, gorillas, reptiles, monkeys, and other species totaling 1200 animals. There is also an African Exhibit, a Children’s Zoo and a host of special-environment exhibits, such as a Tropical Rainforest and Savannah. One famed aspect of the Lincoln Park Zoo is residents in nearby Lincoln Park real estate can, on occasion, hear the lions roaring.

Lincoln Park Conservatory

The Lincoln Park Conservatory, built between 1890-1895, is free and open every day of the year. It has four separate areas: the Palm House, the Fernery, the Orchid House and the Show House. The show house is used for seasonal exhibits such as a Christmas town during the holidays. The Lincoln Park Conservatory is an irreplaceable Chicago treasure, as many city residents enjoy the respite from city life.

North Avenue Beach

Located within Lincoln Park, North Avenue Beach is Chicago’s busiest beach with over 6.5 million visitors a year. The wide, sandy shore is perfect for gazing at the clear, blue waters of Lake Michigan. The 22,000 square foot North Avenue Beach House offers sports equipment rental, concession stands, a fitness center, outdoor showers, and Castaways Bar & Grill, the only place in Chicago to sip on a frozen margarita on the Lake Michigan shore. North Avenue Beach hosts professional beach volleyball tournaments, as well as the annual Chicago Air and Water Show. Even in the winter the beach is worth a visit, as its vantage point provides one of the best views of downtown Chicago.

Peggy Notebart Nature Museum

The Peggy Notebart Nature Museum, located in Lincoln Park Chicago, opened in 1999 to educate the public on the importance of maintaining nature and improving the environment. The museum itself is an “eco-friendly” building, using solar power, a water conservation systems and a 17,000-square foot rooftop garden that insulates the building. Many of the museum’s exhibits are built out of recycled materials.

Exhibits within the Peggy Notebart Nature Museum included “River Works,” a look at how the waterways work around Chicago, the “Hands On Habitat,” a play area that gives kids a chance to crawl through and experience animal homes, the “Extreme Green House,” a life-sized home that is fully equipped with environmentally friendly amenities, and the “Butterfly Haven,” one of the areas only year-round butterfly gardens with up to 75 different butterfly species. The museum also hosts traveling exhibits that change every few months.

Lincoln Park Theaters

One interesting facet of Lincoln Park is its array of theaters. Live theatre venues include the Apollo Theater Center and the Royal George Theatre. Theater on the Lake is a well-known outdoor theater that runs throughout the summer, offering a fresh-air venue for plays. The world-famous Steppenwolf Theater is located in Lincoln Park, home to such ground-breaking actors as Gary Sinise, John Malkovich, and John Mahoney. There are also three historic theaters in the area, including the notorious Biograph Theater, famous for the being the location where John Dillinger was shot in 1934. Lincoln Park also hosts the world-famous Second City Theatre, some of the city’s best "Off-Loop" theaters and several movie theaters.

Oz Park

Oz Park is one of the most popular parks within Lincoln Park Chicago and a favorite recreation destination for area residents. Created in 1967 by the Chicago Park District, this 13-acre park was named in honor of L. Frank Baum, the author of the Wizard of Oz, who once lived in the area. The park has recreational facilities including basketball and tennis courts, a jogging path and the Melamerson Athletic Field. Other amenities include picnic tables, a large children’s playground area and the Emerald City Gardens.
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Making your home in the city of Chicago will offer countless entertainment opportunities within Lincoln Park and throughout the city. Check out City of Chicago or Chicago.com for more information on city-wide recreation activities, museums and special events.

 

	Lincoln Park Movie Theaters
	Facets 1517 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago 800-532-2387		Piper’s Alley 230 W. North Ave., Chicago 312-337-0436
	Three Penny Cinema 2424 N. Lincoln, Chicago 733-525-3449		Webster Place Theater 1471 W. Webster Ave., Chicago 773-327-3100
	Lincoln Park Theaters
	Apollo Theater 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago 773-935-6100		Biograph 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago 773-348-4123
	DePaul University Student Center 2250 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago 773-325-7346		Donny's Skybox Studio 1608 N. Wells St., Chicago 312-337-3992
	Hamlin Park 3035 N. Hoyne Ave., Chicago 312-742-7785		Lincoln Park Cultural Center 2045 N. Lincoln Park West, Chicago 312-742-7726
	Park West 322 W. Armitage Ave. 773-929-5959		The Royal George Theatre 1641 N. Halsted St., Chicago 312-988-9000
	Second City 1616 N. Wells, Chicago 312-337-3992		Steppenwolf Theater 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago 312-335-1650
	Theatre on the Lake 2401 N. Lake Shore Dr., Chicago 312-742-7994		Victory Gardens Theater 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago 773-871-3000
	Lincoln Park Athletics
	Lincoln Park Athletic Club 1019 West Diversey 773-529-2022		Oz Park 2021 N. Burling St. 312-742-7898
	Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course 3600 N. Recreation Dr. 312-245-0909
	Lincoln Park Museums
	Chicago Historical Society 1601 N Clark Chicago, IL 60614 312-642-4600		DePaul University Art Museum 2350 N Kenmore Ave Chicago, IL 60614 773-325-7506
	Lincoln Park Community Art Initiative 735 W Wrightwood Chicago, IL 60614 773-327-9111		Lincoln Park Conservatory 2400 N Stockton Chicago, IL 60614 312-742-7736
	Lincoln Park Cultural Center 2045 N Lincoln Park West Chicago, IL 60614 312-742-7726		Lincoln Park Zoo Lake Shore Drive at Fullerton Pkwy Chicago, IL 60614 312-742-2000
	Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum 2430 N Cannon Drive Chicago, IL 60614 773-755-5100		Old Town School of Folk Music 909 W Armitage Chicago, IL 60614 773-728-6000