View of Chicago from Lincoln Park

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Lincoln Park

Top choice in Chicago


The park that gave the neighborhood its name is Chicago’s largest. Its 1200 acres stretch for 6 miles from North Ave north to Diversey Pkwy, where it narrows along the lake and continues on until the end of Lake Shore Dr. On sunny days locals come out to play in droves, taking advantage of the ponds, paths and playing fields or visiting the zoo and beaches. It's a fine spot to while away a morning or afternoon (or both).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Chicago attractions

1. Couch Tomb

0.13 MILES

This 50-ton mausoleum – designed in 1858 by John Van Osdel, Chicago's first professional architect, for Ira Couch, a successful hotelier – is the sole…

2. Standing Lincoln Sculpture

0.14 MILES

Sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ Standing Lincoln (1887), considered one of the best statues of the 16th US president, shows him deep in contemplation…

3. Green City Market

0.18 MILES

Stands of purple cabbages, red radishes, green asparagus and other bright-hued produce sprawl through Lincoln Park at Chicago's biggest farmers market…

4. Chicago History Museum

0.2 MILES

Curious about Chicago’s storied past? Multimedia displays at this museum cover it all, from the Great Fire to the 1968 Democratic Convention. President…

5. Farm-in-the-Zoo

0.25 MILES

Located at the Lincoln Park Zoo's southern end, the farm features a full range of barnyard animals and offers frequent demonstrations of cow milking,…

6. Archbishop’s Residence

0.27 MILES

The 1885 mansion, complete with 19 chimneys, is where seven of Chicago's past archbishops lived. World figures from Franklin D Roosevelt to Pope John Paul…

7. North Avenue Beach

0.31 MILES

Chicago's most popular strand of sand gives off a bit of a Southern California vibe in summer. Buff teams spike volleyballs, kids build sandcastles and…