Kid-Friendly Lincoln Park: A Family Guide

Lincoln Park, Chicago, has free Lincoln Park Zoo, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and its Butterfly Haven, Oz Park with its Wizard of Oz statues, and more than a dozen Chicago Park District playlots. It also has kids’ art, music and sports classes, a cooperative preschool and family events all year. Hours and prices below were checked in October 2026.

Playgrounds and parks

The lakefront park has three playgrounds, and the Park District runs 16 smaller parks on the side streets. Our list of every park in Lincoln Park, by size covers all of them. Families use these most:

Oz Park, 2021 N. Burling St. At 14.4 acres, it’s the largest park in the neighborhood after the lakefront. It has Dorothy’s Playlot, statues of the Tin Man, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Dorothy with Toto, a fieldhouse and gym, and ball fields and courts.
Wrightwood Park, 2534 N. Greenview Ave. A spray playground, a junior pool, a track and a small fieldhouse.
Jonquil Park, 1001 W. Wrightwood Ave. A playlot, a spray feature, tennis courts and a baseball field.
Adams Playground, 1919 N. Seminary Ave. A sandbox, a water spray, a picnic grove and a fieldhouse that hosts tot and day-camp programs.
Supera Park, 2522 N. Racine Ave. A pirate-ship playground with a sandbox.
For the youngest: Park No. 535 (800 W. Wisconsin St.) is built for ages 5 and under. Privet Park (1844 N. Sheffield Ave.) has a small slide and tunnel, and Park West Park (745 W. Wrightwood Ave.) is an accessible playlot.
In the lakefront park: Cummings Playground at 2045 N. Lincoln Park West, Lincoln Playground “S” at 2120 N. Stockton Dr., and Sunshine Playscape near North Pond at 2611 N. Stockton Dr. The Park District lists Sunshine Playscape as accessible.

Spray features and the junior pool are summer-only. For beaches and the rest of the lakefront, see our parks and lakefront guide.

Lincoln Park Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo is free every day of the year. The gates and the Farm-in-the-Zoo open at 8 a.m. Buildings open at 10 a.m., buildings and the farm close at 4:30 p.m., and the gates close at 5 p.m. The main entrance and the paid lot are at 2400 N. Cannon Dr. After a free first half hour, parking runs $35 to $45 a day. The zoo’s LEAP sessions are for ages 2 to 4 with an adult, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on set dates. The free Nature Boardwalk at South Pond, at the zoo’s south end, is an easy stroller loop.

The Nature Museum, the Conservatory and the History Museum

Three indoor stops in or next to the lakefront park are good for cold or rainy days:

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Dr. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a few exceptions (it’s closed Nov. 26 and Dec. 25, 2026). For Illinois residents, admission is $15 for adults and $8 for children 1 to 12, plus a 10% service fee. Out-of-state visitors pay $2 more, and infants under 12 months get in free. The Butterfly Haven costs non-members an extra $5, and strollers aren’t allowed inside it. Young kids head for Nature’s PlaySpace, the splashy RiverWorks and the Look-In Lab.
Lincoln Park Conservatory, 2391 N. Stockton Dr. Free with a timed reservation. It opens at 10 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday, with last entry at 4:30 p.m.
Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St. Free for Illinois residents under 18 and for all children under 12. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Kids’ classes and childcare listings

These places in our directory run kids’ classes and early childhood programs in the neighborhood. Schedules and prices change each term, so check with them directly.

The Paintbrush, 2446 N. Clark St. A licensed kids’ art studio offering toddler, after-school and drop-off classes, a Summer ART Camp for ages 4 to 10, and birthday parties.
The Menomonee Club, 244 W. Willow St. A nonprofit youth club offering judo for ages 4 and up, fencing for ages 7 and up, Giant Gym Night drop-off evenings, and a two-lane bowling alley.
Park West Cooperative Nursery School, 2214 N. Bissell St. A parent-cooperative preschool, open since 1971. It runs a Tots class for ages 18 months to 2½ years, half-day and full-day preschool, and Junior Kindergarten.
Old Town School of Folk Music, 909 W. Armitage Ave. Kids’ music classes, plus Wiggleworms for babies and toddlers with a caregiver.
Lincoln Park Cultural Center, 2045 N. Lincoln Park West. The Park District’s center for ceramics, dance and woodshop programs.
Facets (1517 W. Fullerton Ave.) runs Family Sundays and film camps. Urban Air Adventure Park (1801 W. Fullerton Ave.) is an indoor adventure park.

For more, browse the fitness and recreation and arts and entertainment directories.

Family events, fall 2026 to winter 2027

Coming up, mostly at the zoo and the Cultural Center:

Spooktacular trick-or-treating: 1 to 4 p.m. at more than 40 businesses each day. It’s on Lincoln Avenue (Diversey to Webster) on Saturday, Oct. 24 and on Clark Street (Diversey to Armitage) on Sunday, Oct. 25. More in Halloween in Lincoln Park 2026.
Fall Fest at the zoo, through Sunday, Nov. 1. Free, with a pumpkin patch and weekend pumpkin carving. Rides cost extra.
Halloween Party at Lincoln, Thursday, Oct. 29, 4 to 6 p.m., at the Cultural Center.
ZooLights, Nov. 20, 2026, to Jan. 3, 2027, 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $7 to $20, and everyone needs one, infants included. Mondays Nov. 23 and 30 and Dec. 7 and 14 are free with a reservation. A Sensory-Friendly Night is set for Nov. 24. See our ZooLights 2026 guide.
Cultural Center holiday events: the Student Art Fair (Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), Jingle Ball (Wednesday, Dec. 16) and the New Year’s Eve at Noon Party (Thursday, Dec. 31). Both of the last two run 10:30 a.m. to noon.
At the zoo: a Charlie Brown Christmas jazz tribute (Dec. 6, all-ages shows at 3 and 6 p.m.), New Year’s ReZoolutions (Jan. 2, 2027) and the Spring Egg-Stravaganza (March 27, 2027).

Our Lincoln Park events calendar has the full year. For more cold-weather ideas, see Lincoln Park in winter. For a treat afterward, try the cupcakes at Sweet Mandy B’s (1208 W. Webster Ave.) or the pizza at Lou Malnati’s (958 W. Wrightwood Ave.). Browse more in our restaurants directory.

Schools

Lincoln Park has Chicago Public Schools neighborhood and magnet schools, plus private schools. Each address’s neighborhood school depends on CPS attendance boundaries. Our Lincoln Park schools guide lists each school’s grades, type and programs. It also explains how to check an address. If you’re moving here, see our moving checklist.

Good to know

Item	Key facts (checked October 2026)
Lincoln Park Zoo	Free daily; gates 8 a.m.–5 p.m., buildings 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; entrance and parking at 2400 N. Cannon Dr.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum	2430 N. Cannon Dr.; daily 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; adults $15, kids 1–12 $8 (Illinois rates, plus fee); Butterfly Haven +$5
Lincoln Park Conservatory	2391 N. Stockton Dr.; free with timed reservation; Wed–Sun from 10 a.m., last entry 4:30 p.m.
Oz Park	2021 N. Burling St.; 14.4 acres; Dorothy’s Playlot and Oz statues
Fall Fest	Through Nov. 1, 2026, at the zoo; free, rides ticketed
ZooLights	Nov. 20, 2026–Jan. 3, 2027, 4:30–9 p.m.; $7–$20; free Mondays Nov. 23 and 30, Dec. 7 and 14 with reservation
Museum free days (Illinois residents)	Nature Museum Nov. 2–4, Nov. 30, Dec. 1–2, Dec. 7–8; History Museum Nov. 11 and 19

Frequently asked questions

Is Lincoln Park Zoo free for kids?

Yes. Lincoln Park Zoo is free for everyone, every day. The gates are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking and some events, such as ZooLights and the Fall Fest rides, cost extra.

Which Lincoln Park playground is best known?

Oz Park, at 2021 N. Burling St. It has Dorothy’s Playlot, with Wizard of Oz statues nearby. Supera Park’s pirate ship (2522 N. Racine Ave.) and Wrightwood Park’s spray playground (2534 N. Greenview Ave.) are also popular.

How much does the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum cost for kids?

As of October 2026, children 1 to 12 pay $8 if they live in Illinois and $10 if they don’t, plus a 10% service fee. Babies under 12 months get in free. The Butterfly Haven is an extra $5 for non-members.

Do kids need a ticket for ZooLights?

Yes. Everyone needs a ZooLights ticket, including children and infants. For 2026–27, tickets are $7 to $12 in advance and $20 on the day. Mondays Nov. 23 and 30 and Dec. 7 and 14 are free with a reservation.

Where can toddlers take classes in Lincoln Park?

Park West Cooperative Nursery School (2214 N. Bissell St.) has a Tots class for 18 months to 2½ years. Old Town School of Folk Music (909 W. Armitage Ave.) runs Wiggleworms music classes. The Paintbrush (2446 N. Clark St.) has toddler art programs, and Lincoln Park Zoo’s LEAP sessions serve ages 2 to 4.

Sources

Last updated October 2026 by Live Lincoln Park.