Lincoln Park

Bordered by its namesake park on the east and Bucktown on the west, popular Lincoln Park is a blend of commercial shopping centers, swank eateries, thriving bars and magnificent historic mansions along tree-lined streets that offers visitors many opportunities to get out and explore the city.

Shoppers should head to the Halsted/Clybourn corridor, where locally owned boutiques and upscale shops beckon you to stop in and look around. Fuel up before or after your shopping excursion with a quick bite at one of Lincoln Park's many fantastic restaurants. From the delicious personal pan pizzas at Pequod’s to Goose Island Brewpub’s specialty brews and signature sandwiches, the area has a taste of Chicago for every palate. Diners looking for a more sophisticated dining experience or to celebrate a special occasion should reserve a table at Grant Achatz’s world-renowned Alinea, named by Gourmet Magazine as America’s best restaurant in 2006.

Beyond shopping and dining, Lincoln Park is home to many of Chicago’s most popular attractions, like the Chicago History Museum and Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Lincoln Park Zoo, one of the few free-admission zoos remaining in the world, is a family favorite and perfect for learning about the natural world with exhibits as varied as the Malayan Sun Bear habitat to playful river otters in the Children’s Zoo’s North American Experience. Plant lovers and gardening enthusiasts can appreciate an impressive collection of palms, ferns, tropical plants and seasonal show flowers in the Victorian style greenhouse of the adjacent Lincoln Park Conservatory.

A pedestrian bridge spanning Lake Shore Drive just north of North Avenue provides easy access to beautiful North Avenue Beach, one of the most perfect spots in the city for lakefront biking and jogging, watching the splendid sunrise, or taking in the stunning sight of Chicago’s signature skyline. Slightly more off the beaten path is Oz Park, a whimsical park where children can play hide-and-seek amidst statues of characters from the famed novel, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” written by L. Frank Baum, a longtime Lincoln Park resident.

Located throughout the city, Chicago Tribute Markers of Distinction commemorate where notable Chicagoans lived and worked. Two markers in Lincoln Park honor labor activists Lucy and Albert Parsons, and Mother Francis Xavier Cabrini, the first American canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.

Read, Learn, Discover at the Chicago Public Library. Search programming and event information at your neighborhood branch.