25 Best Sights in Lincoln Park and Wicker Park, with Bucktown and Logan Square, Chicago

At this urban enclave near Lake Michigan, you can watch snow monkeys unwind in the hot springs of the Regenstein Macaque Forest or ogle gorillas and chimpanzees in the sprawling Regenstein Center for African Apes, which has three separate habitats complete with bamboo stands, termite mounds, and 5,000 feet of swinging vines. Brave big cats (separated by a window, of course) outside the Pepper Family Wildlife Center, a 2021 redesign of the zoo’s lion habitat conceived with input from an app that collected data on the star residents’ behavior. Animals both slithery (pythons) and strange (sloths) reside in the glass-domed Regenstein Small Mammal and Reptile House, while the big guys (hippos, giraffes, and black rhinos) are in the Regenstein African Journey.

Bird lovers should make a beeline to the McCormick Bird House, which contains extremely rare species—including the Bali mynah, Guam rail, and Guam Micronesian kingfisher, some of which are extinct in the wild. Families with little ones in tow will also want to see Farm-in-the-Zoo (with its barnyard animals and learning centers), and the Lionel Train Adventure ride. Be sure to leave time for a ride (or two) on the Endangered Species Carousel, featuring a menagerie of 48 rare and endangered animals.

Shutterbugs will want to make a beeline for the Nature Boardwalk at the zoo's southern reaches. In addition to pretty indigenous vegetation, it's home to the Peoples Gas Education Pavilion, a massive honeycomb sculpture that frames the downtown skyline, making for an impressive snapshot. 

Similar to New York City’s High Line, this abandoned elevated rail line—open since 2015—is now a fun place to walk or bike and take in art all at once. Edgy, splashy and bright murals are depicted along the 2.7-mile route. The route runs through Wicker Park, Humboldt Park, Bucktown, and Logan Square, making it an appealing way to neighborhood hop without getting snarled in the traffic below. Take along some water and sunscreen; on summer days the more exposed stretches of the trail get rather sunbaked. 

Seeking to bring Chicago's often complicated history to life, this museum has several strong permanent exhibits, including Chicago: Crossroads of America, which celebrates homegrown cultural contributions from urban blues to the skyscraper and demystifies tragedies like the Haymarket Affair, in which a bomb thrown during a labor rally in 1884 led to eight anarchists being convicted of conspiracy. In Sensing Chicago, kids can take a spin on a penny-farthing bicycle or dress up like a Chicago-style hot dog. Don't miss City on Fire: Chicago 1871, which immerses visitors in the destruction and aftermath of the notorious inferno that displaced one-third of the city’s residents in just two days. Like most of the exhibits here, it's presented in a way that's comprehensible to kids, but substantive enough for adults. 

The work of landscape architect Alfred Caldwell, this serene oasis---comprising a gracefully curving pond and Prairie-style pavilion amid native vegetation---hides in plain sight beside Lincoln Park Zoo’s parking lot, poised to allay weary zoo warriors with a Zen break.

Serving as the border that separates Wicker Park from Ukrainian Village to its south, Division Street has become a shopping and dining destination in its own right. Bars, boutiques, and trendy restaurants line the once-gritty thoroughfare, which lent its name to journalist Studs Terkel's 1967 book about urban life. To start your exploration, head west on the stretch of Division between Ashland and Leavitt avenues.

Film buffs shouldn't leave Lincoln Park without visiting this nonprofit movie theater, which presents an eclectic selection of films from around the world. Each year, Facets also hosts the Chicago International Children's Film Festival: one of the only Academy Award–qualifying children’s film festivals in the world, it showcases the best in culturally diverse, value-affirming new cinema for kids.

Along with the Northwest Tower across the street, this distinctive three-story, terra-cotta structure, situated on a busy six-cornered intersection, is a visual symbol of Wicker Park. Its creaky upper floors have long served as a sort of informal arts colony, providing studio and gallery space for a number of visual artists.

On Saturday morning from April through November and Wednesday from May through October, the market takes over a large swath of grass at the south end of Lincoln Park. Farm stands showcase locally grown fruits and vegetables, as well as meats, cheeses, and pastas. Visitors can also dine at food booths and watch cooking demonstrations by local celebrity chefs. When the outdoor season ends, an abbreviated version of the market sets up shop in a warehouse in Avondale.  

Another Chicago under-the-radar gem, this park was designed by William Le Baron Jenney in the mid-1800s and his work was expanded upon several years later by Jens Jensen. The 1907 Prairie School boathouse is the park’s centerpiece, home to free cultural events and swan pedal boat rentals. The park has a formal garden, tennis courts, baseball fields, bike paths, and the city's only inland beach. In 2019 Humboldt Park temporarily became the subject of local obsession when an immature alligator---likely someone’s illegal pet---was spotted in its lagoon; rest assured Chance the Snapper (as he was lovingly dubbed) was quickly captured and relocated to a Florida gator sanctuary.

Intuit showcases work from creators outside the artistic mainstream, many of whom used whatever supplies they had at their disposal to realize their vision. Collectively it’s a testament to the force of the creative impulse, no matter one’s background. Temporary exhibitions change throughout the year, but the heart of the museum is its exhibition about the internationally renowned artist Henry Darger, featuring a selection of artwork and anchored by a recreation of the artist’s cramped one-room apartment with his actual ephemera---think volumes of scrapbooks, balls of twine, pencil stubs, and paint pots—along with digital elements that explore the art, writings, methods and motivations of this mystery-shrouded artist.

The house where author L. Frank Baum dreamed up The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has been replaced by an affordable housing complex. But Baum's connection to the corner lot hasn't been forgotten; in 2019, the current building's developer paved the sidewalks with yellow brick, and installed a colorful mosaic depicting Dorothy and the gang beneath the author's famous words, "There's no place like home."

The tranquility and abundant greenery inside this 1892 conservatory offer a refreshing respite in the heart of a bustling neighborhood. Stroll through permanent displays in the Palm House, Fern Room, and Orchid House, or catch special events like the fragrant Spring Flower Show. Free, timed reservations—available on the conservatory's website—are required.

The park that gives Logan Square its name can look a little worse for the wear---the colossal eagle-topped column at its center has seen its fair share of graffiti tagging---but that doesn’t stop locals from setting up shop for the afternoon with a book and a portable hammock. An old-world Norwegian church and restaurants with busy sidewalk patios fringe the square (really more of an oval), imparting a cosmopolitan vibe. Wide, rambling Kedzie and Logan Boulevards---two of the neighborhood’s loveliest assets---radiate outward from the park; pick out your dream mansion on a postprandial stroll.

The love of geometric ornamentation that Sullivan eventually brought to such projects as the Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. building (now the Sullivan Center) is already visible in these row houses, built in 1885. The terra-cotta cornices and decorative window tops are especially beautiful.

The beautiful people strut their stuff at this lakefront strand. The ocean steamer-shaped beachhouse, which received an overdue glow up in 2024, has concession stands, a restaurant, cabana rentals, and upper decks for surveying the skyline. There are over 50 volleyball courts (rented by the hour), kayak and Jet Ski rentals, and lots of sand. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards (late May--early Sept.); parking (fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; sunrise; swimming; walking.

Erected in 1929, this triangular, 12-story art deco office building is the anchor of the North-Milwaukee–Damen intersection and is used as a reference point from miles around. According to the Chicago Tribune, some artists dubbed it the Coyote Building in the 1980s, because they thought that the base attaching the flagpole to the rest of the tower "resembled a coyote howling at the moon." The tower has a café on the ground floor, a hotel (The Robey Chicago), a rooftop lounge, and a club.

Old Town was known in the mid-1800s as the Cabbage Patch (for its German immigrant inhabitants’ proclivity for planting, well, you guessed it) and took turns in the 20th century as a stronghold for LGBTQ+ rights and an incubator for artists and comedians. Today the neighborhood feels more polished and less bohemian, but hints of the old world can still be found in the narrow cobbled alleys, the tolling bells of historic St. Michael’s church, and the barroom banter at mainstay Old Town Ale House. Head to Wells Street, the main drag, for independent shops and good bars and clubs (including the famed Second City).

Fans of The Wizard of Oz love getting up close with Dorothy, Toto, and all the other beloved characters assembled here in sculpture form. Author L. Frank Baum lived in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century. The park also has a flowery Emerald City Garden and play lot for pint-size visitors.

Massive steel Puerto Rican flags proudly straddle the road along this six-block stretch of Division Street in Humboldt Park, marking out the nucleus of Chicago’s large Puerto Rican community. This is the place to be for mofongo and café con leche in easygoing sidewalk cafés. Keep your eyes peeled for murals by street artists and a walk of fame celebrating Puerto Rican luminaries.

Walk among over 1,000 tropical butterflies and learn about the impact of rivers and lakes on daily life at this modern, light-washed museum. Like Chicago's other science museums, this one is perfect for kids, but even jaded adults may be excited when bright yellow butterflies land on their shoulders. The idea is to connect with nature inside without forgetting graceful Lincoln Park outside. Interesting temporary exhibits round out the offerings.

The Chicago metro area has the largest Polish population of any city outside Warsaw, and this museum celebrates that fact. Take a trip to the old country by strolling through exhibits of folk costumes, memorabilia from Pope John Paul II, and the reconstructed rooms of famed pianist and statesman Ignacy Paderewski. There's also Hussar armor and an 8-foot-long sleigh in the shape of a dolphin. Chat up the knowledgeable docents and you might be treated to tales of Paderewski's romances or the exploits of the progressive 13th-century queen Jadwiga. 

A former tannery set on a three-acre lot alongside the Chicago River has been repurposed as an evolving hub for neighborhood tastemakers. The lofty brick space is home to a small-batch whiskey distillery (Judson & Moore) with a stylish tasting room, a shoe boutique, and a ceramics center with some single-session classes. Toward the back, Soul & Smoke serves excellent barbecue (the brisket's a don't-miss), while the riverside patio and small marina out back double as a launch for Chicago Electric Boat Company, which rents retro-looking "donut boats" by the hour (from $152) for impromptu river cruises.     

Modern and contemporary art fans with an interest in the artistic achievements of the Ukrainian diaspora head to this small museum at the far western edge of the Ukrainian Village. One of its two galleries is dedicated to changing exhibitions; the other features the museum's permanent collection of mixed media, sculpture, and painting from the 1950s to the present. Some of the most interesting works are kinetic steel-wire sculptures by Konstantin Milonadis, the constructed reliefs of Ron Kostyniuk, and painted wood structures by Mychajlo Urban. 

For a glimpse of how the working class lived at the turn of the 20th century, head south of Wicker Park to the Ukrainian Village. In its center, on Haddon Avenue and on Thomas and Cortez streets between Damen Avenue and Leavitt Street, you'll find a well-preserved group of workers' cottages and apartments. At the corner of Leavitt and Haddon Streets, gilded cupolas mark Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral (tours offered occasionally; schedule at  holytrinitycathedral.net), an early-20th-century church designed by renowned Chicago architect Louis Sullivan.

This triangular little patch of green, donated to the city in 1870 by politician Charles Wicker, is a neighborhood favorite and home to softball fields, a children's water playground, a dog park, and outdoor movies. The handsome central fountain is a great spot for chilling out and people-watching in warm weather.