Neighborhood 48H guide
Lincoln Park: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
The free Lincoln Park Zoo, the glass Conservatory, Pequod’s pan pizza and late-night blues at Kingston Mines.
Lincoln Park is named for the lakefront park at its edge, home to the free zoo and the Victorian Conservatory. Inland, brownstone streets lead to Clark Street, Halsted and Armitage.
Photo gallery
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Park and lake on one side, restaurants and bars on the other.
Who it's for: Families, joggers and travelers who want green space and a residential feel.
Pros
- Free zoo and conservatory
- Lakefront Trail
- Late-night blues
Cons
- Few hotels
- A bus or ‘L’ ride downtown
- Parking is tight
48H in Lincoln Park
Zoo, conservatory, pizza and blues.
10:00 – Lincoln Park Zoo
Free admission, one of the oldest zoos in the US.
12:00 – Lincoln Park Conservatory
Glasshouse rooms of palms and ferns next to the zoo.
18:30 – Pequod’s Pizza
Pan pizza with a caramelized cheese crust.
22:00 – Kingston Mines
Two stages of live blues, late into the night.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
Eat
Eat
Pequod’s Pizza
2207 N Clybourn Ave
Pan pizza with a crisp, caramelized cheese edge.
Official site / map →
Drink
See / do
See / do
Lincoln Park Conservatory
2391 N Stockton Dr
1890s glasshouse full of palms and ferns.
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Hotel Lincoln
1816 N Clark St
Boutique hotel across from the park, with the J. Parker rooftop bar.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Lincoln Park.
Chicago requires short-term rentals to be registered with the city, and some buildings and precincts ban them. Look for the city registration number on the listing before you book.
Browse vacation rentals in Lincoln Park on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Chicago
- The Loop — The Art Institute, Millennium Park’s Bean, the Riverwalk and a rooftop above Michigan Avenue.
- River North — Marina City’s corncob towers, deep-dish pizza, a Portillo’s Italian beef and hotel rooftops.
- Magnificent Mile / Streeterville — Michigan Avenue’s shops, the 1869 Water Tower, the Billy Goat Tavern and Navy Pier.
- Gold Coast — Astor Street mansions, Oak Street Beach and the Drake’s Palm Court.
- West Loop / Fulton Market — Randolph Street’s Restaurant Row: Au Cheval’s burger, Girl & the Goat and Fulton Market’s old warehouses.
- Wicker Park — The six-way corner at North, Damen and Milwaukee, Big Star tacos, Myopic Books and The 606 trail.
- Lakeview / Wrigleyville — Wrigley Field’s red marquee, Murphy’s Bleachers and a hotel across the street from the ballpark.
- South Loop / Museum Campus — The Field Museum, Buckingham Fountain and live blues at Buddy Guy’s Legends.
- Hyde Park — Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, the Museum of Science and Industry, the new Obama Presidential Center and Promontory Point.