One of the best things about the zoo is that it's completely free which makes it feel incredibly…read moreaccessible without sacrificing quality. You can just walk in and explore at your own pace without worrying about tickets or time pressure. The zoo itself is beautifully laid out inside Lincoln Park and it feels more like a peaceful nature escape than a typical crowded attraction. There's a variety of animals to see without it feeling overwhelming. I liked how walkable everything is and you can easily spend a few hours just wandering between exhibits, gardens, and just enjoying the views. It's a great spot whether you're going solo, with friends, or on a casual date. Everything feels relaxed, clean, and well-maintained.

I love the zoo. I've been to zoos all over the world when the boys were little it was always a…read morefirst stop on any vacation. I was so excited when the hotel was literally across the street from the zoo. I don't know how they do it, but entrance is free and it's open every day of the year. It's not a small zoo either. It's quite large. It was a warm day in Chicago so I think a lot of the animals were sleeping. We did see the lions, the giraffes, and the gorillas. There was so much more to see. I just really wish I had more time. I love the zoo. I've been to zoos all over the world when the boys were little it was always a first stop on any vacation. I was so excited when the hotel was literally across the street from the zoo. I don't know how they do it, but entrance is free and it's open every day of the year. It's not a small zoo either. It's quite large. It was a warm day in Chicago so I think a lot of the animals were sleeping. We did see the lions, the giraffes, and the gorillas. There was so much more to see. I just really wish I had more time.

If you're willing to drive a bit out of the city of Chicago, then this place is 100% worth it! I…read morehad no idea County Line Orchard was SO big. It is very organized. You pay for your apples/bag ahead of time and then you can pick them by yourself - just a short walk or hayride away. They had so many different varieties. It was so fun to wander the aisles and find the best apples. After picking, we snagged a ton of goodies from their large market - soup mixes, apple crisp mix, and pickled veggies. They aren't dog friendly, so keep your furry friends at home.

We went back at the end of the season last fall. We were interested in picking apples, but there…read morewas a $10 minimum to purchase access to the orchards - per person. If we could have just paid for one small bag or just based on the weight we picked, we would have done it. But we honestly just didn't need $20 worth of apples, so it didn't seem worth it. We ended up just grabbing some food there - their delicious donuts and the GOAT Float, which was amazing!

Living close to the Cincinnati Zoo I've been spoiled being able to attend one of the best zoos in…read morethe country. My experience at the Washington Park Zoo today far surpassed any visit I've had at Cincy. We arrived as soon as it opened, during off season. I had more up close encounters here with animals than I've had at any visit at any other zoo. All of the animals were active. The zoo was clean and well cared for. The employees were friendly and the animals were obviously well cared for. To top it off we went to the observation tower and had fantastic views of the lake. I loved our visit here and wouldn't hesitate to return.

Great hidden gem that is reasonably priced! We visited Memorial Day weekend with the kids and had a…read moregreat time. For $10 there are a variety of exotic and domestic animals to be fascinated by. You get your monies worth! If you don't like animals, then come to enjoy the views! The tower is definitely a workout, but worth it when you reach the top. You see beautiful view of the river and the lakeshore. Love it! This is our new family spot when we want to get away!

We took our son here for his first trip to the zoo during the week and boy was it crowded. It was…read moresuper hot and all of the indoor exhibits were super muggy I'm sure to remain temperament for the animals but it left for little places to go to break up the insane heat. The bathrooms were cleaner than most so we were super grateful for that! We loved that there were so many animals actually in their exhibits unlike other zoos we've been to. The animals were actually rolling around and running around playing so my son loved seeing them. The food is super expensive, and any souvenirs were even crazier. We wanted ice cream but various places had their machines not working, for the amount of kids and the heat it was a let down but we appreciated the zoo for being so clean and shady. Parking is $17 in the north lot and $20 in the south. There were tons of busses but still ample parking. Overall a great visit. Be sure to check your local libraries for museum and zoo passes!

We love Brookfield Zoo, we've been members for years…read more The zoo is enormous, and has many great animals. My favorite section is Tropic World. It's amazing in there, and there are many cool animals. I like to look for the sloths, ant eater, different types of primates, organutangs, gibbons, and otters. The new outdoor section is incredible! They have many great animals. The downside is the zoo is very spread out and it's a lot of walking. With kids you really have to decide which half of the zoo you're going to see that day. We usually choose the side with the big cats, which is cool because the big cats are great. I especially love the clouded leopards and the leopards. But then we don't get to see the bears or penguins or giraffes because they're far away. The ferris wheel is a fun addition. The food at the zoo is okay.

Big man outside smoking BBQ outside, and in the general market you'll see the little old lady…read morerunning the cash register, note: takes cash only. Pick up a whole pie to go home, chocolates, jams/jellies or a few old fashioned candies. Looks like the big business is the orchard in the autumn, but if you just need a quick pit stop it seems like just as good a place as any.

Love Miss Kitty's! She had fresh watermelon slices out when we went. Great produce, cute animals…read more(we didn't do the petting zoo but looked at them over the fence), and super delicious canned goods. Also everyone working there was so friendly!

My GF and I purchased a Groupon for the Chicago Photo Safari and we chose to shoot at Millennium…read morePark. Unfortunately, about 15 minutes into the session, it started to rain so the group (around 10 of us) fled into the Chicago Cultural Center for the remaining time. I thought the CCC was interesting for about an hour but definitely did not have enough interesting areas to fill up a 3 hour photo shoot. This brings me to one of my complaints-the safari was supposed to be 3 hours, but it was only about 2 hours and 20 minutes. I'm sure it would be a better experience in Millennium Park but if you are planning to make the safari rain or shine, you should have a better back up plan. Also, b/c the CCC isn't brightly lit, this limited the settings people could use while taking pictures. Our instructor - Scott - is a student at Columbia and he had a good personality and did his best to engage the students and help them. I thought it was helpful that he had an iPad that allowed him to pull up a picture that illustrated the concept that he is explaining. He also was knowledgeable re photography. The one complaint regarding Scott is he clearly was out late the night before and still smelled like stale beer. Not a big deal to us, but I can see how that might bother some people. I think this class would be useful for someone that has a DSLR and only shoots in automatic mode or in program mode without understanding what is actually happening in the program mode. I'd say the majority of the class fit into this description. But, if you have a basic idea of how to set the exposure, what depth of field and what ISO are, I'd skip the safari and just walk around Millennium Park. The 3 stars is based on the Groupon price and if you are an absolute beginner. If you paid full price the rating would be a 2 stars.

My Mom and I bought a Groupon and did the Millenium Park daytime safari. I live out of town, and…read morethought this would be a fun way for us to spend time together while I was visiting for the holidays, and it was! The MP safari was beginner level, which worked well for my mom who was borrowing one of my DSLRs for the first time. As a more intermediate DSLR photographer, I got more familiar with my new camera and was able to talk lenses and other advanced topics with the instructor and students with the same DSLR Rebel I had. But the most beneficial thing for me was the fact that we spent so much time photographing the same subject (the Cloud Gate) over and over. Other yelpers lamented that there wasn't enough subject matter to photograph, and although that is true, the real benefit to the repetition is that you can take the same shot over and over and adjust your settings each time. Then when you go home, you can load the shots into the computer and compare the settings for each picture, and try to learn more about what settings work in which conditions. "Setting intuition" is something that I struggle with and having a slow tour through MP has already helped me to better predict how to set my camera for different lighting conditions. I would certainly recommend Chicago Photo Safaris to (1) beginners who own or have access to a DSLR camera or (2) intermediates who are either looking to become more familiar with their DSLR or use the safari as a way to experiment with settings, take home the shots, and critically evaluate them. The MP safari was NOT for folks who (1) want to take a bunch of pictures of different things, (2) don't own a DSLR or other digital with shutter speed and aperture controls, or (3) are easily bummed out by being outdoors on one of Chicago's many less-than-perfect days or indoors in one of our many old, under-lit buildings. As for me, I would seriously consider another Chicago Photo Safari when I'm in town in the future.

Such a fun little find!! This is a zoo, a park, a little history lesson and an overall great place…read moreto visit!! Best part, FREE!! Now, this is not a huge zoo, but man do they pack a lot of love into a little spot. Food selection of animals, very friendly staff and cute well maintained facilities! Then, there are multiple large parks on site!! Perfect picnic spot for place for large family gatherings!

Awful renovation No wildlife to see here anymore. What use to be a great place to visit with…read morekids is no more. Woods eliminated lake looks like a small pond now. No Crains outside. Nothing indide the large new building now except a class room Fake displays with recordings. Viewing windows for possible animal treatment if you get lucky to see something going on. Tree elimination seems to be the name of the game with DuPage County Forest preserve. I would say this was a huge waste of tax funds and negative progress

I took my mom, my nieces and nephew. We thoroughly enjoyed spending time walking at own pace…read morewithout the large crowds. I didn't have to be overly concerned about safety. The staff and the visitors were friendly. I wish there were more animals, but the overall experience including the play area was wonderfully entertaining.

Who would have thought in middle of North West Indiana you would find this Gem tucked away they…read moreoffer both a walk and drive thru experience to enjoy the animals it's a Great Spot for kids they can explore and they won't get lost

From the owner: Sandy Oak Ranch is Northwest Indiana’s only exotic wildlife adventure! Escape to the quiet country…read moreand embark on a journey through captivating exhibits from the comfort of your own vehicle. The driving path will end in the parking lot where you can enter our walk-thru exhibits and enjoy the natural landscape that surrounds you.

Quiet, clean and well maintained museum. The building looks really beautiful from the outside and…read morelooks well-kept from the inside. I saw a small play area for small kids in one of the rooms.

The Trailside Museum of Natural History is one of the museums of the Forest Preserve Cook County…read moresystem. This nature museum is fanciest of them all, as it was once a mansion. It's also in a nice area of River Forest. It was established in 1932, in a mansion that dates to 1876. The building itself has an interesting history; after being a residence, it was the site of not one but two different schools before it became the nature museum. The building was acquired by the Forest Preserves in 1919 and was for a time the headquarters of the FPCC. There's a parking lot here and I've also found parking along Thatcher Road on that side of the museum; there is an entrance on both sides. There's a pond near the parking lot for fishing. There are just under 5 miles of trails, and they have a variety of programming here as well. One of their programs is a hybrid program in cooperation with educators, which I think is pretty cool. The first time I was here, it was as a stop on the West Cook Wild Ones native garden tour. I didn't know it--or any of the nature museums of the FPCC--existed before that time. I got some great information from the master naturalist there and now aspire to have a pollinator garden of my own someday. I saw my first hummingbird moth here, many butterflies, and so many birds. And I saw a real live chipmunk for the very first time that was NOT a cartoon! Today I was here for a program called Busy Beavers, and it was really good. There were nearly 20 people that attended. One of them was wearing a Beaver Believer t-shirt, which is a reference to Oregon State University. Funnily, she has no connection to Oregon or OSU; she just likes beaver. I happened to be reppin' my hometown and was wearing my University of Oregon Ducks t-shirt, so I had to get a photo. #goducks #beatthebeavs I learned a lot from the guide, and it was really fun program. I think the hike was probably about a mile to our destination and back. There's another program here called Summer Blossoms which I'm looking forward to attending, and I will be keeping an eye out on the events here so that I can fill up my calendar.