Location: Chicago
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8 Nature & Wildlife Areas in Chicago That You Shouldn't Miss
The windy city is a cornucopia of modern art, fine dining, cutting edge comedy, and die-hard sports fans. Snap a photo of your reflection in the silver Cloud Gate sculpture at Millennium Park before heading to Grant Park to get hit with the refreshing spray of Buckingham Fountain. There are dozens of museums and theater companies in Chicago, so a cultural experience is never hard to find. You’re sure to laugh your head off at the Second City Theater, the professional launch pad of many famous comedians.
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1. Indian Boundary Park
2. Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By dvkremk - Venice, United States
This was a great place to see birds and great views of the city. There are nice paths to see various plants and birds. You can't believe you are still in Chicago.
3. Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 64 reviews
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
Image a lily pond designed by Alfred Caldwell and influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, Jens Jensen and Marlin Perkins. Then visit Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool in Chicago. Located at 125 West Fullerton Parkway, between North Cannon Drive and North Stockton Drive, in Lincoln Park, next to the Lincoln Park Conservatory, north of Lincoln Park Zoo, the three-acre plot with lily pond and gardens is a picturesque oasis and an important example of Prairie School landscape architecture. Originally built in 1889, the hour-glass shaped pond had fallen into ruin by the 1930s and landscape architect Alfred Caldwell was hired to completely redesign this area of Lincoln Park in 1936-1938. He began by planting thousands of plants transported from Sauk County, Wisconsin. From 1926 to 1931, Caldwell worked for landscape artist Jens Jensen, whose influence is evident in the Sun Opening, the curving walkways, the meandering, stepping-stone limestone paths and circular benches. Frank Lloyd Wright's influence is seen in the Fullerton Parkway Gate. In the early 1950s, Lincoln Park Zoo director Marlin Perkins transformed the Lily Pool into a water exhibit featuring exotic birds and water fowl. The Lily Pool was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2002 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a National Historic Landmark in 2006. It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. from mid-April to mid-November with free docent tours available to the public on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
4. North Park Village Nature Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
If you live in downtown Chicago, as we do, you are aware of the hustle and bustle, traffic and noise. Even when you walk through Lincoln Park or Grant Park. Have you been to North Park Village Nature Center lately? Located at 5801 North Pulaski Road in North Park Village, on the city's northwest side, between Peterson and Bryn Mawr, open from 9 to 4 daily, this 46-acre nature preserve features hiking trails, a birding area and a center with educational programs. It also manages an adjacent 12-acre satellite area called Walking Stick Woods, once an unused wet woods that has been converted into defined trails, interesting cultural features and a well-utilized nature play space. The trails allow visitors to stroll through woodland, wetland, prairie and savanna, maybe spot some wildlife or even a rare bird. In the Discovery Room, there is a hands-on table of natural objects and interactive displays designed to associate visitors with the the natural resources in an urban setting. For an hour or two, a visit to North Park Village Nature Center allows visitors to forget they might have to drive home on the Dan Ryan Expressway during rush hour.
5. Burnham Greenway
Overall Ratings
3.0 based on 1 reviews
6. Paul H. Douglas Nature Sanctuary
7. Bob-O-Link Meadow
8. William W. Powers State Recreation Area
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