10 Reasons to Get Excited About Lincoln Park Zoo This Summer

Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo

With summer in full force, Lincoln Park Zoo, one of Chicago’s best and most beloved (and free!) places to spend a warm summer day, offers a jam-packed calendar of can’t-miss events and enriching programs. From Zoo Ball, the zoo’s annual gala, to educational programs for little ones, to adults-only evenings, the zoo offers something for everyone — and has some pretty awesome research and developments in the works for our animal friends too. Read on for the 10 most exciting things happening at Lincoln Park Zoo this summer.

1. Lincoln Park Zoo’s annual garden party Bites, Blooms & Bordeaux (previously Wine & Wildflowers) returns to the zoo July 29. Guests can learn about the zoo’s flora and fauna while sipping the city’s finest vino.

Bites, Blooms & Bordeaux at Lincoln Park Zoo

2. Researchers from the zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute have expanded their work to Madison and Indianapolis, tripling the world’s largest database of urban wildlife using motion-sensor camera traps to gather observational data that informs conflict mitigation between humans and our animal neighbors.

3. Did you know that the health of amphibian species can be an indicator of ecosystem health? Lincoln Park Zoo scientists are conducting fieldwork throughout the summer monitoring amphibian health. They have discovered a non-invasive swabbing technique to collect hormones and test for chytrid fungus, a disease deadly to amphibians.

Frog swabbing at Lincoln Park Zoo

4. The zoo’s annual gala, Zoo Ball: Penguins in Paradise, hosted by the Lincoln Park Zoo Women’s Board, takes place July 15 and celebrates the anticipated return of African penguins to the zoo. Funds raised from this event will go toward the Women’s Board’s pledge to support new initiatives at the zoo, such as the Robert and Mayari Pritzker Penguin Cove. For more on this year’s Zoo Ball, see below.

5. The Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study of Conservation of Apes will be hosting the prestigious Chimpanzees in Context Symposium in August, a once-a-decade conference dedicated to chimpanzee welfare and conservation. This year’s attendees include the world’s most prominent primatologists, including Dr. Jane Goodall.

Chimpanzee at Lincoln Park Zoo

6. Lincoln Park Zoo has worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to re-establish a sustainable population of ornate box turtles in western Illinois and has achieved the goal of 100 turtles, four years ahead of schedule. The zoo raises the turtles without threat of predation and re-introduces them to the native prairies.

Ornate Box Turtle at Lincoln Park Zoo

7. The iconic Kovler Seal Pool will be re-opening after several improvements this spring. The updates will include sea kelp for the seals to swim through and around and new rock work to help both the seals and keepers navigate the space for operant conditioning — or positive-reinforcement training.

8. Children of all ages have opportunities to learn at the zoo throughout the summer and keep their minds enriched with unique programs including Conservation Camp, Animal Enrichment Workshops, Zoo Crew, Zoo Explorers and more.

Education programs at Lincoln Park Zoo

9. Lincoln Park Zoo hosts several ticketed events throughout the summer, which help keep the zoo free, privately managed and open 365 days a year. From Adults Night Out to Wine & Wildlife, and more, there are opportunities for guests of all ages and interests.

10. Lincoln Park Zoo spans 49 acres of Chicago’s beautiful lakefront and is home to both flora and fauna. In the summer, guests can enjoy luscious blooming flower beds, blossoming irises and learn about vegetation at the Edible Garden at Farm-in-the-Zoo.

Lincoln Park Zoo Ball Honors Nature’s Own Tuxedos

Who said black tie attire was only reserved for fancy guests? The Lincoln Park Zoo will host its 39th Annual Zoo Ball on Friday, July 15, to honor the zoo’s best-dressed residents — the penguins.

The first ball was held in July 1977, a year after the Women’s Board of Lincoln Park Zoo was founded. Then called “Zoo La La,” the evening’s goal was to raise money for the renovation of the Large Mammal House. A success, the event raised over $39,000 for Chicago’s beloved zoo.

The annual event directly benefits the board’s pledge to fund new initiatives at the zoo, such as the new Robert and Mayari Pritzker Penguin Cove.

Each event has been both magical and memorable; every year, board members reflect on moments that have carried them through all of the celebrations.

“My favorite Zoo Ball memory occurred a few years ago,” says Zoo Ball 2016 co-chair Lisa Genesen. “At the end of the night, my husband looked at me and said, ‘I know why you do what you do and I’m so proud to be a part of it.’ It felt like a fairy-tale moment to me.”

This year’s event will be held on July 15, starting at 6:30 p.m. Dinner and drinks (vegetarian and vegan options available) will be provided before a night of dancing.

“We want people to leave the event feeling like they made a difference in the future of Lincoln Park Zoo,” says co-chair Christine Tierney. “It is such a treasured landmark to the city of Chicago, and we want every guest to know … they are playing an important role in helping to keep the zoo free.”

Individual tickets begin at $700 per person, and table packages begin at $7,000. Tickets may be purchased online at lpzooball.org/tickets. For more information on table packages or sponsorships, or to make reservations by phone, contact the Zoo Ball office at zooball@lpzoo.org or by calling 312-742-2296.


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