One of Chicago’s most beloved attractions, Lincoln Park Zoo has been connecting people with unparalleled wildlife experiences as well as leading animal care, education, science and conservation practices for the past 150 years. Free to the public 365 days a year, Lincoln Park Zoo is amongst the oldest zoos in the country and an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). In honor of this important milestone, we’re taking a look back through the zoo’s history with the help of some incredible photos.
The story of the city’s beloved Lincoln Park Zoo began with two pairs of swans. During the year of the zoo’s founding, 1868, the Lincoln Park Commissioners were gifted two swans by New York City’s Central Park Board of Commissioners. Soon after, additional animals continued to be donated to the park. For many years, the park was considered a menagerie: a place built for people to stroll the grounds and see animals.
Lincoln Park Zoo swans (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
The 1940s were a launching point for the ongoing innovation of the zoo, both for inhabitants and visitors. The experience transformed to include more representational habitats along with implementing and maintaining higher standards for animal welfare. LPZ began to incorporate preventive veterinary medicine and applied science programs to their animal care practices. In addition, partnerships were launched to continue to connect Chicagoans and beyond to the free, premium wildlife and animal education experience.
As a privately managed nonprofit organization, the Lincoln Park Zoo receives over 80 percent of its operating costs from donors, members and revenue from visiting guests.
In 1959, The Lincoln Park Zoological Society was established to supplement the city’s operational efforts and provide significant capital and programmatic support. In the years following, the Zoological Society launched their first privately funded project, Farm-in-the-Zoo, contributing significantly to the growth of the zoo. In 1995, the Zoological Society took over management.
The dairy barn at Lincoln Park Zoo’s Farm-in-the-Zoo, 1968 (Photo courtesy of DePaul University Library.)
The Women’s Board was launched in 1976 to provide supportive funds and service to the Zoological Society and aid in its efforts to improve Lincoln Park Zoo.
Over the years, the Women’s Board has contributed more than $24 million to help the zoo complete projects including Nature Boardwalk, the Waterfowl Lagoon and scenic overlook, Regenstein Center for African Apes, the East Gate entry plaza, and the Kovler Lion House outdoor exhibit.
This summer, the Board will host the Institution’s largest fundraiser, Zoo Ball. The event consistently raises more than $1,000,000 for the zoo.
Campaigns have and continue to keep the zoo and its world-class animal care and programming operating to the public at no cost.
Howard Morgan of Citicorp; Marion Simon, The longest-serving member on the zoo’s Board of Trustees, and zoo director Dr. Lester E. Fisher at the dedication of the Sunform sculpture (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
The zoo is currently in the midst of its largest campaign to date: The Pride of Chicago. The $135 million effort aims to advance the Lincoln Park Zoo environment and experience as an immersive home for wildlife and leader in conservation, science and learning.
In celebration of 150 years, the Zoo is holding a special exhibit depicting LPZ’s past, present and future. From Swans to Science: 150 Years of Lincoln Park Zoo is the zoo’s signature anniversary exhibition which runs from May 20-Sept. 3.
Take a photographic journey back in time to the zoo’s start in 1868, and take a look at some of Lincoln Park Zoo’s most memorable milestones:
1868: Two pairs of swans arrive, marking the beginning of Chicago’s free Zoo. The swans were a gift from New York’s Central Park Commissioners (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.) Note: not original swans.
1870: Animals continue to arrive at the Zoo. The first animal house is built (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1879: The Sea Lion Pool is constructed, serving as the Zoo’s main focal point. Today, Kovler Seal Pool resides in the same place (Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1904: The Bird House, now McCormick Bird House, makes its mark on the Zoo (Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1912: The Lion House, now Kovler Lion House, opens to exhibit big cats (Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1920’s: Feeding the Sea Lions (Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1927: The Small Animal House, now Helen Brach Primate House, is built to display monkeys and apes, pumas and lynx (Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1930: Bushman, a 2-year-old western lowland gorilla arrives from Africa to join the Lincoln Park Zoo family. (Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1940: R1, a 1-year-old West African dwarf crocodile arrives at the Zoo. R1 survived under the Zoo’s care for 70 years (Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1943: Judy the Elephant is purchased from Brookfield Zoo and joins the Lincoln Park Zoo family. Judy walked between zoos to her new home as she refused to board a truck (Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1944: Marlin Perkins became the Zoo’s director (Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1948: Dr. Lester Fisher, the Zoo’s first veterinarian with Sinbad. He oversaw the modernization and improvement of animal care and veterinary strategies during his 30-year tenure (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1950’s: Lincoln Park Zoo Director Marlin Perkins brings wildlife into households with his TV program, Zoo Parade, headquartered at Lincoln Park Zoo Zoo Parade filming 1950s: Lincoln Park Zoo Director Marlin Perkins brings wildlife into households with his TV program, Zoo Parade, headquartered at Lincoln Park Zoo (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1952: The first children’s zoo opens seasonally. Now, the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo is open year-round (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1959: The Lincoln Park Zoological Society is formed to raise money for animal care, purchase equipment and improve the Zoo (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1962: Mayor Richard J. Daley helps open the Farm-in-the-Zoo, a replica of a working Midwestern farm (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1970: The first western lowland gorilla, Kumba, is born at the Zoo (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1976: The Zoo’s Women’s Board is formed (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1976: The Zoo’s first hospital opens (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1976: Gorillas, orangutans and chimpanzees move into new Ape House. During this time, Dr. Fisher started a project to catalog blood types for Species Survival Plan® populations of great apes (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1977: The Zoo’s Education department is established (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1981: Current President and CEO Kevin Bell was formerly the Zoo’s Curator of Birds. During his tenure, Bell has expanded the zoo’s conservation, science and education initiatives (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1982: Life Trustee Joe Regenstein funds Regenstein Large Mammal House with the largest donation yet made to the Zoo (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1984: The Zoo establishes its Auxiliary Board (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1989: The Zoo establishes its Conservation and Science department (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
1995: Under agreement with the Chicago Park District, the Zoo Society takes over Zoo management; remaining committed to keeping the park free. Kevin J. Bell is named president and CEO (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
2001: The trumpeter swan nearly became extinct in the early 20th century. Reintroduction programs are in place to restore the species to much of its former range. Since 2001, Lincoln Park Zoo has contributed 38 trumpeter swan cygnets from the breeding pair in the Hope B. McCormick Swan Pond for release in the wild (Photo and text courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
2010: Nature Boardwalk is constructed at Lincoln Park Zoo by Studio Gang Architects (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
2013: King, a critically endangered black rhinoceros now living at Brookfield Zoo, is born at Lincoln Park Zoo (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.) (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
2015: The first exhibit of the Zoo’s capital campaign, The Pride of Chicago. Regenstein Macaque Forest opened with a troop of Japanese snow monkeys (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
2017: Science steers the zoo’s animal care strategy with animal welfare programs like ZooMonitor, a Lincoln Park Zoo-created app to improve the lives of animals across the globe (Photo and text courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
2017: Hurvis Family Learning Center opens – a place to connect young people with learning and growth opportunities at the Zoo (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
2018: The City of Chicago and Illinois General Assembly appreciate Lincoln Park Zoo’s contributions to leadership in animal care, community engagement, and conservation with proclamations recognizing the Zoo’s 150th anniversary (Photo and text courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.)
Emily Stone is Associate Editor at Make It Better. She earned a degree in journalism from Elon University in North Carolina. Along with writing, Stone has a passion for digital storytelling and photography. Her work is published in Chicago Athlete Magazine. Stone is a supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Stone is a fluent Spanish speaker who in her free time loves a good dance class.
Emily Stone is Associate Editor at Make It Better. She earned a degree in journalism from Elon University in North Carolina. Along with writing, Stone has a passion for digital storytelling and photography. Her work is published in Chicago Athlete Magazine. Stone is a supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Stone is a fluent Spanish speaker who in her free time loves a good dance class.