Biking to Lincoln Park Zoo: Route, Bike Racks and Divvy Stations

Lincoln Park Zoo charges for parking and nothing for entry. The Lakefront Trail brings you within reach, and the zoo has racks at four gates. This guide is part of Plan a Ride.

Why bike here

The zoo is a 35-acre park in Lincoln Park, founded in 1868³. It is open 365 days a year, and entry is always free². Driving costs money: parking is free for the first half hour, then $35 to $45 per day². The lot opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m.². A bike skips all of it.

The route

The Lakefront Trail is a fully paved, car-free path along Lake Michigan¹. It runs from Ardmore Avenue on the north to 71st Street on the south⁴. You can join it at any point, and many Divvy stations stand on or beside it¹.

Divvy’s own north-side ride starts at the Michigan Ave & Oak St station, just off Michigan Avenue near Water Tower Place¹. About a mile north of that start, you pass North Avenue Beach and Lincoln Park¹. Dock at the Lake Shore Dr & North Ave or Theater on the Lake station to reach the zoo, the Chicago History Museum, Fullerton Beach or the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum¹.

Since 2018 the Park District has run a bike trail of 18 miles beside an 18.5-mile pedestrian trail, so stay on the bike side⁴. The Park District publishes a trail map for the Fullerton to North section⁴. For the full route through the park, read the Lincoln Park bike ride and the Lakefront Trail guide.

Where to lock up

Bicycle racks stand near the East Gate, West Gate, North Gate and Cafe Brauer Gate, with additional racks along Cannon and Stockton drives². Several Divvy stations are nearby². Divvy lists Clark St & Armitage Ave and Cannon Dr & Fullerton Ave as the docks for Lincoln Park and the zoo¹.

Entrance	Bike facility
East Gate, 2400 N. Cannon Drive	Rack nearby; Searle Visitor Center inside2
West Gate, Stockton Drive and Webster Avenue	Rack nearby; rideshare drop-off point2
North Gate	Rack nearby2
Cafe Brauer Gate	Rack nearby2

Lock the frame and a wheel to a rack, and take your helmet and lights with you. The Searle Visitor Center, at the East Gate entrance, is the zoo’s guest services desk². Inside it you find general zoo information, first aid and Public Safety, lockers, the lost-and-found, and strollers and wheelchairs². Park the bike first, then walk to the East Gate if you need a locker for a helmet or a bag.

Hours

Gates and Farm-in-the-Zoo open at 8 a.m., and buildings open at 10 a.m.². Buildings and the farm close at 4:30 p.m., and the gates close at 5 p.m.². Early closures for special events are not in those hours². The zoo opens as early as 8 a.m., and a weekend morning is the best time to avoid the crowds⁵.

Divvy prices for the trip

Option	Price
Single ride	$1 unlock plus $0.20 per minute6
Day pass	$19.90 per day, with unlimited 3-hour classic bike rides in 24 hours6

A day pass suits a zoo visit, because you can dock outside, walk in and take another bike when you leave. See the Divvy guide for how docks and passes work.

After the zoo

The zoo’s Farm-in-the-Zoo has its own gate and opens at 8 a.m., the same hour as the main gates². The Nature Boardwalk lies just south of the zoo: a large pond with a natural garden and quiet walking paths⁵. The park’s interior paths are bike-friendly, though you should visit early to avoid congestion with pedestrians⁵.

If you arrive by transit instead, the Brown and Purple Lines stop at Armitage, and the Red Line stops at Fullerton, about one mile west of the zoo². The 22, 36, 151 and 156 buses stop along the zoo’s western edge².

Trail repairs

The Park District has inspected the full 18 miles of the Lakefront Trail⁴. Repairs are asphalt patching and seal-coating as necessary⁴. Check for signs on the trail before a long ride.