Plan a Visit

Address: 125 W Fullerton Pkwy, Chicago, IL 60614

Hours: 7:30am to the earlier of sunset or 7:30pm mid-April to mid-November, weather permitting. The Lily Pool is closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday the weekend of the Chicago Air and Water Show.

Daytime Phone: (773) 883-7275

Chicago Park District 24-Hour Security: (312) 747-2193

Handicap Accessibility: The Lily Pool is handicapped accessible, except for a section of the main walkway adjacent to the waterfall. Wheelchair entrance and adjacent parking can be accessed on Cannon Dr. just south of Fullerton Pkwy before entering the Lincoln Park Zoo parking kiosks.

Docent Tours: Volunteer docents are on-site mid-May to October Fridays from 1pm-4pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-2pm. Private or group tours are available by appointment with at least seven days advance notice. Please call the Lincoln Park Conservancy office.

Permits: Events, professional photography, and filming require a permit in advance – contact us at (773) 883-7275.

Visitor Etiquette: While visiting the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, please:

• Wear a mask and practice social distancing during your visit.
• Stay on the public paths – do not climb on the waterfall, rock ledges, or trees.
• Wildlife depend on flowers for food, please do not pick flowers.
• Food and beverages can attract unwanted pests, do not bring food or beverages (except water) into the Lily Pool.
• Pets, even on leash, can disrupt native species; dog are not allowed in the Lily Pool.
• Skateboards and bicycles can be dangerous to other visitors, do not ride bicycles or skateboards in the Lily Pool.
• Coins are harmful to aquatic wildlife, do not throw coins into the pond.
• Supervise children and refrain from playing music so everyone may enjoy the quiet of a Lily Pool visit.

Photography Guidelines: To ensure a positive experience for all, please:

• Help us protect our plants: Remain on the public paths. 
• Our paths are narrow: Please stay to one side so that other visitors, staff, and volunteers may pass. 
• Please keep paths clear of tripods and cameras. 
• Any props or décor must be pre-approved. 
• There are no changing or storage facilities.
• Staff and Volunteers cannot watch materials. 

Visitors are welcome to take photos for personal use.  

Permits are required for posed and commercial uses: 

• Weddings; engagements; family and individual portraits; and other significant events.  
• Photos taken by individuals intending to sell them now, or in the future.  
• Permit holders have priority in these situations but must share all parts of the Lily Pool with general visitors.  

To obtain a photography permit, email us at: 

info@LincolnParkConservancy.org 

Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in you being asked to leave the Lily Pool. 

Address: 2391 N Stockton Dr., Chicago, IL 60614 

Under public health safety guidelines, the Lincoln Park Conservancy and Chicago Park District are excited to announce that the Lincoln Park Conservatory is open to the public on a limited basis. 

Updated guidance from the Chicago Park District requires that masks be worn by all individuals in the building.

Hours: Wednesdays through Sundays from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, last admission at 2:00 pm. 

Registration required for entry. Timed entry every 15-minutes from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, all guests must exit by 3:00 pm. 

A limited number of pre-registered, timed-access tickets to enter the Lincoln Park Conservatory will be released on a rolling basis one week prior to the visitation date.

To reserve a ticket, visit our Eventbrite page or find button below. Please be sure to review the Covid-19 required changes described here. 

Important! Please arrive at the START of your ticket time. Due to Covid-19 precautions, late arrivals may be denied entry.

Daytime Phone: (312) 742-7736 

Handicap Accessibility: Two wheelchairs are available for your convenience while visiting the Conservatory, but must remain within the building. Wheelchairs are free and may be borrowed on a first-come, first-served basis, with a credit card or driver’s license, which will be held for deposit until the wheelchair is returned. 

Detailed Covid-19 mitigation measures: 

• To ensure safety, the number of people admitted at one time is at reduced capacity to help ensure social distancing. 
• All visitors and staff are advised to social distance from other individuals and/or groups during their visit.
• Hour-long reservations are available with timed-entry every 15-minutes from 10am to 3pm Wednesday through Sunday, with the last entry at 2pm. 
• It is crucial to our continued operation that you arrive on time at the START of your visit. If you are more than five minutes late your tickets may be canceled and given to someone waiting at the Conservatory. 
• At this time, we are allowing 20-25 people to enter the Conservatory every 15 minutes. We encourage visitors to register in advance, but a few tickets will be released every day to accommodate walk up visitors. Additionally, unclaimed tickets may be released if ticket holders don’t arrive for their scheduled visit.

• In an effort to ensure that the Lincoln Park Conservatory is as safe as possible for all, beginning 1/7/21 all visitors (ages 5 and up) must show proof of vaccination to enter the Conservatory.  Proof can include a physical vaccine card, a photocopy of the card, a digital record or app on your phone, or a printed record from a vaccine provider. Those 16 and over must also show a photo ID. Please note that masks are also still required to be worn over your mouth and nose for the entirety of your visit.  We thank you in advance for your continued cooperation and compliance and we look forward to welcoming you to the gardens soon.
• All visitors are encouraged to complete a COVID self check (available on the ticket page) before visiting the Conservatory. If you have are experiencing symptoms because of an unknown cause, please stay home.   

Photography Guidelines: 

To ensure a positive experience for all, please:  

• Help us protect our plants for the enjoyment of all visitors: Remain on the public paths. 
• Our paths are narrow: Please stay to one side so that other visitors, staff, and volunteers may pass. 
• There are no changing or storage facilities.  
• Staff and Volunteers cannot be responsible for left materials. 
• This is a public space: Individuals with a photo permit must share the space with all visitors. 

Visitors are welcome to take photos for personal use. Please don’t use tripods, lighting, reflectors, or props. 

Permits are required for:  

• Engagement photos, Wedding photos, and Cotillion photos. 
• Commercial (Advertising, Catalogs, Publications), Documentary photos, and Web-based media. 

Obtain a permit from the Chicago Park District: 

https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/permits-rentals/filming-photography 

Docent Tours: Docents are available and willing to share their knowledge of Chicago, the Conservatory, and the Plants in the Conservator with all interested visitors. 

Visitor Etiquette: While visiting the Conservatory & Gardens, please: 

• Follow Covid-19 safety protocols (Be prepared to wear a mask over nose and mouth and practice social distancing). 

• Stay on the public paths. 
• Leave all flowers and fruits where you find them for others to enjoy. Do not pick flowers or touch the plants. 
• Food and beverages can attract pests that damage plants, please do not eat or bring food into the conservatory. 
• The fish and turtles are on a controlled diet, please don’t feed them.
• The metal in coins can be harmful to the fish, please don’t throw coins into their pools. 
• Supervise your children so everyone may enjoy their Conservatory visit. 

Read more Frequently Asked Questions about visiting the Conservatory Lincoln-Reopen-FAQs20220104

2022 Spring Show Calendar 

• Spring Flower Show: “Vertical” – February 26, 2022 – May 8, 2022

To learn more about the Conservatory visit our Conservatory project page. 

COVID-19 Self Check

All visitors are encouraged to complete this self check before visiting the Conservatory.

• Have you, or anyone in your household, had any of the following symptoms because of an unknown cause in the last 14 days: Fever (temperature over 100.3 F), Cough, Sore Throat, Shortness of Breath, a Loss of Smell or Taste.

• Have you, anyone in your household, or anyone you have been in close contact with, been diagnosed with COVID-19, or been placed on quarantine for possible contact with COVID-19 in the past 14 days?

• Have you or anyone in your household traveled to a high transmission area outside of Illinois or the country in the past 14 days?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, please schedule your visit for another date. We look forward to welcoming you then.

Address: The 15-acre sanctuary is located in Lincoln Park between Fullerton and Diversey Parkways, and Stockton and Cannon Drives.

Hours: 6 am to 11 pm every day

Daytime Phone: (773) 883-7275

Handicapped Accessibility: The North Pond Nature Sanctuary is handicapped accessible, except for certain mulched shoreline paths and the fly-casting pier.

Visitor Etiquette: While visiting North Pond Nature Sanctuary, please:

• No fishing — the pier is for fly-casting practice only.
• Protect habitat by staying on the paths.
• Do not pick flowers or remove natural elements.
• Dogs and bicycle-riding are not allowed on the shoreline nature trails.
• For their own safety, please keep dogs leashed and out of the water.
• No swimming or boating allowed.
• Keep off ice in winter

Why We Ask You Not to Feed Wildlife:

• Feeding birds at the Pond is a fun interaction, but harmful in the long run. Human food is not meant for their digestion, and leftovers attract rodents.
• Feeding waterfowl can disrupt natural migratory behavior.
• Feeding ducks and geese increases their numbers and alters the ecosystem. Huge flocks of these birds pollute the water and litter the lawn with their droppings. When birds are crowded, diseases spread more quickly.
• Birds need natural nutrients from a diet of plants, seeds, and insects. Bread and human food are like junk food, filling their stomachs with unhealthy food that can make them sick. It also discourages birds from foraging for natural food.
• Feeding causes dependency on people and make birds susceptible to human abuse or harm when they become trusting of everyone they approach.
• Feeding wildlife makes them bold. When animals lose their natural fear of humans, it causes uncomfortable, even fearful, encounters with park visitors who do not trust or like such close encounters with wild animals.