Farm in the Zoo, Chicago, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

Farm in the Zoo is a farm exhibit inside Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, where visitors can meet barnyard animals up close and see how food and farm life connect to the city. It sits within the zoo grounds off N Stockton Dr, in Lincoln Park, and is an easy, friendly stop for families and anyone curious about farming.

The story behind it

Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the United States, and it began in 1868 with a gift of a pair of swans from New York's Central Park. It has long been known as a zoo that people can enter without paying admission, which is part of why it feels like a piece of the park rather than a separate attraction.

The farm exhibit has been part of the zoo for decades. Its idea is simple: in a city whose growth was tied to railroads, grain and the livestock trade, many city children have never seen a cow, a pig or a goat. Here they can see these animals, watch how they behave and learn what they are raised for.

What to look for

• The barns and farm buildings, which give the exhibit a rural look right in the middle of a big city park.
• The farm animals themselves, such as cows, pigs, goats, sheep and horses, each of which tends to behave very differently from the others.
• The information signs beside the animals, which explain what each one is, what it eats and how people use it on a farm.
• The contrast between the barnyard and the busy city around the park, which you notice as soon as you step outside the exhibit.

Tips for your visit

• Plan about 30 to 45 minutes for the farm itself, longer if you are visiting with young children who like to linger by the animals.
• Go in the morning if you can, when the animals are usually more active and the paths are quieter.
• Check current opening hours and any special schedules, such as animal demonstrations, before you go.
• Combine it with other places close by in Lincoln Park, such as the Lincoln Park Conservatory and the Nature Boardwalk, for an easy half day outdoors.

See it on a quest

Play Kid Quest: Solve the case of the lost senses in Chicago to see Farm in the Zoo as one stop of a longer walk through the area. You reach each place on foot, the app tells you about it when you arrive, and you solve a puzzle right in front of you. It is a playful way to pay attention to the sights, sounds and smells of a place like this, and it works well for families. One ticket covers the whole group.