If you’re exploring Lincoln Park with little ones, make sure to stop at Cummings Playground for a play break.
 

Lincoln Park stretches an impressive 1,100 acres along Lake Michigan from the Gold Coast downtown all the way up to the city’s northern limits. The park has five playgrounds, with Cummings Playground being the closest to the park’s most popular places: the Lincoln Park Zoo, Conservatory, and Nature Boardwalk, as well as Fullerton Beach and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. 

The playground occupies a leafy stretch of park space, tucked between a row of elegant prewar buildings and the west entrance to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Taking inspiration from the zoo, the playground’s design includes statues of some of the zoo’s wild inhabitants: a tortoise, leopards, an orangutan, and an adorable baby elephant. Younger children will love having the chance to pet and climb on animals they viewed at the zoo.

Babies and toddlers will love the big sandbox. Its activity tables will keep them occupied for a long time. A manageable play set next to the sand box has small steps and a gentle slide that are safe for very little kids. 

The playground also contains bigger play sets, baby swings, larger swings, and rope climbers, which make it appealing for a wide age range of children. Benches situated beneath the shade of the trees offer a perfect spot for a snack or a rest. 

It gets busy on weekends due to the playground’s proximity to the zoo and the neighborhood’s popularity with families. Some great child-friendly dining options nearby include R.J. Grunts, Café Brauer, and the Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company.