As an animal lover, I am always looking for opportunities to get up close and personal with them. Being in an urban area means having to put forth a bit more effort to make this happen. So I did my research and traveled around to find all of the places you can see animals in Chicago and the suburbs surrounding it. I have compiled the ultimate master list categorized by location. Read on and find an animal excursion near you.

In Chicago

Lincoln Park Zoo

Located on Chicago’s north side Lincoln Park Zoo enjoys a lovely skyline view of the city. It is also free to the public though parking will cost you. Lincoln Park Zoo is a great spot to see a variety of zoo animals. For a list of animals at Lincoln Park Zoo click here.

Shedd Aquarium

The Shedd Aquarium is one of several popular attractions located along Lake Michigan in downtown Chicago. The Shedd hosts a large array of aquatic animals and fish presented in a way that allows you to get up close and personal. You can also enjoy their aquatics show at an additional cost. Like all of the Museum Campus attractions Shedd Aquarium comes at a fairly high cost plus parking but it is a very high quality family attraction. For a full post about visiting the aquarium click here.

North Park Village Nature Center

I questioned whether to include this on the list as I wanted to include only spots where you will for sure see animals and not just locations that are good for possibly spotting wildlife. However, since the Deer herd seems to be so permanently located  in their home here I determined it was worth including it. The deer are quite tame and will let you get right up close to them to  view. They also have a nice nature center with different natural artifacts. Thier woodland and Savannah walking trails are the most beautiful trails on this list.  When we visited they happened to be hosting some outdoor theatre as well which was a fun plus.

North Suburbs

Busse Woods

Located in the North Suburbs of Chicago is the Ned Brown Preserve, also known as Busse Woods. It is located in the aptly named Elk Grove Village, IL and is home to several Elk. We took advantage of all that the preserve has to offer which includes hiking and fishing in addition to the Elk. For a full post about Busse Woods click here.

River Trail Nature Center

The River Trail Nature Center in Northbrook, IL has a good selection of local wildlife to view. We were able to see Birds, Squirrels, Reptiles, Skunk, Coyote, Fish, Amphibians and Birds of Prey.

Lambs Farm

Lambs Farm operate their resteraunt and other attractions all with the goal to help enrich the lives of persons with disabilities. This includes a thrift shop, bakery, petting zoo, animal shelter,mini train, carousel and of course the farmyard. They offer the perfect place for a day of family fun all in support of a great cause.

Santa’s Village Amusement Park

Santa’s Village is more of a carnival then a zoo. It hosts numerous thrill rides and animal attractions with a Christmas theme maintained all year round. You can check out all their animal attractions here.

Lords Park Zoo

Located in Lords Park of Elgin, IL is the Lords Park Zoo. All year round you can peek at the Buffalo, Elk and Deer foraging. In the summer they add additional farm animals rented from local farms and the zoo officially opens. It’s located on the same grounds as the Elgin Public Museum which had further taxidermies animals and natural history exhibits to enjoy.

West Suburbs

Trailside Museum of Natural History

The Trailside Museum is located in River Forest in a beautiful old Victorian mansion bordering the trails of Thatcher Woods Glen. They host a number of small native animals and artifacts inside their education center and regularly host free community events and entertainment. They hosted a butterfly migration event when I visited which was particularly cute and interactive.

Brookfield Zoo

Brookfield Zoo is the larger and more popular of the closest two zoos. They host a ton of holiday themed events year round and have a large selection of animals. For more information about Brookfield zoo’s animals click here.

Willowbrook Wildlife Center

Willowbrook Wildlife Center is a rehabilitation facility that provides care and medical treatment to injured and orphaned wild animals brought in from the local community. You can visit their center in Glen Ellyn and view the animals they are currently caring for. Which animals they have  varies on what is brought in making each visit a unique and local experience. 

Cosley Zoo

Located in Wheaton, Cosley Zoo hosts in particular farm animals and native Illinois wildlife. For the Cosley Zoo  full species list click here.

Fermilab

Fermilab company maintains it’s own Bison Heard located in Batavia, IL. Bison’s large size make them a particularly exciting animal to view and there is no cost to drive over there for a look.  In addition to the Bison Field  their other fields are supposed to be a good spot for some bird spotting, particularly geese.

Blackberry Farm

In addition to the expected farm animals, Blackberry Farms hosts amusement rides, and a living history museum,  train, hay wagon, pedal tractors, paddle boats, carousel and an Ice skating rink in winter. Blackberry Farms is located in Aurora so it’s a bit more of a trek if you’re coming from the city.

Phillips Park Zoo

Phillips Park Zoo established in 1915 in Aurora is a family friendly and free attraction.They have mostly North American animals and reptiles. For a list of their animals click here.  

 Randall Oaks Zoo

Randall Oaks Zoo houses farm animals and bird species. What makes it special is that they have opportunities for feeding and petting the animals. Randall Oaks is located in West Dundee. 

South Suburbs

Little Red School House Nature Center

Little Red School House Nature Center is located in Willow Springs and indeed has a red school house onsite. In their more modern visitors center are small live animals. It also houses nature exhibits and a children’s activity room. There are trails along Longhorn Slough that are surrounded by beautiful wildflowers and are a great spot for bird watching. 

Sand Ridge Nature Center

Sand Ridge Nature Center hosts a small area of indoor exhibits and wildlife for viewing. I also hiked the trails which run through  prairies, oak savannas and woodlands, ancient beaches ,sand dunes, marshes and ponds.  On the trails I additionally viewed numerous wild birds, frogs and turtles.

Big Run Wolf Ranch

Big Run Wolf Ranch is an education and rescue facility for North American Wildlife. They are not open to the public most days but host open houses where you can come see the animals approximately once a month. Check their website for their next date here. Parking for the event is at the local Walmart and they bus you to the site.  They can be a bit crowded on nice weather days so I had a significant wait for their bus to the site.Once there it is an opportunity to get up close with their wolves, tiger, bear, and other small mammals. I even got to pet a skunk.