Great location taking amazing photos for wedding or your family album. It might be crowded some times but you can always find a great shot for your photo. This place has a Japanese garden vibes and this makes is a more desirable location for taking unique photos. I would suggest that you come near the sun set so you can use the magic light effects of your photos.

You have to visit Alfred Caldwell If u like a nice quiet and romantic place. You can access here with bike or car. Enjoy the park and take nice pictures with your beloved ones.Enjoy this hidden treasure.

Wonderful space but the security guy kicks everyone out an hour early so he can go home. This has happened every time Ive visited this year, well before sunset. Lazy

Like a secret garden tucked away. Entrance is off Fullerton. Truly remarkable, great place for photos. Tranquil and serene, no charge to enter and walk through. It would be a challenge for anyone in a wheelchair, or with a stroller tho.

Extremely peaceful! Nice place to relax and focus on nature. Mini waterfalls, streams, & plenty of paths offering shaded areas to sit & take it all in.

The historic Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is a hidden gem, a tranquil respite for all, and a masterpiece of Prairie architecture. Professional photographers must register with the Chicago Park District BEFORE doing photo shoots. Please respect others and keep your conversations on the quiet side and if you have children please dont allow them to run about because the stone paths and steps are uneven.

Beautiful architecture placed perfectly around this Lily pond. One of my favorite locations in Chicago. From picnics to photoshoots, this spot is perfect for any occasion

This is an absolutely gorgeous little place hidden inside of Lincoln Park.

A calm and peaceful place to spend your afternoon and be close to nature.

As a portrait and wedding photographer I totally love this place! It’s very photogenic with great light. Great place for an engagement session or intimate wedding ceremony.

Such a pretty little gem in the middle of a city. It feels like you are in the middle of nowhere! Definitely worth a little walk through. There are cool places nearby to visit also!

Wonderful small park hidden away nearby the zoo. Definitely worth a visit to enjoy the beautiful landscaping and peaceful atmosphere!

The enchanting Lily Pool hides in a plot northeast of the Lincoln Park Conservatory, at the corner of Fullerton and Cannon Drs. Built in 1938 by landscape architect Jens Jenson, the garden is designated a National Historic Landmark for its Prairie School style, native-plant use and stonework that resembles the stratified canyons of the Wisconsin Dells.

Beautiful, peaceful hidden spot in the city. Love that I stumbled across this little gem.

My children loves it. They want to stay longer in the place so relaxing.

An amazing secret hiding in Lincoln Park, a beautiful very quite and calming park. Also the frogs make funny noises. Great venue for wedding photos or a nice walking date.

Beautiful small park with a lily pool and a party around it. Its a national historic landmark.

A beautiful natural world oasis to relax and connect with mother nature. Great place to meditate and read a book.

This is a really peaceful place to stop in if youre in the area and want to get away from the city. Beautiful views and a nice pace to stroll through.

It’s hidden place but worth to go there

Such a relaxing place.

A hidden gem. Free to enjoy

Beautiful scenery. Good date idea.

Our family loves park including this one.

Beautiful place! Worth visiting!

Peaceful spot. Knowledgable docents.

Stunning. Gorgeous hidden gem.

One of my favorite spots in Chicago. Peaceful and beatiful area to get away from the city atmosphere. Seriously, the moment I step into this place I feel like Im in a different place outside of Chicago. I reccommned you visit this place during the Summer, its gorgeous!

Beautiful. Lovely pond and wonderful stonework.

A real hidden gem in Lincoln Park, Chicago. A very peaceful and beautiful oasis just outside the Lincoln Park Zoo. When youre in this area, search Google maps for this location.

Very lovely, tranquil place to visit in solitude in the city.

The Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is a great place to relax and unwind. A peaceful oasis to walk through or stop and enjoy the natural landscaping and natural wildlife.Its a quiet part of the Lincoln Park Zoo, and you can enter from the street or from inside the zoo. A perfect place to take your lunch and enjoy a little bit of wilderness in our great city!#CityExperts @GoogleLocalCHI #PartyonLG

A true gem of landscaping and park architecture. This pool has a lot of historical significance for Chicago Architecture.Would have been nice if it were ever open to the public. Its always closed because someone is proposing.

The secret garden!! Happened across this wonderful place and always bring friends when they come through town. I live the rock sidewalk designs!

I give the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pond in Lincoln Park five stars. I have lived in Chicago my entire life and have been to the Lincoln Park Zoo dozens and dozens but times, and I cannot believe that I have never been to this beautiful Hidden Gem. It truly is an oasis in the city, and after reading how much Alfred Caldwell sacrificed to see this project to completion after the Great Depression hit, Im even more grateful to him and his family for giving us this beautiful architectural landscape feature. It really is the kind of place where you have to sit still for at least 60 Minutes to truly be able to take it all in. It is a masterpiece in a wonderful City that already has so many great architectural and naturalist landmarks.

Beautiful location! Close to Fullerton and North Ave. beaches. Is man made but modeled after natural parts of Chicago before humans.

If youre walking through Lincoln Park or making your way to the lake, dont miss this sweet spot! If its nice out, meander around the lily pool and enjoy! Maybe youll catch a small wedding being held or see some wildlife!

Great place for families to visit. Some parts are not stroller-friendly, but it is calming. Considering it is next to Lake Shore Drive, the trees help with the noise.

Enjoyed revisiting this welcoming lily pool that is right next to Lincoln Park Zoo & the Lincoln Park Conservatory. There is nearby free street parking on Stockton Dr. & Cannon Dr. if your willing to walk a short distance or a nearby pay for parking lot. All of this is across the street from the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Bring a picnic and spend the day in the area and enjoy it all.

Amazing little secret

Beautiful park! It was perfect for our cosplay group to meet and take photos. Very clean and well maintained.

Nice little pool behind the conservatory. See the turtles and ducklings swimming around. I also saw a green heron!

It is like secret garden! So peaceful and beautiful!

A wonderful place to escape the busy city. So beautiful

A beautiful pond with lilypads. Great to go to on a sunny day and it has an entrance right into the Lincoln Park zoo

I lived in Chicago for 9 years, and really wish I had known about this place sooner! It is absolutely an oasis in the middle of the city. I mean, there are lots of cool parts of Lincoln Park, but this one really stands out. Partially, or perhaps mostly, because it is enclosed. You can’t see the rest of the park or the city, so you’re entirely surround by water and plants and bugs and birds. Fortunately I didn’t notice any mosquitos (phew!) which is surprising given the amount of standing water. And the birds!! I’ve never gotten to be so close to such huge and majestic birds!! Like 3 or 4 of them, different varieties (I wish I could give you more details). This will definitely be a place I return to again and again when I am back visiting this city. I wish I could see what it looks like in each season..... too bad I’m never coming back in the winter :D

Beautiful and very quiet. It’s a nice little area to relax and recharge.

A wonderful oasis in Chicago, and it almost didnt exist. There really is some cool history behind beautiful park, ending with the architect, Caldwell, having to cash in his $5000 life just to buy the plants to make this place a reality.A true hidden gem, most people dont know this place exists or a too busy visiting Lincoln Park to stop by. Its a perfect place to unwind or just take a stroll around.

This little gem of a park is tucked away just north of Lincoln park zoo. Its calm beauty is the perfect backdrop for a leisurely stroll with your family (or your besties!). The path features many natural stone steps, so this is perhaps not the best place for folks with mobility issues. Be sure to check it out next time you visit the zoo or the lakefront, and bring your camera and bug spray!

Great for family and walks

Places of solitude. Solace. Elements of renewal. Stone to ground. Support. Water to refresh. Reflect. Only the sound of a gentle waterfall, to mask the noise of the outside world. Its deliberate. Built in, perfectly blended.Circular benches, winding paths of stepping stones taking you in, to the clearing. Water lilies, for hope, renewal. Happens without conscious awareness. Its why you feel better after being here. Calmer. If you take the time. Although its not deliberate, places like this are out of the way. They should be hidden, sadly less accessible for some but its not for everyone. You have to want to find it. This was a favorite place as the Rookery, part of the Zoo. I felt so bad when it closed for so long. Grateful that it was renewed, revitalized. Its ecology stabilized, without invasive flora, fauna. Historic. National landmark. Returned to its original name. Idyllic. Peaceful. Restful. Beautiful. Renew here.

Good place

Really nice Lilly pool with a nice little pavilion. Nice place to come to withdraw from the crowds. In general, it is not too crowded, however during the summer tours are conducted regularly (which I believe are free). Lots of seating by way of Rocky surfaces, not so many benches. Some steps and uneven surfaces.

Natural setting in the city for peace and reflection

This place is very near to the Lincoln Park Zoo, but there is no direct entrance from the Zoo, but one can exit pool area directly to the Zoo. This is very quiet, peaceful and romantic place which is also very good for relax or meditation or just feeling the nature

This place is beautiful! A hidden gem in the heart of Chicago. Great walking paths and, of course, the Lily pool - wonderful!

A masterpiece of arts and crafts landscape design. Everything looks like it should exist in nature. Every so often a wedding party photo sessions but for the most part moderate to light crowds lessening before and after summer. Must see it during peak fall foliage.

Beautiful serenity place in the heart of the city!

The Lily Pond is one of those places that comes with the Anthony Bourdain dilemma: You want to share it with the world, but you also dont want anyone to know about it so that it remains as it is.

The Lily Pool is so peaceful. I love coming here when I can and Ill bring anyone here who hasnt seen it. Theres a guide to take you around the pool and tell you the history of the pool, the reason for the natural landscaping, and the story about the Japanese Maple.There are turtles in the pool if you look closely and benches around for you to just sit and relax. If you have a minute and are nearby stroll over here for some relaxation in Nature.

Great hidden gem.

Great little spot to get away. The pond is calming and the small loop around it is a nice little walk.

A beautiful and quiet place in the city. The landscaping of the area is influenced by the school of Frank Loyd Wright.

A nice quaint area for a quiet meditation

Its absolutely beautiful

One of my favorite spots in all of Chicago

An oft overlooked park in the city. A great little spot to sit a while and enjoy the lily pool, waterfall, or small Prairie Style pavilion. Be sure to check the seasonal park hours before you head over.

I love this place! The city noises are entirely drowned out, surprising given its location. The lily ponds are beautiful, and this is a serene peaceful place to take a relaxing stroll or sit a while.

The Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool seems very well hidden with its unassuming entrances. It has great examples of Prairie architecture in a serene, non-urban environment. There arent any railings anywhere so watch yourself around the waters edge.

Lovely gem of a park in the city. Many great photo opportunities.

I quite, beautiful place to take a peaceful walk through. I great location to take photos at. Entry is free and open only during the day.

Serenity now!!!

Nice and beautiful place. It seems like the pond needs some maintenance though

Its a great spot by the water

Romantic, great date spot.

This is such a hidden gem in Chicago. I thank one of my friends who showed me this one Saturday, when didnt have anything to do. So she decided we should nothing at this magical place and she was right. Just choose a rock, sit down and appreciate the environment. I even saw a wedding one day and it was beautiful. Tip: in the high summer season I advise taking some repellent with you. Because of all the plants and flowers, mosquitoes are abundant.

Great peaceful spot to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Come here, be one with nature, and relax.

An oasis in the middle of a big urban area

So peaceful. Hard to believe theres a six lane highway within 50 yards.

This is one of the off the beaten path finds in chicago. It is very unassuming from the street, but it is one of the most beautiful places to have lunch. And it has a one way entrance to the zoo that I think is nifty.

Great place to just chill

My favorite spot in Chicago. Absolutely gorgeous place.

Hidden gem. Also a secret entrance to the zoo. But it only lets you into the zoo, not out.

This is a hidden treasure in the park. Its a calm and peaceful place to sit and just relax. This place does a good job at drowning out the city noise, enough that you could almost forget about it.The path will take you around the pond and through a lot of native plants. As the name suggests the pond is fill with lilys. If you are in Lincoln Park this is worth it to stop by and see. There is also a direct entrance to the zoo from the path.

The kids loved it.

Gorgeous! Im afraid to let too many people know about this place because I dont want it to be crowded when I go back.

Wonderful slice if nature in Chicago

Beautiful location and I cant wait to visit again

Beautiful place in the center of the city! Only thing is need to check the hours before visiting, as it is closed for the winter and sometimes is closed for private events

Simply put: a beautiful escapade within the city.

Its a beautiful place. Its peaceful when its empty but expect it to be packed with people.

Best place to relax

A hidden gem, and probably the best place in Chicago to take your tinder profile photo.

Great place for a date, really enjoy my time here and the break form the city

Nice hidden away refuge. So peaceful, & quiet, & ...nature-y.

A beautiful and quite place in the midst of noise of the big city.

Its a beautiful place...

Lovely serene spot.

Great place for nature/️ walk.

Secluded find.