When the park is covered with snow, cross-country skiers traverse its flat fields. Lincoln Park is also the site of Theatre on the Lake , Lincoln Park Conservatory , Lincoln Park Zoo and the Chicago Historical Society . Lakefront beaches are open mid-June though Labor Day. But half the fun is discovering things you've never seen before. Free museum admission on Thursday.
Boats still dock here year-round, now for tours and dinner cruises.
The pier is a bustling place to go for a short walk or to browse the shops, which include book and toy stores and souvenir booths. Special attractions are the Chicago Children's Museum , six-story IMAX Theater and the outdoor Skyline Stage . There is also an outdoor ice-skating rink during the winter. And from mid-June through the end of August on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday nights, the Grant Park Music Festival sponsors free evening concerts with the Loop skyline as a stunning backdrop. An Independence Day-eve concert coordinated with a fireworks display is a tradition on July 3.