Cafe Brauer at Lincoln Park Zoo
Select services venue
The venue will provide the space, plus a few extras.
Full wedding (ceremony and reception) pricing
Starting at $12,000
Guest capacity
Up to 230 seated guests
About this venue
Cafe Brauer at Lincoln Park Zoo combines historic charm with natural beauty, creating a magical wedding venue in Chicago. The venue’s grand ballroom features stunning architecture and views of the surrounding park and skyline. Guests appreciate the seamless blend of indoor and outdoor spaces, perfect for ceremonies and receptions. The dedicated staff ensures a personalized and smooth event, from planning to execution. For couples seeking a unique and enchanting setting, Cafe Brauer offers a truly unforgettable experience.
Our event spaces
Cafe Brauer
A Timeless, Prairie-Style Landmark with Stunning Skyline Views
Café Brauer is one of Chicago’s most highly prized rental venues for good reason. This timeless prairie style landmark completed in 1908 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The second floor Great Hall is the centerpiece, with its soaring, sky lit roof, Tiffany inspired glass chandeliers, stained glass windows, tile mosaics and flanking curved outdoor loggias. Imagine gorgeous indoor and outdoor space offering earth-toned elegance against the city skyline.
Guest capacity
Up to 230 Seated
Up to 400 Standing
Square footage
3,900
Ideal for
Wedding reception, Rehearsal dinner, Wedding shower, Welcome party, Farewell brunch, Couples luncheon, Cocktail hour
Cafe Brauer
A Timeless, Prairie-Style Landmark with Stunning Skyline Views
Café Brauer is one of Chicago’s most highly prized rental venues for good reason. This timeless prairie style landmark completed in 1908 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The second floor Great Hall is the centerpiece, with its soaring, sky lit roof, Tiffany inspired glass chandeliers, stained glass windows, tile mosaics and flanking curved outdoor loggias. Imagine gorgeous indoor and outdoor space offering earth-toned elegance against the city skyline.
Guest capacity
Up to 230 Seated
Up to 400 Standing
Square footage
3,900
Ideal for
Wedding reception, Rehearsal dinner, Wedding shower, Welcome party, Farewell brunch, Couples luncheon, Cocktail hour
Available services that can be provided by Cafe Brauer at Lincoln Park Zoo
Services & amenities
- Bar services
- Catering services
- Clean up
- Dance floor
- Event rentals
- Event staff
- Service staff
- Set up
- Wheelchair accessible
- Wifi
Transportation & access
- Self parking - free
- Self parking - paid
- Valet - paid
- Wheelchair accessible
Rentals
- Barware
- China
- Flatware
- Glassware
- Linens
- Standard Chairs
Reviews
Write a review4.9 out of 5
8 reviews
- CC
Camille C.
Working with Ellen Woods
This review could be 10 pages long, but as a planner, whenever I am working with Ellen, I know we are going to have the most incredible experience where every detail is thoughtful and nothing is ever overlooked. Ellen goes above and beyond for every single client that she has. From the tour, to the tasting, and everything leading up the the day itself, Ellen handles herself with grace and poise under pressure and always makes sure that things run seamlessly behind the scenes. She truly creates an exceptional day for her couples and gets to know them as people. You can always count on her get back to you quickly, remember the small details that are important to you, and be kind and generous throughout the entire process. She is the type of person that you want to spend time, enjoy working with you, and is all around just such a sweetheart. I love working with Ellen and I know you will too.
Tigerlily Events at Lincoln Park Zoo•Apr 9, 2026Appreciate your kind words so much!!! Thank you Camille! Love working with you as well! :)
- IM
Ian M.
Beautiful historic venue
My wife and I got married at Cafe Brauer in October 2025 and we've been hearing nonstop from our guests that they were blown away by the venue. We used both Cafe Brauer and the Honeycomb nearby. Part of why we chose Cafe Brauer was their in-house catering team which has some the best food we've had at a wedding. Our event/venue coordinator, Ellen, was phenomenal, had everything taken care of, and worked with us on a few custom/unique things we wanted.
Tigerlily Events at Lincoln Park Zoo•Oct 30, 2025Thank you so much for your kind words, Ian! We loved working with you and Rachel to bring your wedding vision to life! Congratulations and thanks for celebrating with us!
- MP
Margaret P.
We love Cafe Brauer!
We can’t say enough wonderful things about our experience at Cafe Brauer and with Tigerlily Events as our caterer—our wedding day was truly perfect, and so much of that is thanks to this incredible team. From the very beginning, working with Ellen, our event coordinator, was an absolute dream. She was unbelievably organized, incredibly responsive, and endlessly patient. Her knowledge, calm demeanor, and clear communication made planning feel manageable and even fun. We truly owe so much of our stress-free day to Ellen—she thought of everything before we even had to ask and handled every detail with such care and professionalism. Our guests are still raving about the food—it was creative, flavorful, and beautifully presented. From passed apps to dinner service, everything was top-notch. And the service throughout the evening was just as impressive. Everything ran smoothly from start to finish, with no hiccups at all. We felt so well taken care of, and so did our guests. The venue itself is absolutely stunning, and the layout worked perfectly for our group of about 165 people. We rented the Honeycomb for our ceremony, which was a gorgeous and unique setting to exchange vows. The Loggia was ideal for cocktail hour—spacious and scenic—and we had zero issues with bathroom capacity even with our full guest count. The main reception space felt full of energy but never overcrowded, and the dance floor was lively all night without ever feeling cramped. Our wedding party loved having access to the upper balcony to tuck away bags and take a breather when needed. From start to finish, we felt completely supported and so grateful to be in such good hands. The beauty of the venue speaks for itself, but it’s the people behind it—especially Ellen and the Tigerlily team—that make it truly exceptional. Thank you for helping us create the most unforgettable day! If you’re considering booking Cafe Brauer for your wedding, just know you will be in great hands, and you are choosing one of the most beautiful, vintage, unique venues in Chicago!
- NF
Natalie F.
Dream Come True
Café Brauer was my absolute dream venue, and the entire experience exceeded every expectation. The space is stunning, the architecture and historic charm speak for themselves and hardly need additional décor to feel wedding ready. We had the pleasure of working with Ellen from our first tour to the day-of (and even after!) and she was incredible every step of the way. Ellen was extremely attentive, she answered every question and handled every request with such grace and care. I always felt supported, and she truly went above and beyond—coordinating seamlessly with our planner, florist, and other vendors to ensure our day was nothing short of perfect. It meant so much to feel like someone genuinely cared about our day through it all. We also used Café Brauer’s in-house caterer, Tigerlily, and the compliments haven’t stopped rolling in. Guests are still reaching out to us—as well as our parents—saying it was the most beautiful wedding they’ve attended and hands-down the best wedding food they’ve ever had. I couldn’t recommend Café Brauer and Ellen more. It was everything we dreamed of and more!!
- AM
Alexa M.
The most gorgeous venue in Chicago
There isn't a more beautiful venue in Chicago, hands down. On top of that, the kindness and professionalism of our point-of-contact Natalie made it clear we made the right choice in booking Café Brauer for our November wedding. Natalie was incredibly thoughtful and responsive throughout our time working together, answering tons and tons of questions from us. The day of our wedding went so smoothly (seriously, it was perfect?!), and we know Natalie had a big hand in achieving that. If you're looking for a beautiful, bespoke venue with gorgeous views of the city that will awe both you and your guests, you've found it. And if you're looking for catering services, go with the in-house option: Tigerlily Events! The chefs were so accommodating of dietary restrictions (my husband is allergic to the major eight, and then some), and we received SO many compliments on the food.
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