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.

Seated guest capacity

  • 50-230

Venue type

  • Aquariums, Zoos
  • Ballrooms, Banquet Halls

Venue setting

  • Covered Outdoor
  • Indoor
2021 N Stockton Dr, Chicago, IL 60614

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
  • Chiavari Chairs
  • China
  • Flatware
  • Glassware
  • Linens
  • Standard Chairs

Reviews

Write a review

4.8 out of 5

6 reviews

Write a review

  • We love Cafe Brauer!

    •Verified review
    •Margaret P.•Jun 9

    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!

  • Dream Come True

    •Verified review
    •Natalie F.•Apr 7, 2025

    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!!

  • The most gorgeous venue in Chicago

    •Verified review
    •Alexa M.•Nov 9, 2024

    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.

  • Best decision we made

    •Verified review
    •Grace A.•Apr 18, 2024

    Ellen Woods knocked it out of the park! We absolutely made the right decision in selecting Tigerlily as our wedding caterer and Cafe Brauer as our venue. From start to finish (even after our wedding day!), Ellen answered all of our questions thoroughly and in a timely manner, remaining flexible and patient, working closely with her beverage director and catering to ensure our St Patrick's Day wedding was stellar. The tastings & meetings were personal with extreme attention to detail all the way through. The speed of flipping the Great Hall from ceremony to reception was superb, even our guests commented on it! To top it off, Ellen made sure that the exterior of the building looked 110% prior to our big day; she truly did everything in her power to make things happen for us and saw it through. Thank you Ellen and the entire team of Tigerlily Events!

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