Lincoln Park in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Men’s and Ladies’ Comfort Station
Joseph Lyman Silsbee, architect; 1888
| — | Chicago Landmark | — |
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 14, 2026
1. Men’s and Ladies’ Comfort Station Marker
Designated on February 5, 2003
Richard M. Daley, Mayor
Erected by Commission on Chicago Landmarks, City of Chicago.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Parks & Recreational Areas • Women. In addition, it is included in the Frank Lloyd Wright, the If You've Got to Go..., and the Illinois, Chicago Landmarks Commission series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1888.
Location. 41° 55.123′ N, 87° 38.04′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Lincoln Park. It can be reached from North Stockton Drive 0.4 miles north of LaSalle Drive (Illinois Route 64), on the
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Learning to Live Together (within shouting distance of this marker); Landmark Landings (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Père David's Deer (about 300 feet away); “Rites of Spring” (about 300 feet away); Native Nature (about 400 feet away); A Unique Survival Story (about 400 feet away); Planned for Plants (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Père David's Deer (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 14, 2026
2. Carlson Cottage
Regarding Men’s and Ladies’ Comfort Station. This small building—the only bathroom building to be designated a Chicago Landmark—opened in 1888 as toilets for patrons of the Lincoln Park Zoo. The building closed in the 1950s and sat vacant until 1995, when it was repurposed as the headquarters for the zoo's volunteer gardening program. Attempts to restore the building over the following years were stymied by a lack of period photographs of the building; that changed when a long-lost engraving from an old newsletter was uncovered. Finally in 2008, a renovation of the building was finally completed.
Also see . . .
1. Mystery, renovation and award for a zoo bathroom. From ABC-7 in Chicago, a 2008 story about the restoration of the old bathroom structure at the Lincoln Park Zoo. (Submitted on February 14, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. Carlson Cottage at Lincoln Park Zoo. From the Tour America's History blog (Submitted on February 14, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
3. Joseph Lyman Silsbee biography.
Excerpt: "'Silsbee could draw with amazing ease. He drew(Submitted on February 14, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)with soft, deep black lead-pencil strokes and he would make remarkable free-hand sketches of that type of dwelling peculiarly his own at the time. His superior talent in design had made him respected in Chicago. His work was a picturesque combination of gable turret and hip with broad porches quietly domestic and gracefully picturesque. A contrast to the awkward stupidities and brutalities of the period elsewhere.'Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 14, 20263. Men’s and Ladies’ Comfort Station Marker
- F. L. Wright, 'An Autobiography'"
Credits. This page was last revised on February 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 14, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 67 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 14, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
