Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
188
For Train Lovers
Chicago and trains go together like, well, kids and trains. From little red street-
cars to thundering steam trains, two area museums are the places to ride the
rails—and maybe even learn a bit about history.
A t the
Fox River Trolley Museum
(
&
847/697-4676;
www.foxtrolley.org)
in west suburban South Elgin, hop a trolley and ride a real electric railway that
first opened on July 4, 1896. The 3-mile ride takes y ou along the banks of the
scenic Fox River. The Aurora, Elgin, and F ox River Electric Co. Interurban Line
once connected communities along the F ox R iver, including C arpentersville,
Elgin, Aurora, and Yorkville. The railway was abandoned to passenger traffic in
1935, and in 1972 the museum purchased part of the line. At the museum you
can check out antique trolleys from 1891 to 1952. The museum's most popular
annual event is the P umpkin Trolley, run on 2 w eekends in Oc tober. Ride the
trolley to the museum's pumpkin patch, pick your own, and head back t o the
museum for a picnic lunch and a visit t o the museum store.
The museum is at 361 S. LaF ox St. (I llinois Rte. 31) in S outh Elgin, about 40
miles west of Chicago. Fares are $3.50 for adults, and $2 for seniors and children
3 to 11. Additional rides are 50¢. Open dates change yearly: In 2008, the museum
was open on Sunda ys from May 11 to November 2 from 11am to 5pm, and on
Saturdays from June 28 t o August 1, and Oc tober 11, 18, and 25 fr om 11am t o
5pm. Check the website for dates in 2009 and bey ond. To get there, take I-90 or
U.S. Rte. 20 west to Elgin, and exit on I llinois Rte. 31 southbound. To make it an
all-train day, take the M etra commuter train t o Elgin on the M ilwaukee District
West Line. Then take P ace bus no . 801 t o State Street, South Elgin, and walk 3
blocks south to the museum (or take a taxi fr om the Elgin train station).
America's largest railway museum is the
Illinois Railway Museum
(www.
irm.org) located in Union, about 60 miles northwest of Chicago. With 120 acres
6
The gift shop at the O riental I nstitute, called the S uq, stocks many unique items,
including reproductions of pieces in the museum's collection. Allow 1 hour.
1155 E. 58th St. (at Univ ersity A ve.).
&
773/702-9514.
http://oi.uchicago .edu. F ree admission; sug-
gested donation $5 adults, $2 children. Tues and Thurs-Sat 10am-6pm (Wed until 8:30pm); Sun noon-
6pm. Bus: 6 or Metra Electric train to 57th St. and Lake Park Ave.
Polish Museum of America
Ages 6 & up.
One million people of P olish ancestry
live in Chicago, giving the city the largest Polish population outside of Warsaw. So it's no
surprise that Chicago is the site of the P olish Museum of America, located in the neigh-
borhood where many of the first immigrants settled. This museum has one of the most
important collections of Polish art and historical materials outside Poland. (It is also the
largest museum in the U nited S tates dev oted ex clusively to an ethnic gr oup.) The
museum's pr ograms include r otating exhibitions, films, lectur es, and concer ts, and a
permanent exhibit about P ope John Paul II. There is also a librar y with a large P olish-
language collection, and archives where visitors can research genealogical history (call in
