Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
With 120 acres and 400 engines and cars, sprawling rail lines criss-cross
the property. (Be sure to look both ways before crossing any tracks!) The
museum has a 5-mile rail line, where you'll find steam, diesel, and heavy
electric trains chugging along, and a mile-long streetcar loop. On the
weekend you can jump on a steam or diesel train from the museum's East
Union depot (built around a station dating from 1851) and take a 40-
minute round-trip ride to Kishwaukee Grove, passing prairie and farm-
land. Whether you get on a steam locomotive with its hissing brakes and
billowing steam, a diesel dating from the 1950s, or an Electroliner, which
ran between Chicago and Milwaukee until 1963 and is powered by over-
head wires, you're in for a thrill. Smaller trains depart from the 50th
Avenue rapid transit station built in 1910 and removed from Cicero.
A streetcar line encircles the museum grounds so you can hop on and
off at different “barns” that house everything from red cabooses to lux-
urious private passenger cars from the late 1800s. Call & 800/BIG-RAIL
or 815/923-4000 in advance to find out which trains are operating.
Diesels operate most weekends and holidays, but steam trains only run
about 12 times a season. Electric cars run daily.
The museum is open from April through October. Grounds are open
from 9am to 6pm, and trains run on weekends from 10:30am to 5pm,
and weekdays from 10am to 4pm. Rides cost $6 to $10 (depending on
the trains running) for adults, and $4 to $8 for children, with family
maximums of $20 to $40. To get there, take I-90 to U.S. Route 20. Take
the Marengo exit and drive northwest on Route 20 to Union Road. Go
north on Union Road.
5 Best Rides
The best ride in the city is the “El,” with boat tours of the river and lake a close sec-
ond (see “Kid-Friendly Tours” later in this chapter). Other rides are tucked away in
Chicago's top attractions: Don't miss the endangered-species merry-go-round at
Lincoln Park Zoo and the Ferris wheel and carousel at Navy Pier. Not enough
excitement for you? Thrill seekers should head directly to an amusement park.
Six Flags Great America All ages. One of the Midwest's biggest theme/
amusement parks is located midway between Chicago and Milwaukee on I-94
in Gurnee, Illinois. The park has more than 100 rides and attractions and is
a favorite of roller-coaster devotees. There are a whopping 10 of them here,
including the nausea-inducing Déjà vu, where riders fly forwards and backwards
over a twisting, looping inverted steel track, and Superman, where you speed
along hanging headfirst (with your legs dangling). Other don't-miss rides for the
strong of stomach include the Iron Wolf, where you do corkscrew turns and
360-degree loops while standing up, and the American Eagle, a classic wooden
coaster. Because this is a place that caters to families, you'll also find plenty to
appeal to the young set. The Looney Tunes National Park is full of kiddie rides
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