The staff there are super helpful and can show you where to take luggage. I found the lounge to be an oasis. Tickets are bought, but Im wondering if there are any ambulatory services available to take them to their train? 2020 USATODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc. The main attraction Whether you're waiting on a train or passing through. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. These are free. I whiteness employees at the McDonalds twice a year giving these workers a hard time. If you have a business class ticket you can store your luggage for free in the Metropolitan Lounge - if not go near the Greyhound bus desk and across from there they have the baggage check. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. more. The Skydeck entrance is located on Franklin Street (the east side of the building). Not knowing where to go or what to see, instead of exploring the area, I filled the layover working on my laptop while eating at the food court, then sat on an uncomfortable wood bench in the Grand Hall for a few hours, waiting for my next train. These cruises sell out quickly, so consider purchasing tickets in advance. Shedd Aquarium is one of the attractions for children near Union Station. We recommend booking Union Station tours ahead of time to secure your spot. Find Divvy locations and rates. If you are really into architecture, and Chicago is world famous for its, I would recommend perusing this site for all kinds of tours and other info. We who live in Chicago wouldn't dream of calling it Willisor Willie. Drinks and snack items were offered. Millennium Park is bordered by Michigan Avenue to the west, Columbus Drive to the east, Randolph Street to the north and Monroe Street to the south. Daily activities, such as the opportunity to meet a zoo animal and ape training sessions, teach children about the zoo's many residents. Belmont, Cta, or CTA - Chicago can be used for nearby transit. Youll hear about the 1920s and 30s in Chicago, learn about the exploits of famous gangsters, and view the sites of the St. Valentines Day Massacre, plus the Biograph Theatre and Holy Name Cathedral. Lou Mitchell's looks fun. I had the tickets and about to hang out for 6hours before ridding up to the train. Familiarize yourself with the Grand Hall and its location as this is where youll wait to board your connecting train. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. 5 Smallest National Parks In The U.S. And The Best Experiences At Each, 7 Transportation Decisions Youll Need To Make Before Visiting Costa Rica, Our Favorite Hikes In All 50 States (2023), Celebrating Amtraks 50th: 8 Incredible Small Town Stops, 7 Tips For Riding Amtrak Across The Country, 14 Beautiful U.S. Download a PDF of this For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Amtrak; Metra Commuter Rail; Transfer Options. Tripadvisor checks reviews for fraud. Then, take a water taxi from the Madison St stop to Michigan Avenue, a nice way to see some of the buildings. We found 1,456 things to do for you near Union Station Skydeck Chicago - Willis Tower 17,661 Reviews 233 S Wacker Drive entrance on Jackson Blvd (south side of building), Chicago, IL 60606-7147 7 minutes from Union Station Experiences from $11 See 39 Experiences Chicago Riverwalk 3,034 Reviews Chicago, IL 60601 7 minutes from Union Station We will be arriving at about 3-4pm and leave at about 10pm. Does the train station provide any baggage storage lockers so that we could visit Willis tower without toting our bags? Photo Credit: Nagel Photography / Shutterstock, Tavarius / Shutterstock. Things to See and Do near Chicago Union Station What to See near Chicago Union Station Millennium Park McCormick Place Wrigley Field Willis Tower Chicago Riverwalk Things to Do near Chicago Union Station Navy Pier Art Institute of Chicago Michigan Avenue Civic Opera House Cadillac Palace Theatre Keep exploring Neighborhoods Landmarks Nearby cities Chicago Transit Authority ('L' Trains & Buses) Greyhound; Other Transportation. Established . Millennium Park, The Art Institue and the Adler Planetarium are also on the trolley routes. We will have about 6 hours to spend near Union Station. We followed the young generation and we felt that experience was amazing. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Now, she enjoys travelingand writing aboutthe U.S. and Canada by train. But myself, I'd walk south on Michigan a few blocks to (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Walk from the Gold Coast neighborhood to Old Town with a guided tour of the local architecture while sampling mom and pop specialty food items along the way. We did walk it once because we were dropped off at the wrong station. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. Her articles have been published on sites such as Goodkin, Go Green Street and Living the Healthy Way. 91% of travelers recommend this experience. This is the 1st leg of a total relaxation vacation. Taxis; Rideshare; Bike Share; We will have about 6 hours to spend near Union Station. We went out to purchase our meals, and brought them back and ate them in comfort, while watching a huge TV. Dave148: We were thinking of breakfast. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-41530204', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Wendella River/Lake tour. Explore different ways to experience this place. It was beautiful. But as folks have stated there are great dining options only a few block away-take advantage of one of them-bundle up and enjoy! There's a trip planner tool on the homepage of - http://www.transitchicago.com/, http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g35805-i32-k5480757-Union_Station_LAYOVER_Help_for_Amtrak_Trip-Chicago_Illinois.html. Do your job security your very poor at it .. We had purchased tickets weeks in advance, paid for a hotel room and made holiday plans for our 5 year old to ride the Polar Express. Founded by Michael Dorf, City Winery is a unique facility that combines a fully functioning winery with intimate concerts, food and wine classes, and private events in their working winery. RickMP: The water taxi & lake tour sounds interesting. I will check their website out more. Chicago was most recently updated with new tips on June 28, 2017. Register today and take advantage of membership benefits. 2) You MUST walk over to Millennium Park and see the Bean and the Fountains. We live in La Crosse, Wi. The Shedd Aquarium puts kids face-to-face with more than 32,000 animals. Our train arrives at 9am and cant check into the hotel until afternoon. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. Safety is not a big issue IMHO. Based in Florida, Mandi Titus has been writing since 2002. If you are looking for a good place for a sit down dinner. It's less than half a mile from Union Station. 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Today, the transportation hub runs Amtrak and Metra trains in and out of the city. !" 11/06/2022 Cuisines: Bar Diner Pub Find a table Pret A Manger Be the first to review this restaurant 225 S Canal St There is Metra train service from Union Station to "O'Hare Transfer" but it's (1) weekday only, (2) fairly infrequent, and (3) the "transfer" in the name means that you're a shuttle bus and airport tram . Showers were available, but I never saw them, we didn't even go upstairs, we just settled into a comfortable spot. Film buffs will recognize the Great Hall from its appearances in movies like The Untouchables, My Best Friend's Weddingand Flags of Our Fathers, among others. Even if you're not catching a train to anywhere, you really need to just step into this building and feel the history. Youll find restaurants and concessions during the summer months, plus benches and lookout points, boat rentals, and water tours. Any of the architecture tours are just amazing. She didn't want to walk too far, so we took a cab over to Greektown and had a leisurely lunch at Greek Isles. Travel + Trains. =) Report inappropriate content 1-10 of 12 replies Sorted by 1 2 Dave148 Illinois Destination Expert Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. 555 ratings. We found 1,474 things to do for you near Union Station Skydeck Chicago - Willis Tower 17,721 Reviews 233 S Wacker Drive entrance on Jackson Blvd (south side of building), Chicago, IL 60606-7147 7 minutes from Union Station Experiences from RM 36 See 38 Experiences Chicago Riverwalk 3,057 Reviews Chicago, IL 60601 7 minutes from Union Station 1 Ribs and a bevy of fast food chains. When traveling within Chicago near Union Station, you may be close to some bus stations: CTA - 47th and Lake Park Terminal, CTA Bus Stop 1313, or Cta Bus . Children and their families are able to see dolphins and beluga whales perform during daily shows, learn about animals living in ocean reefs during narrated dives, pet animals such as snakes, turtles and tarantulas during scheduled animal encounters and spend time observing animals, including otters, penguins and whales. Considering this was a large transportation hub there was a lot of available metered street parking right along the street. While killing time before heading to Ohare we decided to stop by and see the historical Union Station. The inside of Union Station is absolutely beautiful, but the best part for my friend and I was the Metropolitan Lounge, which we had access to by virtue of being "sleeping car" customers on our AMTRAK trains, both coming and going. Youll feel more confident when you detrain and will be able to focus on having fun during your time in Chicago. Luggage storage near Union Station Luggage storage near Art Institute of Chicago Luggage storage near Greyhound Chicago Luggage storage near McCormick Place Luggage storage near Millennium Station Luggage storage near United Center Luggage storage near Lincoln Park Zoo Luggage storage near Millennium Park Luggage storage near Wicker Park Go international with our nine tips for traveling Europe by rail. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-41529991', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Millennium Park and explore there. She holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Stetson University. These reviews are the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Shedd Aquarium is one of the attractions for children near Union Station. Would definitely want to wait in the Metropolitan again if given the opportunity. Step foot near Union Station during rush hour, and you'll witness how many Chicagoans depend on Metra and Amtrak trains to get them in and out of the city. We were here to take the amtrak Texas Eagle for first time but this building is worth a visit either way. I think the Tribune Tower with its rocks from around the world is fascinating. Bellemore's lunch menu is wildly underrated, which is great news for you, weary traveler. It was late only 12 minutes from La Crosse and making it on time to Union Station, Chicago. Thanks for subscribing! Chicagos Union Station is the third-busiest rail station in the U.S., with about 140,000 passengers passing through each day. If you like art, you can visit the Chicago Art Museum and see among other. Location Provided With Ticket Purchase, ~10-minute drive from Union Station. There's a lot of good food to be had there, quite a few of the stands are outposts of good restaurants in the city. December can be miserable in Chicago--really miserable. All products featured on TravelAwaits are independently selected by our writers and editors. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in Malaysia. That space, which lives up to its name, boasts a 219-food-long barrel-vaulted skylight that acts as the ceiling for the room. They even texted me when the room was ready and allowed me to check in at noon with no additional charge. 4.6. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Thanks so much! $16.77 $12.00. Also located on the north side of the city is the Lincoln Park Zoo. Great breakfasts! If you're just visiting Chicago and not taking the train, well worth the quick visit to see the interior. They may serve their brunch menu on Saturdays as well, not sure. We went by Coach ride and were amazed at the leg room and comfortable atmosphere on the train. We came here to catch the Empire Builder Amtrak train to Seattle but I've always wanted to visit this station just to see its beauty in person. The Clinton station is two blocks south of Union Station, and the northwest terminal of the Blue Line is under the O'Hare Airport main garage. Specialties: We are proud to bring together a unique collection of local vendors that were hand selected for their individual passions and high-quality products. It's well worth a trip to Chicago. With 90 minutes notice until the train departed, we were informed by text that our tickets would be cancelled and we would be refunded. I did pass by a number of plaques (National Historic Railroad Landmarks, Great Public Spaces and American Institute of Architecture) recognizing the importance of this Station. Dirty, dark & creepy. Michigan Avenue Bridge at Wacker Drive, ~8-minute drive from Union Station. Our goal, to share the worlds unique, hidden and once in a lifetime locations with you to create unforgettable memories. Clean restrooms. The neighborhood is best known as the location of Oprah Winfreys Harpo Studios, but this downtown neighborhood is also an up-and-coming spot for Chicagos trendsetters. I'd really appreciate your help :). Everything you need to know about visiting Union Station(225 S Canal St, Chicago IL 60606). more. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. Then, like now, the station was a major transfer point between passenger trains. Chicago Amtrak Station. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Sears sold it years ago and it has been the "Willis Tower" for quite some time. Millennium Park This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in India. Its a massive train station nearly the size of 10 city blocks and I felt lost. I use it always. Metra services areas like Wheaton, Barrington, Winnetka and Homewood, while Amtrak connects passengers to Denver, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, New York and othercities across the country. These are the best experiences near Union Station: These places are best for bars & clubs near Union Station: Which are the best experiences near Union Station? If youre a sleeping car or first-class passenger, spend some time relaxing in the Metropolitan Lounge (or, if youre a coach passenger, consider paying the daily fee for access) located in the Grand Hall. Maybe Wee Willie would work, I still refer to it as Sears Tower because that is how I remember it as a small watching it go up and visiting the Skydeck countless times with the folks. One of the most beautiful stations in the United Stations, it opened in 1925 next to the Chicago Loop. During my first train trip from Kansas City to Washington, D.C., I arrived in Chicagos Union Station on my first layover with several hours to fill before departing. I am traveling from Chicago to NY on the Lake Shore LTD and I've never used Amtrak before (i'm coming from New Zealand). On the Mezzanine level there were some fast food options like Starbucks, Jersey Mikes. Hyatt Centric The Loop Chicago, located just 12 minutes' walk from Chicago Union Station, is a 4-star hotel offering property cleaning with disinfectant, linens washed at a temperature of at least 60C/140F, and contactless check-in.If you're looking for a more affordable option, Hotel Chicago West Loop is a 2.5-star hotel offering enhanced cleaning measures that is 28 minutes walk from the .