Borealis With Kids: Chicago to St. Paul Stops, River Views and Tickets

12 min read

Yes, you can do the Borealis with kids, and it rewards a little patience: it's a daytime train from Chicago to St. Paul, about seven and a half hours, with a cafe and upstairs seats on double-decker cars. The payoff comes late, when the tracks follow the Mississippi River from La Crosse to St. Paul. Kids 2 to 12 pay half the adult fare, and each adult can bring a baby under 2 for free. Here's every stop, which side to sit on and how to cut the trip into rides your kids can handle.

The short version

• One train each way, every day: 11:10 a.m. out of Chicago and 11:29 a.m. out of St. Paul. No dawn alarm needed.
• For the Mississippi, sit on the right side going to St. Paul and the left side going to Chicago.
• Double-decker Superliner cars since March 2025 mean kids get stairs to climb and seats upstairs.
• There is a cafe for food and drinks. Business Class is not sold while the Superliners are in use.
• Thirteen stops across Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota, including Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells and La Crosse.
• So many people ride that Amtrak is adding a fourth passenger car back to the train in fall 2026, so book early.

From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

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Borealis at a glance

Runs between

Chicago Union Station and St. Paul Union Depot

States

Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota (all three state DOTs sponsor it)

Distance

about 411 miles

End to end

about 7.5 hours (Amtrak lists 7 hours 24 minutes)

Trains

One round trip per day

Train cars

Double-decker Superliner coaches since March 2025

Upstairs seating

Yes, on the Superliner cars

Quiet Car

Not listed by Amtrak for the Borealis

Food

Cafe with snacks, light meals and regional items

Business Class

Not offered while the train runs with Superliners

Sleeper rooms

None (daytime train)

Best views

Mississippi River from La Crosse to St. Paul: right side westbound, left side eastbound

Look inside the book

On the Borealis? Rally called the window seat.

The Borealis saves the Mississippi for the end. Rally Takes the Train is a five-minute read for the hours before the river shows up.

Page 1 of 8

Click the page, swipe, or use the arrow keys to turn

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

In this post

1. Kids tickets on the Borealis
2. Every Borealis stop
3. What kids can see
4. Where to sit
5. Best first ride
6. Food, bathrooms and naps
7. A train book for the ride
8. Questions parents ask

Do kids need a ticket on the Borealis?

Every family on the Borealis books the same reserved coach seat, and kids 2 to 12 pay half the adult fare.

On the Borealis, kids 2 to 12 pay half the adult fare when an adult 18 or older is on the same booking. One baby under 2 rides free with each adult paying full fare. The rest of the family rules are in our Amtrak with kids hub.

What's different about this train:

• Everyone books coach. Business Class ended in March 2025, when Superliner cars replaced the old Horizon and Amfleet cars, because the double-deckers don't have a business section. No upgrade to debate at checkout: the whole family gets the same reserved coach seat.
• Three states, one ticket. The Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota transportation departments sponsor the Borealis. Their September 2026 announcement points families to Amtrak's everyday discounts for kids, students, seniors and veterans. We didn't find a state "kids ride free" deal on this route in October 2026.
• Want beds? That's a different train. The overnight Empire Builder uses the same tracks and stations between Chicago and St. Paul. If you book a room on it instead, know that Amtrak's child discount doesn't apply to sleeper room charges.
• Teens on their own. Amtrak lets 13 to 15 year olds ride solo only between staffed stations, on same-day trips that arrive by 9:30 p.m. The Borealis reaches St. Paul at 7:01 p.m. and Chicago at 7:21 p.m., so the clock works. Some small stops along the way may not be staffed, though, so check both ends of the trip.
• Short hops. Amtrak lists the Borealis among routes with Multi-Ride tickets for Chicago to Milwaukee trips, which can help a parent who commutes.

Free for train families

Free Borealis activity book

A stop tracker for all 13 stops, a word search full of Borealis stops, window bingo, a maze, a ticket to fill in and a page to draw the view. It fits in a folder with a few crayons and weighs nothing in the diaper bag.

Get the free Borealis activity book

Every Borealis stop, from Chicago to St. Paul

Thirteen stops in all: two in Illinois, eight in Wisconsin and three in Minnesota, counting St. Paul. As far as Milwaukee you're on the Hiawatha's stations, and after that you share the Empire Builder's Wisconsin and Minnesota towns.

Illinois

1. Chicago Union StationLook for: In the Great Hall, ask kids to find the golden, leafy tops on the tall stone columns. The stone is Roman travertine.
2. GlenviewLook for: Point out the big arch over the door. The depot was designed to look like the work of the famed architect H. H. Richardson.

Wisconsin

1. SturtevantLook for: Tell them this 2006 building took the place of a 1901 Milwaukee Road depot that stood downtown.
2. Milwaukee Airport Rail StationLook for: See if kids can spot the long, low lines. The station won an urban design award for that Prairie-style look.
3. Milwaukee Intermodal Station (Downtown)Look for: The train waits here for a few minutes, long enough to peek out at the glass-walled atrium on the station building.
4. ColumbusLook for: Ask them to guess what the 1906 depot is made of. It is concrete, and it once had separate waiting rooms for men and women.
5. PortageLook for: A story for the window: the town is named for the spot where people carried canoes between the Fox and Wisconsin rivers.
6. Wisconsin DellsLook for: Fair warning: this town calls itself the Waterpark Capital of the World, and your kids may start asking questions.
7. Tomah
8. La CrosseLook for: If you are getting off here, step inside the 1927 depot for its marble walls, old benches and wooden ticket counter.

Minnesota

1. WinonaLook for: Tell them Winona is built on a sandbar in the Mississippi River. Yes, a whole town.
2. Red Wing
3. St. Paul Union DepotLook for: Have them look up at the 1926 Union Depot, a stone, neoclassical landmark in Lowertown. The Green Line light rail stops here too.

What kids can see from the Borealis

No dawn alarm for this one. The Borealis leaves Chicago at 11:10 a.m., so breakfast at home is still on the table.

Which side to sit on

For the Mississippi, sit on the right side heading to St. Paul and the left side heading to Chicago. River views run from about La Crosse to St. Paul. That's roughly the last three hours going west and the first part of the trip going east.

The timing is on your side here. The Borealis is a midday train, so it reaches the river about four hours earlier than the westbound Empire Builder, which doesn't get there until after 8 p.m. For most of the year, that means real daylight on the water instead of your own reflection in a dark window.

Good to know about this route

• It's new. The Borealis started on May 21, 2024. Before that, the Empire Builder had been the only train between Chicago and the Twin Cities since 1981.
• It almost had a river name. During the study years, planners called it the "Great River" service. Misi-ziibi means "Great River" in Ojibwe, a fun word to try out loud.
• Count the crossings. The line crosses the Mississippi twice, at La Crosse and again at Hastings, Minnesota, before it reaches St. Paul.
• Rivers that connect big waters. At Portage, the Fox and Wisconsin rivers come close together, and those rivers link the Great Lakes to the Mississippi.
• Busier than anyone planned. More than 500,000 people had ridden by late September 2026, and state officials said Amtrak would add a fourth passenger car back to the train within weeks.

Where to sit with kids on the Borealis

Since March 2025, the Borealis has run on Amtrak's double-decker Superliner cars. For kids, that means stairs to climb and an upstairs seat with a higher view, and route guides suggest sitting upstairs for the scenery. If you're juggling a stroller or a sleeping baby, the lower level may be easier on everyone.

Every ticket is a reserved coach seat with no middle seat, and the state partners point out the wide reclining seats and extra legroom. There's no Business Class, and Amtrak doesn't list a Quiet Car for this train. A family with chatty kids fits right in.

Book early, because this train fills up. Ridership has run well past early forecasts, which is why Amtrak is adding a fourth passenger car back in fall 2026. For holiday weekends and school breaks, buy well ahead.

Seated apart on the Borealis? What to try

Every Borealis ticket comes with a reserved coach seat, so most of the work happens at checkout. Put the whole family on one booking and buy early. Crowds are why a fourth car is coming back.

Still scattered after boarding? A Superliner hides seats on two levels, so check upstairs and down in your car before trying the next coach. Meanwhile, pair the youngest child with a parent and put the bigger kids where you can see them.

If you hope a stranger will trade, ask before they've settled in for seven hours. Something short works ("We'd love to keep our toddler next to us"). Offer a seat at least as good: upstairs for upstairs, forward-facing for forward-facing. Nobody should lose a river-side window for your sake, so don't ask for one. If not, thank them warmly.

The conductor can help too. As they check tickets, explain that the family got separated and ask whether any car has spare seats. They can send you there and ask a passenger to free a seat that's holding a bag or coat, but they won't uproot someone sitting in it. On a ride this long, a young child always sits beside a grown-up.

The best first Borealis ride with kids

With only one Borealis each way, short rides take a little planning. These ideas use the late summer 2026 timetable, so check Amtrak for your exact date.

1. St. Paul to Red Wing and back, along the river (about 1 hour each way). The eastbound Borealis leaves St. Paul at 11:29 a.m. and reaches Red Wing at 12:27 p.m. The westbound train picks you up in Red Wing at 5:47 p.m. and has you back in St. Paul at 7:01 p.m. You get an afternoon in town and the river view twice.
2. Chicago to Milwaukee (about 1.5 hours). Board at 11:10 a.m. in Chicago and get off in downtown Milwaukee around 12:42 p.m. Coming home, hop on any Hiawatha, since they run several times a day.
3. Milwaukee to Wisconsin Dells (about 2 hours). The westbound train leaves downtown Milwaukee at about 12:49 p.m. and reaches the Dells at 2:43 p.m. The eastbound train leaves the Dells at 3:37 p.m. the next day, so treat this one as an overnight.

Seven hours sounds long for a first ride. Try a short hop instead, like St. Paul to Red Wing in about an hour.

Food, bathrooms and naps on the Borealis

A seven-hour daytime ride means packing lunch, plus a favorite toy or two for the long Wisconsin stretch before the river.

The Borealis has a cafe, and the state partners say it stocks regional items. Amtrak posts the Borealis cafe menu on the route page, and items and prices can change. Over seven hours, lunch is going to happen on board, so either plan on the cafe or pack a cooler bag. Between meals, a stack of printable Rally activity pages fills the Wisconsin miles.

You can bring your own food on Amtrak, and that's the cheapest way to feed a picky eater. Pack more than you think you need. The river comes at the end of a long day, and hungry kids don't look out windows.

Plan naps around the scenery. Going west, the long middle stretch between Milwaukee and Tomah is a good nap window, so everyone is awake when the train reaches La Crosse and the river.

A train book for the ride

One of our favorite pages in Rally Takes the Train shows Rally at the window, watching a white bird outside. On the Borealis, hold the river-side window seat for the last part of the trip. Between La Crosse and St. Paul, ask your kids to watch the water and the sky for birds, just like Rally.

The book takes about five minutes, so it fits between Winona and La Crosse with time left for looking out. For the long Wisconsin stretch, grab the free activity pack and coloring pages from our coloring page and print them before you go.

Save the river-side window for the end. From La Crosse to St. Paul, the tracks follow the Mississippi.

Something for the hours before the riverRally Takes the Train is a rhyming watercolor picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, for ages 0 to 8. It’s a five-minute read, so you can read it again somewhere around Tomah. $13.99 on Amazon.

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By the time the Mississippi shows up, the long part is behind you, and St. Paul is only a few stops away.

More for train families

• Every Amtrak route with kids: find another train by city or station
• The complete guide to Amtrak with kids: tickets, car seats, changing tables, family tables and what to pack by age
• Free Rally activity pack and coloring pages to print before your trip
• Hiawatha with kids
• Empire Builder with kids

Sources

• Amtrak: Borealis
• Borealis timetable, Aug 2026 (juckins.net)
• Wikipedia: Borealis (train)
• Trains: Amtrak to resume Borealis service with Superliners
• Urban Milwaukee: WisDOT release, Borealis passes 500,000 riders (Sept 2026)
• Progressive Railroading: Borealis half-million milestone
• Streetsblog Chicago: Borealis launch and window sides
• Travels With Kev: Borealis guide
• Wikipedia: Empire Builder
• Amtrak: Child discounts
• Amtrak: Unaccompanied minors
• Amtrak: Multi-Ride tickets
• Amtrak station pages: CBS, POG, WDL, LSE, WIN, MSP
• Wikipedia: Chicago Union Station

Checked against Amtrak and partner railroad pages in October 2026. Schedules and policies change, so confirm on amtrak.com before you ride.

Borealis with kids: questions parents ask

Do kids need a ticket on the Borealis?

Yes, every child 2 and older needs one. Borealis kids from 2 to 12 get half off the adult price if a parent or another adult 18 or over is on their booking. The train is coach only while it runs Superliner cars, so there's no Business Class upgrade to weigh. We didn't find an Illinois, Wisconsin or Minnesota kids ride free deal in October 2026.

Do babies ride free on the Borealis?

One per adult does. A Borealis lap baby under 2 is free with each full-fare adult, but a second infant with that same adult is charged the child fare. Seven and a half hours is a long day on a lap. If you want the space, buy the baby a seat at the child fare. Since Borealis seats are reserved, it's theirs from Chicago to St. Paul.

Can I use a car seat on the Borealis?

Not strapped in. Amtrak seats, the Borealis Superliners included, have no way to anchor a car seat. A lap baby gets a vacant seat only when no ticketed passenger wants it, and this train has been busy enough that Amtrak is adding a fourth passenger car, so a spare isn't likely. Pack it only if someone's driving you from St. Paul, Chicago or a town along the way.

Are there changing tables on the Borealis?

We couldn't confirm changing tables on the Borealis Superliner cars. Amtrak has never set a formal diaper-changing policy, so it's car by car. Bring a fold-up pad and aim for the larger accessible restroom when one is handy. Help may be coming: the Baby Changing on Board Act has passed the House and the Senate and needs one more House vote. Over seven hours, plan on several changes.

What are the bathrooms like on the Borealis?

Each Superliner coach has at least one restroom, and an occupied light tells you when to wait. The Borealis uses double-decker Superliners, so if you sit upstairs, find your car's restroom early, before someone needs it right now. Stairs and a wiggly toddler take time. Go in with small kids, warn them the flush is loud, and plan on several trips over a full day.

Can I bring a stroller on the Borealis?

Yes, at no charge: on the Borealis, a folding stroller counts in place of a regular bag. Traveling with a child under 2 also earns you an extra infant item, so the stroller or the diaper bag won't count against the limit. Superliners have stairs between levels, so a compact fold is far easier. Amtrak may require large jogging or double strollers to be checked, so ask first.

Can I nurse or bottle-feed on the Borealis?

Yes. Every state protects breastfeeding in public, so nurse wherever you're comfortable, upstairs or down. For bottles, Amtrak points families to dining car staff, but the Borealis runs a cafe instead. Come ready with formula, clean bottles and enough water for seven and a half hours. The cafe sells drinks if you run short.

Is there food on the Borealis train?

Yes. There's a cafe with snacks, drinks and light meals, and the state partners say it carries regional items. Amtrak posts the Borealis cafe menu on its route page. Packing your own meals and drinks is allowed too, which helps a lot when you're feeding kids from late morning to evening. Lunch is going to happen on board either way.

How do I keep kids entertained on the Borealis?

Break the day into pieces. Climb upstairs for a higher view, walk to the cafe for a snack, and count the two Mississippi crossings, at La Crosse and Hastings. For the long Wisconsin stretch, print our Rally coloring and activity sheets (they're free), and read Rally Takes the Train before the river shows up. Any device with sound needs headphones.

Is the Borealis a double-decker, and can we sit together?

Yes to both, in most cases. Since March 2025 the Borealis has run Superliner double-deckers, after Amtrak pulled its older Horizon cars for corrosion problems. Every ticket is a reserved coach seat with no middle seat, so book the family on one reservation. Upstairs has the better view, and downstairs is easier with a stroller or sleeping baby. Book early for holidays and school breaks.

Is there a Quiet Car on the Borealis?

Not that we could confirm. Amtrak's Borealis information doesn't show a Quiet Car, which is good news if your toddler has a lot to say about the river. Normal talking is fine in coach. Devices with sound still need headphones, and on a full train it's kind to keep voices down when the person behind you is napping.

What should I pack for kids on the Borealis?

Pack for a full day, late morning to evening. Bring lunch and snacks even with the cafe on board, plus a refillable bottle. Add spare clothes, more diapers than seems reasonable, a changing pad, wipes, headphones, a small blanket for the nap stretch and one new thing to open near La Crosse. Our train word search and maze print free. Keep essentials in one bag you can carry up the stairs.

Can kids nap on the Borealis?

Yes, and the schedule helps. It's a daytime train with no sleeper rooms, but the coach seats are wide and recline, with extra legroom. Heading west, the long stretch between Milwaukee and Tomah makes a good nap window, so everyone's awake for the river at La Crosse. Want beds? The overnight Empire Builder shares the route, and sleeper room charges don't get the child discount.

What's a good first ride on the Borealis with kids?

St. Paul to Red Wing, about an hour along the river. In the late summer 2026 timetable, the train left St. Paul at 11:29 a.m. and reached Red Wing at 12:27 p.m., and the westbound train left Red Wing at 5:47 p.m., back in St. Paul by 7:01 p.m. From Chicago, ride to Milwaukee in about 90 minutes and come home on a Hiawatha.

Can kids ride the Borealis alone?

Kids 12 and under can't, ever. A 13 to 15 year old may go solo under Amtrak's unaccompanied minor program, which means a phone booking through 1-800-USA-RAIL, an adult-price ticket, no changing trains and a daytime trip between staffed stations ending by 9:30 p.m. The Borealis arrives at 7:01 p.m. and 7:21 p.m., so the clock works, but check that both stations are staffed. Riders 16 and 17 can go alone.

How early should we get to the station for the Borealis?

About 30 minutes early, Amtrak says. With an 11:10 a.m. departure from Chicago, that's an easy morning, and at a big station like Union Station, families with young kids are often called to board first. Seats are reserved, so there's no race for them, but extra time helps with the stairs, the bags and folding the stroller.

What if my child gets nervous on the Borealis?

Name the loud parts before they happen: the horn, the crowds in Chicago, the climb up the Superliner stairs. Big bridges can be thrilling or scary, and the Borealis crosses the Mississippi twice, so tell them it's coming. Our sources list no tunnel on this line, yet Rally's own tunnel moment in the book still works: darkness, then light. A cafe walk can reset a frazzled kid.

Is the Borealis safe for kids?

Yes, with a few habits. Platform first: hands held, toes behind the line. Inside, the Superliner stairs are the big one, so hold hands going up and down, especially while the train is moving. Kids sit or hold on, shoes stay on, and you walk them through the doors from car to car on the trip to the cafe. Upstairs seats are for sitting, not climbing.

What if the Borealis is running late?

Open the Amtrak app for the live train map, and read Amtrak's travel advisories, the morning of the trip. With one Borealis each way, a late train means a longer day, not a different train, so stash extra snacks, spare diapers, a backup show and a few free coloring pages for the train. Between Chicago and Milwaukee only, the Hiawatha runs several times a day, which is worth asking Amtrak about if you're stuck on that stretch.

Which side of the Borealis has the best views?

Right side going toward St. Paul, left side going toward Chicago. That puts you on the Mississippi River side from around La Crosse, Wisconsin, to St. Paul. If your kids can manage the stairs, the upstairs seats on the double-decker Superliner cars give them a higher view of the water, and the midday schedule means daylight on the river for most of the year.

What if our family gets split up on the Borealis?

Search both decks first. Borealis Superliners have seats upstairs and down, and the next coach may have a pair the first one didn't. While you look, keep the smallest child beside a parent and the others in sight. Ask fellow riders early whether they'd trade for an equally good seat, never a worse one. With seven and a half hours ahead, no young child should ride away from you.

Can the conductor help us sit together on the Borealis?

They'll do what they can. Explain your situation when the conductor comes through for tickets: who's split up, and how little the kids are. Conductors know which coaches still have space and can ask someone to clear a bag off a seat, since a seat belongs to a ticket, not a coat. They won't ask a seated passenger to get up, so your best tool is still one early booking for everyone.