Hiawatha With Kids: Chicago to Milwaukee Stops, Seats and Tickets
If you want a first train ride that won't test anyone's patience, the Hiawatha is a great pick: about 90 minutes from Chicago to Milwaukee, several trains a day, and only three stops in between. Kids 2 to 12 ride for half the adult fare, and a baby under 2 rides free on your lap. There's no cafe, so the snack bag is your job, and there's a Quiet Car you'll want to skip with a chatty toddler. Below are all five stops, the trains we'd pick and what the new cars arriving this fall mean for you.
The short version
- End to end it takes about 1 hour 29 minutes over 86 miles, stopping only at Glenview, Sturtevant and Milwaukee Airport.
- You get up to seven trains each way on weekdays (six on Sundays), counting the daily Borealis on the same line.
- Nothing is sold on board. Pack snacks and drinks from home, or grab them in the station.
- Every Hiawatha has a Quiet Car. Sit anywhere else if your kids like to chat.
- New Siemens Venture coaches join the Hiawatha in fall 2026, so your train may be a mix of cars for a while.
- Teachers, take note: Schools on Trains field trips cost $5 per person each way.
Hiawatha at a glance
- Runs between
- Chicago Union Station and Milwaukee Intermodal Station
- States
- Illinois and Wisconsin (both states fund the service)
- Distance
- about 86 miles
- End to end
- about 1.5 hours (Amtrak lists 1 hour 29 minutes)
- Trains
- Six Hiawatha round trips on weekdays plus the daily Borealis; fewer on weekends
- Train cars
- Single-level coaches; new Siemens Venture cars entering service fall 2026
- Upstairs seating
- No
- Quiet Car
- Yes, on every Hiawatha train
- Food
- No cafe or food sales on board; your own snacks are welcome
- Business Class
- Only on trains 332 and 341, with no cafe or drink service
- Sleeper rooms
- None (short daytime trip)
- Checked bags
- Not offered right now; carry everything on
Look inside the book
Riding the Hiawatha? Rally fits in the snack bag.
Ninety minutes is room for a snack and one picture book. Rally Takes the Train takes about five minutes, so you can finish it before Glenview.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $13.99 on Amazon.
See the full bookPage 1 of 8
Like it so far? See the full book
25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Do kids need a ticket on the Hiawatha?
Good news first: kids 2 to 12 pay half the adult fare on the Hiawatha, as long as an adult 18 or older is on the same reservation. Babies under 2 ride free on a full-fare adult's lap, one per adult. Traveling with two babies? The second one with the same adult pays the child fare.
You'll find the general rules in our Amtrak with kids guide. These are the things that only matter on this line:
- Schools on Trains. Planning a class trip? AmtrakHiawatha.com sells a field trip fare of $5 per person each way, for students and adult chaperones alike, for groups of up to 136. You reserve at least 30 days ahead and buy the tickets at the downtown Milwaukee station at least 7 days before the trip. No other discounts stack on top.
- Multi-ride passes. The Hiawatha has Amtrak Multi-Ride tickets (10-ride and monthly passes). That helps if one parent commutes and the kids tag along now and then, but there is no child version of the pass.
- Business Class is rare. Only two Hiawatha trains, 332 and 341, sell it, and no cafe or drink service comes with it. For most trips, coach is the only choice, and it works fine for 90 minutes.
- Teens riding alone. Amtrak lets 13 to 15 year olds ride alone only between staffed stations, on trips that arrive by 9:30 p.m. The last evening trains reach Chicago at 9:04 p.m. and Milwaukee at 9:34 p.m. That late northbound train misses the cutoff, so it's out for a solo teen.
We looked for a Wisconsin or Illinois "kids ride free" deal on the Hiawatha in October 2026 and didn't find one. Check AmtrakHiawatha.com before you book, since that's where Hiawatha-only deals show up.
Free for train families
Free Hiawatha activity book
A stop tracker for all 5 stops, a word search full of Hiawatha 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 Hiawatha activity bookEvery Hiawatha stop, from Chicago to Milwaukee
Five stops, two in Illinois and three in Wisconsin, and every train stops at all of them. That's one less thing to double-check with a toddler on your hip.
Illinois- Chicago Union StationLook for: Before you board, walk the kids through the Great Hall and have them look up. The skylight is 110 feet overhead, and two statues called Night and Day watch from the walls.
- GlenviewLook for: As you pull in, point out the 1995 depot's arched doorway and tall clock tower. Ask your kids to read the time.
- SturtevantLook for: Have them count the sides on the station tower. It has eight, in a Victorian style, on a building that opened in 2006.
- Milwaukee Airport Rail Station (General Mitchell Airport)Look for: Tell them this is one of only a few Amtrak stations linked to an airport. A shuttle runs from here to the Mitchell airport terminal.
- Milwaukee Intermodal StationLook for: Have them look up at the big glass atrium with its crossed steel braces. That's the station's signature look.
What kids can see from the Hiawatha
What you'll see out the window
Don't promise a lake view. The Hiawatha runs inland, well west of Lake Michigan. What kids do get is a quick show: city, then suburbs, then Wisconsin farm fields, all in about an hour and a half.
Either side of the train works, so grab the open seats that keep your group together. In Glenview, the train shares the station with Metra's Milwaukee District North commuter line, so keep an eye out for a Metra train on the next track.
In downtown Milwaukee, the station connects to The Hop streetcar. If your kids beg for "one more ride" when you get there, that's an easy yes.
Hiawatha facts to share on the ride
- The name is old. The Milwaukee Road railroad ran its first train called the Hiawatha in 1935. Back then, Chicago to Milwaukee took about 75 minutes, so expect someone to ask why it's slower now.
- It's the busiest Amtrak route in the Midwest. It carried 631,990 riders in fiscal year 2025, and Milwaukee's station is the second-busiest Amtrak station in the Midwest.
- Two states share the bill. The Illinois and Wisconsin transportation departments fund the Hiawatha. The Borealis to St. Paul uses the same stations on its way through.
- A bigger train is on the way. By November 2026, the Hiawatha should have six new Siemens Venture coaches and three cab-coach cars. They were added because trains often sold out.
- The airport stop won an award. Milwaukee Airport Rail Station opened in 2005 and won an urban design award for its Prairie-style look.
Where to sit with kids on the Hiawatha
No stairs on this one. The Hiawatha is a one-level train with seats in pairs on each side of the aisle, which makes the stroller-to-seat shuffle a lot easier. Some trains have seats facing both ways, and Amtrak won't promise a direction, so if your child gets queasy riding backward, board early and ask.
Then there's the Quiet Car, on every Hiawatha. No phone calls, soft voices only. If your three-year-old narrates everything out the window, pick a regular coach. Quiet Car seats are first come, first served.
The new Siemens Venture coaches that started arriving in fall 2026 have bigger windows, outlets and USB ports at every seat pair, larger accessible restrooms and a bike area in every coach. They're being added a few at a time through November 2026, so your train may be a mix. Either way, AmtrakHiawatha.com says every car has a restroom, which matters when someone announces they need to go right now.
Each rider can bring one personal item and two carry-on bags. Bikes cost $5 and don't need a box.
If the Hiawatha is too full to sit together
Seats in Hiawatha coach aren't assigned. Your ticket promises a seat somewhere on the train, not next to anyone, so the order you board in decides a lot. Book the whole crew on one reservation, line up early at the gate, and walk right past the Quiet Car.
Sold-out afternoon and no empty pairs? Check one more coach before you give in. Then split as little as you can: one parent and the toddler in a pair, the other parent and the five-year-old directly behind.
Want a stranger to trade? Ask while they're still taking off their coat. One honest sentence ("Our 3-year-old can't sit by herself") and a seat that's just as nice beat a long speech. A window earns a window back, and forward-facing earns forward-facing. If not, smile and keep looking.
Your conductor is the other ally. At the ticket scan, mention there are four of you, including a toddler, and ask whether a car farther along has room. They can point the way and ask a rider to move a backpack off a seat, since a backpack doesn't count as a passenger. They won't bump anyone already sitting. And a young child rides next to a parent for all 90 minutes.
The best first Hiawatha ride with kids
The whole line is 90 minutes, so a first ride here doesn't take much planning. These times come from the late summer 2026 timetable. Check Amtrak for your date.
- Milwaukee to Sturtevant and back (about 23 minutes each way). Train 336 leaves downtown Milwaukee at 1:05 p.m. and reaches Sturtevant at 1:28 p.m. Northbound train 337 picks you up at Sturtevant at 4:15 p.m. and has you back in Milwaukee at 4:44 p.m. That's short enough for a kid who has never sat still for long.
- Chicago to Glenview and back (about 22 minutes each way). Train 335 leaves Union Station at 1:05 p.m. and stops in Glenview at 1:27 p.m. Southbound train 338 leaves Glenview at 4:01 p.m. and gets back to Chicago at 4:29 p.m.
- The full run, for a day in the other city. Northbound train 331 leaves Chicago at 8:25 a.m. and reaches Milwaukee by about 10 a.m. To get home, train 342 leaves Milwaukee at 7:35 p.m. and pulls into Chicago at 9:04 p.m. Expect sleepy kids on that last leg.
Food, bathrooms and naps on the Hiawatha
Nothing is sold on the Hiawatha. No cafe car, no snack cart. AmtrakHiawatha.com invites you to bring your own snacks and drinks, and the stations have cafes and vending machines if the snack bag gets left on the kitchen counter.
For 90 minutes, our advice is short: one snack they will actually eat, a refillable water bottle and wipes. Print some free Rally coloring sheets the night before, too. Free Wi-Fi is on board, but download a show at home in case the signal drops at the wrong moment.
Every car has a restroom. Amtrak doesn't mention changing tables for this equipment, so pack a portable changing pad. Hoping for a nap? The midday trains tend to be the quietest choice for moving a sleeping kid from stroller to seat.
A train book for the ride
There's a page in Rally Takes the Train where a friendly conductor stops by Rally's seat. On the Hiawatha, that moment comes quickly. With only three stops before Milwaukee or Chicago, the conductor has lots of tickets to check in a short time, so have yours open on your phone and let your child say hi.
The book takes about five minutes to read, so it fits between Sturtevant and the airport stop. For the rest of the ride, print the free activity pack and coloring pages at our coloring page before you head out.
A five-minute book for a 90-minute trainRally Takes the Train is a rhyming watercolor picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, for ages 0 to 8. Read it on the platform, then again before Milwaukee. $13.99 on Amazon.
Buy on Amazon
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
- Borealis with kids
- Empire Builder with kids
- Wolverine with kids
Sources
- Amtrak: Hiawatha
- Amtrak Hiawatha: On-Board Experience
- Amtrak Hiawatha: Kids and Schools
- Hiawatha timetable, Aug 2026 (juckins.net)
- Wikipedia: Hiawatha (Amtrak train)
- Urban Milwaukee: new Hiawatha cars (Aug 2026)
- Railly News: New Amtrak Hiawatha cars launch this fall
- Runway Girl Network: Midwest Venture coaches
- Amtrak: Quiet Car
- Amtrak: Child discounts
- Amtrak: Unaccompanied minors
- Amtrak: Multi-Ride tickets
- Travels With Kev: Hiawatha guide
- Wikipedia: Chicago Union Station
- Amtrak station pages: GLN, SVT, MKA, MKE
Checked against Amtrak and partner railroad pages in October 2026. Schedules and policies change, so confirm on amtrak.com before you ride.
Hiawatha with kids: questions parents ask
Do kids need a ticket on the Hiawatha?
Yes, anyone 2 and older does. On the Hiawatha, children ages 2 through 12 are charged 50 percent of the adult price, provided a grown-up 18 or over is booked alongside them, and at 13 it's full fare. Planning a class outing instead? The Schools on Trains fare from AmtrakHiawatha.com is $5 per person each way for groups of up to 136, chaperones included, reserved 30 days ahead.
Do babies ride free on the Hiawatha?
Yes, one per adult. Each grown-up paying an adult fare on the Hiawatha can hold one child under 2 for free. Twins and only one parent? Baby number two pays the child price, and so does any baby given their own seat. With up to seven trains each way on weekdays, you can usually pick a departure that lines up with a feed or a nap.
Do I need a car seat on the Hiawatha?
No. Hiawatha seats, like every Amtrak seat, can't hold a strapped-in car seat. If a seat sits empty and no paying rider needs it, your lap baby may use it, but Hiawatha trains sold out often enough that new coaches are being added, so don't count on one. Bring it only for a car ride at the other end. With no checked bags here, it comes aboard with you and counts as one of your bags.
Are there changing tables on the Hiawatha?
We couldn't confirm any. Amtrak doesn't have an official diaper-changing rule, and what you'll find depends on the car. The new Siemens Venture coaches joining the Hiawatha this fall have larger accessible restrooms, and Amtrak has said its new cars will get changing tables there, but we haven't seen that confirmed for these trains. On this line, we'd pair a portable pad with the roomier accessible restroom.
Where are the bathrooms on the Hiawatha?
Every car has one, according to AmtrakHiawatha.com, so the potty dash is short. Look for the light that means occupied. Toddlers and preschoolers need a grown-up along, since buttons are tempting and the flush is loud enough to startle. It's a one-level train with no stairs, and the Venture coaches arriving this fall have bigger accessible restrooms, handy when you're helping a small child.
Can I bring a stroller on the Hiawatha?
Yes, but plan small. A folding stroller comes aboard free as a stand-in for a regular bag. If your youngest is under 2, Amtrak also allows one extra baby item, stroller or diaper bag, beyond your carry-on count. That matters here, because the Hiawatha has no checked baggage right now. Each rider gets two carry-ons and a personal item, so leave a jogging or double stroller at home.
Can I breastfeed or bottle-feed on the Hiawatha?
Yes. Nursing in public is legal everywhere in the US, Wisconsin and Illinois included, so feed wherever you're comfortable. Bottles are on you, though. Amtrak suggests asking dining car staff for bottle help, and the Hiawatha has no dining car or cafe at all. Pack formula, water and a ready bottle, and know the stations in Chicago and Milwaukee have cafes.
Is there food on the Hiawatha train?
No, so plan around it. There's no cafe car and nothing is sold on board. You're welcome to bring your own snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, and both Chicago Union Station and the downtown Milwaukee station have places to buy food before you board. For 90 minutes, a packed snack bag usually covers it, as long as it holds the snack your kid will actually eat.
How do I keep kids busy on the Hiawatha?
Ninety minutes goes fast with a plan. Watch for a Metra train on the next track at Glenview, then count the eight sides on the Sturtevant station tower. Grab the free printable Rally activity pack, and bring Rally Takes the Train, a five-minute read. With no cafe to walk to, a lap of your own car is the stretch break. Shows need headphones.
What are the best seats on the Hiawatha for families?
A pair of seats in a regular coach, away from the Quiet Car. Coach seating on the Hiawatha is open, so the first families on get the pick. Seats are two and two across the aisle, all on one level, so a family of four can take two pairs side by side. Some seats ride backward, and Amtrak doesn't guarantee which way you'll face. Business Class runs only on trains 332 and 341.
Is there a Quiet Car on the Hiawatha?
Yes, every Hiawatha has one. Quiet Car rules mean no phone calls, low voices and no sound from devices, so it's not the place for a toddler who narrates every farm field. Sit in any regular coach instead, where normal talking is fine. If you realize you've wandered into the Quiet Car, ask the conductor which car to move to.
What should I pack for a toddler on the Hiawatha?
Pack for 90 minutes plus a delay, because there's no snack cart to bail you out. We'd bring one snack they'll eat, a spare, a refillable water bottle, wipes, a couple of extra diapers, a changing pad, headphones and a downloaded show in case the Wi-Fi drops. Slip in a few free train coloring pages too. It all has to fit in two carry-ons and a personal item each, since checked bags aren't offered.
Can my baby nap on the Hiawatha?
Often, because you choose the time. With up to seven trains each way on weekdays and six on Sundays, pick a departure that matches nap time. Midday trains tend to be the calmest for moving a sleeping kid from stroller to seat. There are no sleeper rooms on this short daytime run, so a light blanket and a familiar lovey do the job.
What's the best first ride on the Hiawatha with kids?
Try Chicago to Glenview, about 22 minutes. In the late summer 2026 timetable, train 335 left Union Station at 1:05 p.m. and reached Glenview at 1:27 p.m., and train 338 brought you back from Glenview at 4:01 p.m. On the Wisconsin side, Milwaukee to Sturtevant on train 336 takes about 23 minutes. Check Amtrak for your exact date.
Can kids ride the Hiawatha alone?
Nobody 12 or younger can. Hiawatha riders aged 13 to 15 may, but only by Amtrak's rules for unaccompanied minors: you book by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL, they pay the adult price, and they ride in daytime between staffed stations with no transfers, arriving by 9:30 p.m. The last northbound Hiawatha reaches Milwaukee at 9:34 p.m., so that one is out. At 16 and 17, they can ride on their own.
How early should we get to Chicago Union Station for the Hiawatha?
About 30 minutes before departure, as Amtrak suggests. With open coach seating, being near the front of the line helps you sit together. At a busy station like Chicago, Hiawatha families with small children are often called ahead, so keep your crew together near the gate. That half hour also leaves time to walk through the Great Hall and look up at the skylight.
What if my child gets scared on the Hiawatha?
Talk about the horn before you go, so it's a game and not a shock. The crowds at Chicago Union Station can be a lot, so hold hands and find a calm corner to wait. There's no tunnel on the Hiawatha that we know of, but in Rally Takes the Train, one page sends the train into the dark and back out into sunshine. It shows that strange moments pass, and 90 minutes ends soon.
Is the Hiawatha safe for kids?
Yes, with some ground rules. Hands stay held on the platform and kids stay behind the marked line, especially when another train passes, like a Metra train at Glenview. Once you're moving, kids should be seated or holding a seatback, in shoes for the restroom walk, and holding your hand between cars. The one-level coaches help, since there are no stairs inside.
What if the Hiawatha is delayed?
Before you leave home, pull up your Hiawatha on the Amtrak app's live map and scan Amtrak's travel advisories. Because nothing is sold on board, a delay is when that spare snack earns its spot, so pack extra food, water and diapers, plus a printable maze and train word search for the wait. Chicago Union Station and Milwaukee's downtown station both have cafes and vending machines if you end up waiting before you board.
Can we take the Hiawatha to Milwaukee's airport?
Yes, and it's handy if you're flying out of Milwaukee. Every Hiawatha stops at Milwaukee Airport Rail Station, opened in 2005, about 10 minutes south of downtown Milwaukee. It's one of only a few Amtrak stations tied to an airport, and a shuttle runs from the station to the Mitchell International Airport terminal.
What if we can't find seats together on the Hiawatha?
Walk one more coach before you settle. Hiawatha coach seats aren't assigned, so an open pair may sit a car or two along, just not in the Quiet Car if your kids are talkers. Until one turns up, keep the toddler on a parent's side and the older kids directly in front or behind. Even for the 22-minute ride to Glenview, a young child shouldn't sit apart from you.
Can I ask the conductor to help us sit together on the Hiawatha?
Yes. The ticket scan is a good moment: tell the conductor your group size, mention the toddler, and ask where the open seats are. A conductor can clear a backpack off a seat, since bags don't get their own, and a free lap baby on a spare seat may have to move for a paying rider. Nobody already seated gets bumped, though, so boarding early still counts for the most.