Blue Water With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
The Blue Water is one train a day that leaves Chicago at 4:00pm, shares the Wolverine's tracks to Battle Creek, then turns north on its own through Lansing and Flint to Port Huron, where Lake Huron pours into a river under a bridge to Canada. West of Battle Creek it is a flexible day-trip train thanks to the Wolverines; east of it, every stop is an overnight. Thomas Edison sold newspapers on this line as a boy. My son knows that fact better than his own address. Below is every stop and what to do when you get off.
By Kelsey Lizee Cecil. Checked against the Michigan Services timetable (September 2026) and each attraction in October 2026. Hours change; read the "know before you go" notes.If you only have one day
- With a toddler: New Buffalo.The 6:45am Wolverine from Chicago, the beach by 9:15, and the 11:24am Blue Water home with sand in everyone's shoes. Jump to New Buffalo.
- Ages 4 to 8: Durand.A 1905 depot at a railroad junction with a museum inside, a model railroad on Saturdays, and freight trains all day. Sleep in Flint or Lansing. Jump to Durand.
- The big one: Port Huron.Ride to the end, climb through a real lightship, climb the oldest lighthouse in Michigan, and watch freighters slide under the bridge to Canada. Two nights. Jump to Port Huron.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, between Chicago and Battle Creek the three Wolverines stop at the same stations, so those stops are day trips; east of Battle Creek the Blue Water is alone and every stop is an overnight. Second, eastbound times are evening and arrive late, so pajamas on the train work well. Third, the train is reserved, with the new Venture cars and a cafe. Alerts are on the Blue Water page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, seats, bathrooms, strollers and what to pack are all in our Blue Water parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
Eastbound Train 364: Chicago 4:00pm, New Buffalo 6:10pm, Kalamazoo 7:11pm, Battle Creek 7:33pm, East Lansing 8:55pm, Durand 9:37pm, Flint 10:03pm, Port Huron 11:31pm. Westbound Train 365: Port Huron 6:20am, Flint 7:30am, Durand 8:08am, East Lansing 8:49am, Battle Creek 9:55am, Kalamazoo 10:26am, New Buffalo 11:24am, Chicago 11:45am.
Stop 1 of 11CHITrain 364 leaves 4:00pm; Train 365 arrives 11:45am
Chicago Union Station
The Blue Water leaves Chicago at 4:00pm and arrives from Michigan before noon, which, like the Pere Marquette, makes it a Chicago-day-trip train for Michigan families: in by 11:45, out at 4:00. Union Station's Great Hall is the start and the end.
Stand in the middle of the Great Hall and look straight up. Then the river.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the Great Hall, restrooms, a food court and a staffed counter.
- 5 minThe Chicago Riverwalk and the architecture boats.
- 15 minMaggie Daley Park's giant slides, free.
- 15 minMillennium Park and the Bean.
A few hours here
- Arrive 11:45am, Riverwalk boat and Maggie Daley Park, and the 4:00pm train home (4 hours).
Stay the night
For a full Chicago day, come in on the Blue Water and go home on an evening Wolverine, which gives you until 5:50pm, or on the Pere Marquette at 6:30pm if you live on that line.
Snack stop: The station food court.
Out the window: Leaving Chicago eastbound: steel mills, then the dunes, then Michigan.
Stop 2 of 11NBUEastbound 6:10pm; westbound 11:24am; plus three Wolverines
New Buffalo
A beach town on Lake Michigan with a platform a 10-minute walk from the public beach, a playground and an ice cream shop. The Blue Water's westbound time, 11:24am, makes it the way home from a morning on the beach after a Wolverine out.
New Buffalo's public beach, where the dunes meet the lake. Ice cream at Oink's.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter, near downtown.
- 10 minNew Buffalo Public Beach: sand, a playground, restrooms and a snack stand in summer.
- 5 minDowntown's Whittaker Street: Oink's Dutch Treat ice cream, a toy store and cafes.
- at stopWarren Dunes State Park, 20 minutes by cab.
A few hours here
- Beach (2 hours).
- Oink's and the train.
Stay the night
Beach day: the 6:45am Wolverine from Chicago arrives 9:04am, beach until the 11:24am Blue Water home, or stay until an afternoon Wolverine.
Snack stop: Oink's Dutch Treat.
Out the window: Orchards and vineyards east of New Buffalo.
Stop 3 of 11NLSEastbound 6:32pm; westbound 11:04am; plus three Wolverines
Niles
A castle-like 1892 depot with gardens, and a riverfront park a few minutes away. The depot is the attraction.
The depot gardens and the clock tower.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1892 depot with a waiting room, restrooms and gardens.
- 5 minRiverfront Park on the St. Joseph River, with a playground.
- 8 minDowntown Niles' Main Street and a bakery.
A few hours here
- Depot gardens, the park playground, the bakery (90 minutes).
Stay the night
The river path, Fernwood Botanical Garden's children's garden by cab.
Snack stop: Downtown bakery.
Out the window: The St. Joseph River at the station.
Stop 4 of 11DOAEastbound 6:43pm; westbound 10:52am; plus Wolverinesour honest take: ride on
Dowagiac
A small town with a restored depot and sculptures downtown. A stretch stop.
The bronze sculptures on Front Street.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored depot.
- 5 minFront Street's sculpture trail.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: A cafe.
Out the window: Farms and lakes.
Stop 5 of 11KALEastbound 7:11pm; westbound 10:26am; plus three Wolverines
Kalamazoo
A transportation center two blocks from a free museum with a planetarium and a children's floor, with the Air Zoo a cab ride away. Four trains a day each way with the Wolverines, so Kalamazoo is the most flexible stop in Michigan.
The Kalamazoo Valley Museum's Children's Landscape, free, and the planetarium. For plane kids, the Air Zoo's indoor rides.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern transportation center with a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 3 minKalamazoo Valley Museum at 230 N Rose St: free, Tuesday to Saturday 10 to 4, Sunday 12 to 4.
- 5 minThe Kalamazoo Mall pedestrian street: a toy store, a candy shop, a bookstore.
- at stopAir Zoo Aerospace and Science Museum, 15 minutes by cab.
A few hours here
- Museum and planetarium (2 hours).
- The Mall for a snack (45 minutes).
Stay the night
Museum, lunch on the Mall, Air Zoo by cab, and any of four trains home.
Snack stop: Downtown bakeries and the candy shop.
Out the window: Downtown Kalamazoo.
Stop 6 of 11BTLEastbound 7:33pm; westbound 9:55am; plus three Wolverines
Battle Creek
The cereal city, where the Blue Water leaves the Wolverine's line and turns north toward Lansing. Downtown has a riverwalk and a small natural history museum; Binder Park Zoo is a cab ride away.
Binder Park Zoo's giraffe feeding, by cab, or the fountain plaza downtown.
Right off the platform
- at stopA transportation center with a waiting room and restrooms.
- 10 minDowntown's Festival Market Square and the Linear Park riverwalk.
- 10 minThe Kingman Museum, with a planetarium (limited days).
- at stopBinder Park Zoo, 15 minutes by cab.
A few hours here
- Riverwalk and the fountain plaza (1 hour).
Stay the night
Binder Park Zoo by cab, then the riverwalk.
Snack stop: Downtown cafes.
Out the window: North of Battle Creek the Blue Water is on its own line through farm country to Lansing.
Stop 7 of 11LNSEastbound 8:55pm; westbound 8:49am
East Lansing
A modern station on the Michigan State campus, a bus or a long walk from downtown Lansing's hands-on science center and the Capitol. The campus itself has a free dairy store with ice cream, a children's garden and a planetarium. The train times are late evening and early morning, so this is an overnight.
The MSU Dairy Store's ice cream, made on campus, then the 4-H Children's Garden with its pizza garden and the Abrams Planetarium.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with a waiting room and restrooms, next to campus.
- 15 minMSU Dairy Store on Farm Lane for ice cream and cheese.
- 15 minThe MSU 4-H Children's Garden and Horticulture Gardens, free, with a treehouse and a maze.
- 15 minAbrams Planetarium, with weekend shows.
- at stopImpression 5 Science Center in downtown Lansing, by bus or cab, for ages 2 to 12 (admission).
- at stopThe Michigan State Capitol downtown, free tours, with a dome to look up into.
A few hours here
- Dairy Store and the Children's Garden (90 minutes).
- Campus walk and the planetarium (1 hour).
Stay the night
Impression 5 in the morning by bus, the Capitol's dome, lunch downtown, the campus gardens and the Dairy Store in the afternoon. Potter Park Zoo by cab if there is a second day.
Snack stop: The MSU Dairy Store, and Grand River Avenue's cafes across from campus.
Out the window: The Red Cedar River and the campus trees.
Westbound at 8:49am is early for a museum; the overnight is the way to see Lansing.
Stop 8 of 11DRDEastbound 9:37pm; westbound 8:08am
Durand
The grandest small-town depot in Michigan, a 1905 Grand Trunk station at the junction of several lines, with a railroad museum inside and a model railroad room open on Saturdays. Trains still pass constantly. For a train-loving family, this is a pilgrimage; the train times mean an overnight or a drive.
Standing on the platform at Durand while a freight train comes through the diamond, with the big brick depot behind you. Then the model railroad upstairs on a Saturday.
Right off the platform
- at stopDurand Union Station: the restored depot with a waiting room, plus the Michigan Railroad History Museum inside (Tuesday to Friday 1 to 5, Saturday 11 to 5, Sunday 1 to 5; donation).
- at stopThe Model Railroad Engineers display inside the depot, Saturdays 11 to 5.
- 5 minDowntown Durand's Saginaw Street and a park.
- at stopRailroad Days festival in May, with excursions and displays.
A few hours here
- The museum and the model railroad (90 minutes).
- Watch the junction (as long as they want).
Stay the night
A Railroad Days weekend in May, or any Saturday with the model railroad open. Sleep in Flint or Lansing; Durand has little lodging.
Snack stop: A cafe on Saginaw Street.
Out the window: The Durand diamond, where lines cross, and the big depot on the left eastbound.
The museum closes when Durand schools close, and the model railroad is Saturdays only.
Stop 9 of 11FLNEastbound 10:03pm; westbound 7:30am
Flint
A modern station on the edge of downtown, with a children's museum, a planetarium and an automotive museum in the Cultural Center a cab ride away, and a riverfront park. The train times are late and early, so Flint is an overnight.
The Sloan Museum of Discovery's hands-on science floor, then the Longway Planetarium next door. For car kids, the vintage Buicks.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with a waiting room and restrooms.
- at stopSloan Museum of Discovery in the Flint Cultural Center, 2 miles by cab, with a kids' science floor and the car collection (admission).
- at stopLongway Planetarium, next to the Sloan.
- at stopFlint Children's Museum on the Kettering campus, ages 1 to 10 (admission).
- 10 minFlint's downtown Saginaw Street and the Flint Farmers Market, one of the best in the state.
A few hours here
- Cab to the Sloan Museum and the planetarium (2 hours).
Stay the night
Sloan Museum, the planetarium, the Children's Museum, the Farmers Market for lunch, and Crossroads Village's steam train and carousel in Genesee by cab in summer.
Snack stop: The Flint Farmers Market, open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Out the window: The Flint River.
Crossroads Village runs a real steam train and a carousel from May to October; it is a 20-minute cab ride.
Stop 10 of 11LPREastbound 10:34pm; westbound 7:08amour honest take: ride on
Lapeer
A small county seat with a restored depot and a historic courthouse. The train times are bedtime and dawn. Ride on.
The 1839 courthouse, the oldest in Michigan still in use, out the window.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored depot.
- 8 minDowntown Lapeer and the courthouse square.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None at these hours.
Out the window: The Flint River and farms, in the dark eastbound.
Stop 11 of 11PTHTrain 364 arrives 11:31pm; Train 365 leaves 6:20am
Port Huron
The eastern end, on Lake Huron where the St. Clair River flows out under the Blue Water Bridge to Canada. Thomas Edison grew up here and sold newspapers on the trains, and there is a museum about him inside an old depot on the river, next to a lightship you can board. The train arrives late and leaves early; stay two nights.
The Huron Lightship, a real lighthouse boat you climb through, then the Edison Depot Museum next door, and the freighters sliding under the bridge.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station with a waiting room.
- at stopThomas Edison Depot Museum, 2 miles by cab, in the old Fort Gratiot depot under the Blue Water Bridge, with the Huron Lightship beside it (admission).
- at stopFort Gratiot Lighthouse, the oldest in Michigan, with tower climbs for kids 4 and up.
- at stopLakeside Beach and Lighthouse Beach on Lake Huron.
- at stopDowntown Port Huron's Military Street, with a candy shop and the Blue Water Riverwalk.
A few hours here
- Cab to the Edison Depot and the lightship (2 hours).
- Riverwalk to watch the freighters (45 minutes).
Stay the night
Edison Depot, the lightship and the lighthouse climb in the morning, beach in the afternoon, freighter watching from the Riverwalk at sunset. Two nights, then the 6:20am train.
Snack stop: Downtown's candy shop and the river cafes; a bakery on Military Street.
Out the window: Arriving from the west in the dark; leaving at 6:20am the sun comes up over Lake Huron behind you.
Edison's train
Thomas Edison was twelve when he got a job selling newspapers and candy on the train between Port Huron and Detroit, and he set up a chemistry lab in the baggage car until he set it on fire. I tell my kids that story every time we ride this line, and every time my son asks if he can sell candy on the train. Not yet. But the lightship and the lighthouse and the freighters under the bridge are his, and they were my dad's idea of a perfect afternoon. Go in summer.
Next in this series: the Wolverine, which shares the tracks to Battle Creek, and the Pere Marquette. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Blue Water trips with kids: questions parents ask
How long is the Blue Water from Chicago to Port Huron?
About 6.5 hours. Train 364 leaves Chicago at 4:00pm and arrives in Port Huron at 11:31pm (Michigan is an hour ahead); Train 365 leaves Port Huron at 6:20am and arrives in Chicago at 11:45am.
Which Blue Water stops can we do as a day trip?
New Buffalo, Niles, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, because the three daily Wolverines stop there too. East of Battle Creek there is one train a day each way, so East Lansing, Durand, Flint and Port Huron are overnights.
What is the best Blue Water stop for a toddler?
New Buffalo, with the beach a 10-minute walk from the platform and four trains a day. For an overnight, Port Huron's beaches and the lightship.
Is Durand worth getting off for?
For a train-loving kid, yes. The 1905 depot has a railroad museum inside, a model railroad room on Saturdays, and freight trains crossing the junction all day. Plan it as part of a Flint or Lansing overnight; lodging in Durand is scarce.
Do kids pay on the Blue Water?
Kids 2 to 12 pay half the adult fare and one child under 2 rides free on each adult's lap. Tickets are reserved.
Is there food on the Blue Water?
Yes, a cafe car with snacks, sandwiches and drinks. The eastbound train covers dinner time, so plan on the cafe or bring dinner aboard.
Which Blue Water stops should we skip with kids?
Dowagiac and Lapeer are small-town platforms with bedtime and dawn train times. Everything else has a beach, a museum or a depot worth the stop.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Michigan Services timetable, September 2026 revision, and Amtrak station pages
- Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Durand Union Station Michigan Railroad History Museum, Sloan Museum of Discovery, Impression 5, Thomas Edison Depot Museum and Huron Lightship: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- Great American Stations and Wikipedia station articles for addresses and station history, cross-checked with Amtrak
- MSU campus visitor pages: Dairy Store, 4-H Children's Garden, Abrams Planetarium
Hours, prices and bus routes change. I update this page when they do; if you spot something out of date, tell me.