Chicago to St. Paul by Train With Kids: Every Borealis Stop
The Borealis is a new train, started in 2024, and it is the Midwest's best daytime ride: upstairs seats in double-decker cars, a late-morning departure from Chicago, and two hours along the Mississippi River bluffs in the afternoon light. One train a day each direction, so the stops are places you stay. My dad was from Minnesota, and the river towns on this line were his idea of a vacation. Below is every stop and what to do when you get off.
By Kelsey Lizee Cecil. Checked against the Borealis timetable and each attraction in October 2026. Hours change; read the "know before you go" notes.If you only have one day
- With a toddler: Chicago to Milwaukee.Ride the Borealis up at 11:10am for the double-decker novelty, do the Milwaukee lakefront, and come home on any Hiawatha. Jump to Milwaukee.
- Ages 4 to 8: Wisconsin Dells.Get off at the water park capital, duck boat on the river, fudge downtown, and two nights at an indoor water park with a shuttle that meets the train. Jump to the Dells.
- The big one: the river afternoon.Board at La Crosse or ride the whole way, and sit upstairs on the left for two hours of Mississippi bluffs, barges and eagles into St. Paul. Jump to La Crosse.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, the Borealis is reserved, so book ahead, and ask for upstairs seats when you board; the Superliner lower level is for accessible seating and bathrooms. Second, the Empire Builder runs the same stations once a day too, so most river towns get two trains a day each way. Third, Chicago to Milwaukee has the Hiawatha seven times a day, which makes that segment a flexible day trip. Alerts are on the Borealis page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, seats, bathrooms, strollers and what to pack are all in our Borealis parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
West of Milwaukee the Borealis and the Empire Builder are the only trains, one each per direction. Every stop from the Dells to Red Wing is an overnight, and the times given are approximate; check the day's schedule.
Stop 1 of 13CHITrain 1333 leaves 11:10am; Train 1340 arrives 7:21pm
Chicago Union Station
The Borealis leaves Chicago late in the morning, which is the kindest departure time on the whole Amtrak map for a family. Union Station's Great Hall is the send-off: a skylight the size of a tennis court and benches long enough for a nap.
Stand in the middle of the Great Hall and look straight up. Then find your train on the board and walk to the gate together.
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 and climbing wall, free.
- 15 minMillennium Park and the Bean.
A few hours here
- Riverwalk and a boat before an 11am train (90 minutes).
- Maggie Daley Park (1 hour).
Stay the night
Chicago is a weekend on its own; the Borealis is how you leave it with the morning free.
Snack stop: The station food court and the Riverwalk stands.
Out the window: Leaving Chicago westbound you pass the rail yards and the suburbs, then Wisconsin in an hour.
The Borealis is reserved, unlike the Hiawatha. Since March 2025 it runs with Superliner double-decker cars; ask for upstairs.
Stop 2 of 13GLNDailyour honest take: ride on
Glenview
A suburban Metra platform. Ride on.
None. Count the Metra trains.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform shared with Metra.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Suburbs.
Stop 3 of 13SVTDailyour honest take: ride on
Sturtevant
A modern station outside Racine, in the fields. Ride on.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with restrooms.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Farmland.
Stop 4 of 13MKADaily, plus the Hiawathaour honest take: ride on
Milwaukee Airport
A platform by the airport with a shuttle to the terminal. Useful for flights, nothing else.
Planes landing low over the tracks.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and a shuttle bus to Mitchell Airport.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Planes.
Stop 5 of 13MKEWestbound 12:42pm; eastbound 5:44pm; plus the Hiawatha
Milwaukee Intermodal Station
The Borealis stops here for a few minutes, but with the Hiawatha running the same tracks seven times a day, Milwaukee is the easy place to get off and catch up later. The lakefront science museum, the children's museum and the Public Market are all a free streetcar ride from the station.
Discovery World on the lakefront: the real schooner and the sturgeon touch tank. Then frozen custard.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe Intermodal Station: a waiting room, restrooms, a cafe and a staffed counter.
- 10 minThe Milwaukee Riverwalk and the Public Market.
- 15 minDiscovery World on the lakefront.
- 15 minBetty Brinn Children's Museum on the lakefront, ages 0 to 10.
- 10 minThe Hop streetcar, free.
A few hours here
- Hop streetcar to the lakefront, Discovery World or Betty Brinn (2 hours).
- Public Market lunch, then a Hiawatha or the next day's Borealis.
Stay the night
The full Milwaukee day is in the Hiawatha trip plan: lakefront museums, the Public Market, custard and a Brewers game.
Snack stop: Milwaukee Public Market; custard at Kopp's or Leon's by cab.
Out the window: West of Milwaukee the train turns inland through farm country toward the Wisconsin River.
Stop 6 of 13CBSDaily, plus the Empire Builderour honest take: ride on
Columbus, Wisconsin
A small town stop that mostly serves Madison, 30 miles away by bus. The depot is simple and the town is quiet. Madison is worth a visit; this is not the way to do it with small kids unless someone is picking you up.
If Madison is the plan: the Madison Children's Museum downtown, with a rooftop chicken coop.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station with a waiting room.
- at stopMadison, 30 miles, by Thruway bus or a ride.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Madison by car from here: the Children's Museum, Henry Vilas Zoo (free), and the Capitol.
Snack stop: A few places on the main street.
Out the window: Dairy farms and the first glacial hills.
Stop 7 of 13POGDaily, plus the Empire Builderour honest take: ride on
Portage
A historic town between the Wisconsin and Fox rivers, with a canal and a reconstructed fort. Nice if you have a car; nothing within walking distance of the platform for a family.
The old Portage Canal, which once connected two watersheds, is a short drive.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small shelter and platform.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip, or Devil's Lake State Park by car.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The Wisconsin River and marshes.
Stop 8 of 13WDLWestbound 2:35pm; eastbound 3:54pm (approximate); plus the Empire Builder
Wisconsin Dells
The water park capital of the world has a train station, and it is a 10-minute walk from the downtown strip with its fudge shops, duck boats and the river. The giant indoor water parks are a shuttle ride away. For a family that likes a certain kind of chaos, this is the stop.
A Wisconsin Ducks tour, in a WWII amphibious truck that drives into the river. Then fudge.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a waiting room.
- 10 minDowntown Dells' Broadway: fudge, taffy, souvenir shops and Ripley's.
- 10 minWisconsin Ducks and the Dells Boat Tours on the river, with sandstone cliffs.
- at stopNoah's Ark, Mt. Olympus, Kalahari and the Wilderness water parks, by shuttle or cab; most resorts send shuttles.
- 15 minRiverside Park, with a playground on the river.
A few hours here
- Downtown fudge and the Ducks tour (2 hours).
- Riverside Park (45 minutes).
Stay the night
Two nights at an indoor water park resort, which is open all year. The resort shuttle meets the train if you ask ahead, and nobody needs a car.
Snack stop: Fudge, taffy, and a dozen pizza places on Broadway.
Out the window: Just west of the station the train crosses the Wisconsin River with the sandstone Dells on both sides, the best view on the route.
Only two trains a day each way stop here (Borealis and Empire Builder); plan the return.
Stop 9 of 13TOHDaily, plus the Empire Builderour honest take: ride on
Tomah
A small town stop in cranberry country. In fall the bogs flood red. There is a park near the depot, but nothing for a family to plan around.
Cranberry bogs flooded for harvest in October, out the window.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a waiting room.
- 10 minDowntown Tomah's Gasoline Alley murals and a park.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: A bakery downtown.
Out the window: Cranberry marshes in fall, red and flooded.
Stop 10 of 13LSEWestbound about 4:10pm; eastbound about 2:15pm; plus the Empire Builder
La Crosse
A river town on the Mississippi with a Children's Museum downtown and a riverfront park, both a 10-minute walk from the station. Then the train crosses the Mississippi on a bridge right out of town and the bluffs start.
Riverside Park, where the Mississippi is wide and the paddlewheeler docks, and the big bronze eagle. Then stay at the window for the river crossing.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1927 depot with a waiting room and restrooms.
- 10 minChildren's Museum of La Crosse at 207 5th Ave S, three floors for ages 0 to 12 (admission).
- 12 minRiverside Park on the Mississippi, with a playground, the paddlewheel boat and the eagle statue.
- 10 minDowntown's Pearl Street and the Pearl Ice Cream Parlor.
A few hours here
- Children's Museum (2 hours).
- Riverside Park and the ice cream parlor (1 hour).
Stay the night
Museum, river park, lunch on Pearl Street, then a drive up Grandad Bluff for the view of three states. Sleep in La Crosse; two trains a day.
Snack stop: The Pearl Ice Cream Parlor downtown.
Out the window: West of La Crosse you cross the Mississippi and then run along it for two hours with the bluffs on both sides. Left side westbound for the river most of the way.
Stop 11 of 13WINDaily, plus the Empire Builder
Winona
An island city on the Mississippi with a lake in the middle of town and a river trail. The station is a short walk from Lake Park's playground and the levee. Quiet, pretty, and a nice place to break the trip.
The Winona levee at sunset with barges going by, or the sugar loaf rock above town.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot.
- 10 minLevee Park on the Mississippi, with the river and barges.
- 15 minLake Park on Lake Winona, with a big playground, a band shell and a path.
- 10 minDowntown Winona's Third Street and the Minnesota Marine Art Museum (a short cab).
A few hours here
- Levee Park and the river (45 minutes).
- Lake Park playground (1 hour).
Stay the night
Lake Park, the Marine Art Museum (which has a surprising collection), lunch downtown, and Garvin Heights by car for the view.
Snack stop: Bloedow's Bakery, a Winona institution.
Out the window: The river stays on the left westbound, with Trempealeau Mountain and the bluffs.
Stop 12 of 13RDWWestbound about 5:25pm; eastbound about 1:00pm; plus the Empire Builder
Red Wing
A beautiful 1904 depot on the river, with the world's largest boot in a shoe store downtown, a pottery you can tour, and Barn Bluff to climb. It is a 5-minute walk to all of it. One of the best small stops on the line.
The size 638 boot at the Red Wing Shoe store, which is as tall as a grown-up. Then the river from the levee.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe restored depot with a waiting room and restrooms, right on the river.
- 5 minLevee Park and the riverfront path.
- 5 minDowntown Red Wing: the giant boot at the Red Wing Shoe Store, a candy store and the St. James Hotel.
- 10 minRed Wing Pottery, with a museum and salesroom.
- 15 minBarn Bluff trail, a climb with a view of the river (for ages 5 and up).
A few hours here
- The giant boot and downtown (45 minutes).
- Levee Park and the river (45 minutes).
- Pottery museum (45 minutes).
Stay the night
Downtown, the pottery, lunch at the St. James, Barn Bluff in the afternoon with bigger kids, and the eastbound train the next day.
Snack stop: Hanisch Bakery downtown and a candy store on Main Street.
Out the window: The river is right beside the tracks here, with Lake Pepin just south.
Stop 13 of 13MSPTrain 1333 arrives 6:29pm; Train 1340 leaves 11:50am
St. Paul Union Depot
A restored 1920s depot in Lowertown with a children's museum a 10-minute walk away, a science museum with a dinosaur gallery, and a light rail to downtown Minneapolis. Arriving at 6:29pm means dinner and a hotel; leaving at 11:50am means a whole morning at the Children's Museum first.
The Minnesota Children's Museum's four-story climber, or the Science Museum's Omnitheater. Then the light rail to Target Field for a Twins game.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Depot: a grand waiting room, restrooms, a cafe and the Green Line light rail outside.
- 10 minMinnesota Children's Museum at 10 W 7th St, ages 0 to 10 (admission).
- 12 minScience Museum of Minnesota, with dinosaurs and a Mississippi River gallery.
- 5 minLowertown's Mears Park and the St. Paul Farmers Market on weekends.
- at stopThe Green Line to downtown Minneapolis and the Blue Line to the Mall of America and its indoor theme park.
A few hours here
- Children's Museum in the morning before the 11:50am train (2 hours).
- Mears Park and the farmers market on a weekend.
Stay the night
Children's Museum, Science Museum, a Twins or Saints game, the Mall of America's Nickelodeon Universe by light rail, and Minnehaha Falls. Two nights.
Snack stop: Lowertown has a dozen restaurants; the depot has a cafe.
Out the window: Arriving from the east you cross the Mississippi one last time with the St. Paul skyline ahead.
Union Depot has a staffed counter and checked baggage; the Green Line stops outside the front door.
The river afternoon
My dad used to say the Mississippi looked best from a train, because you could not drive along it anywhere this close. He was right. Between La Crosse and St. Paul the bluffs stand up on both sides, barges push upstream, and in winter the eagles sit in the cottonwoods by the dozen. My kids count them. I think about him. Sit upstairs, on the left, and ride it in the afternoon.
Next in this series: the Hiawatha, the short version of this line, and the Empire Builder, which continues from St. Paul to Glacier and the coast. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Borealis trips with kids: questions parents ask
How long is the Borealis from Chicago to St. Paul?
About 7 hours 20 minutes. Train 1333 leaves Chicago at 11:10am and arrives in St. Paul at 6:29pm; Train 1340 leaves St. Paul at 11:50am and arrives in Chicago at 7:14pm.
Is the Borealis a double-decker train?
Yes, since March 2025 it runs with Superliner cars. Seats are upstairs with the big windows; the lower level has accessible seating and bathrooms. There is no business class on the Superliner version.
Which side of the Borealis has the Mississippi?
Left side heading west (toward St. Paul) from La Crosse to St. Paul, where the tracks run beside the river for two hours. Right side heading east.
Do kids pay on the Borealis?
Kids 2 to 12 pay half the adult fare and one child under 2 rides free on each adult's lap. Tickets are reserved, so book the kids as passengers.
Can we get off the Borealis and get back on?
Not the same day. Book separate segments and stay the night, or use the Hiawatha between Chicago and Milwaukee and the Empire Builder, which stops at the same river towns once a day.
What is the best Borealis stop for a toddler?
Milwaukee, because the Hiawatha gets you home whenever you want. For an overnight, Red Wing: the depot is on the river, the giant boot is a five-minute walk, and the town is small enough to do with a stroller.
Which Borealis stops should we skip with kids?
Glenview, Sturtevant, Columbus, Portage and Tomah are platforms in the fields or suburbs. Every other stop has a river, a museum or a water park within walking distance.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Borealis and Hiawatha timetables, August 2026, and Amtrak station pages
- Minnesota Children's Museum, Science Museum of Minnesota, Children's Museum of La Crosse, Discovery World, Betty Brinn Children's Museum: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- Wisconsin Dells Visitor Bureau, Wisconsin Ducks, water park resort shuttle information
- Great American Stations and Wikipedia station articles for addresses and station history, cross-checked with Amtrak
Hours, prices and bus routes change. I update this page when they do; if you spot something out of date, tell me.