Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
Two trains a day, one morning and one evening, single-level cars with no stairs, and a line that runs through the western suburbs to a railroad town with a steam engine beside the platform and on to the Mississippi. The Illinois Zephyr and the Carl Sandburg are the same route with two names, and Galesburg, in the middle, gets two more trains a day from the long-distance Zephyr and Chief. My mom collected Carl Sandburg's children's stories. Below is every stop and what to do when you get off.
By Kelsey Lizee Cecil. Checked against the Illinois Services 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 Naperville.Thirty-five minutes, then the DuPage Children's Museum steps from the platform, the Riverwalk's paddle boats and covered bridge, and Metra home whenever you want. Jump to Naperville.
- Ages 4 to 8: Galesburg.A steam locomotive beside the depot, the Discovery Depot children's museum, and Railroad Days in June. Four trains a day each way. Jump to Galesburg.
- The big one: Quincy and the river.Ride to the end, cab to the bluff park over the Mississippi, the children's museum, and Mark Twain's Hannibal the next day by car. Jump to Quincy.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, two trains a day each way: the Carl Sandburg leaves Chicago in the morning and the Illinois Zephyr in the evening, and the names swap on the way back; Galesburg adds the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief. Second, these are single-level trains with level boarding at most stops, the easiest in Illinois for a stroller. Third, Naperville and La Grange are also Metra stops, so day trips there do not depend on Amtrak's two trains. Alerts are on the Illinois Zephyr page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, seats, bathrooms, strollers and what to pack are all in our Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
Stop 1 of 10CHICarl Sandburg in the morning, Illinois Zephyr in the evening
Chicago Union Station
Union Station's Great Hall, then the Burlington main line west: the same tracks the original Zephyr streamliners ran, through the western suburbs and out across the prairie to the Mississippi. These are single-level trains, so no stairs to haul a stroller up, which my knees appreciate.
Stand in the middle of the Great Hall and look straight up. Then find 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, free.
- 15 minMillennium Park and the Bean.
Half a day between trains
- Riverwalk boat (90 minutes).
- Maggie Daley Park (1 hour).
Make it a full day
Chicago is a weekend. This is the line west to the river.
Snack stop: The station food court.
Out the window: Leaving Chicago westbound on the Burlington you pass the big Metra yards, then the leafy western suburbs: Riverside, Brookfield and the zoo's edge, Naperville.
Single-level cars, level boarding at most stops, and a cafe.
Stop 2 of 10LAGBoth trains, plus Metraour honest take: ride on
La Grange
A pretty suburban downtown around the station, with Brookfield Zoo two miles away by cab. A Metra stop for most purposes.
Brookfield Zoo's dolphins, by cab, if the zoo is the plan.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform shared with Metra, in downtown La Grange.
- 3 minDowntown La Grange's cafes and a toy store.
- at stopBrookfield Zoo, 2 miles by cab.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard, or cab to Brookfield Zoo (3 hours).
Make it a full day
Brookfield Zoo day, then Metra home.
Snack stop: Downtown cafes.
Out the window: Suburbs.
Metra serves this stop far more often than Amtrak; use Metra for a zoo day.
Stop 3 of 10NPVBoth trains, plus Metra and the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief
Naperville
A big suburban downtown with a riverwalk, a covered bridge, a carillon tower and a children's museum, all a 10-minute walk from the station. Centennial Beach, a swimming quarry, is on the riverwalk. Naperville is a surprisingly good train day.
The Naperville Riverwalk's covered bridge and paddle boats, then the DuPage Children's Museum's water room.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room and restrooms, shared with Metra.
- 2 minDuPage Children's Museum at 301 N Washington St, right by the station, ages 0 to 10 (admission).
- 10 minThe Naperville Riverwalk: a covered bridge, paddle boats, a carillon and a playground.
- 12 minCentennial Beach, a quarry swimming beach, in summer.
- 10 minDowntown Naperville's shops and ice cream.
Half a day between trains
- DuPage Children's Museum (2 hours).
- Riverwalk and paddle boats (1 hour).
Make it a full day
Museum, Riverwalk, Centennial Beach in summer, dinner downtown, Metra home at any hour.
Snack stop: Downtown Naperville has everything; the Riverwalk has an ice cream stand.
Out the window: The Fox River valley west of here.
The children's museum is steps from the platform; Metra makes the return flexible.
Stop 4 of 10PLNBoth trainsour honest take: ride on
Plano
A small farm town stop with a depot. Nothing for a family day.
The Farnsworth House, a famous glass house, is a cab ride away for architecture-minded parents.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot and platform.
- at stopThe Farnsworth House, by cab, with tours.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The Fox River and farms.
Stop 5 of 10MDTBoth trains
Mendota
A railroad junction town with a railroad museum in the old depot, a steam locomotive outside, and a park next door. For a train kid, the best small stop on the line.
Climbing on the steam locomotive outside the Union Depot Railroad Museum. Then the museum's model railroad.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe platform, next to the Union Depot Railroad Museum.
- at stopUnion Depot Railroad Museum, with a steam engine, a caboose and model trains (limited days; small admission).
- 5 minA park with a playground next to the depot.
- 10 minDowntown Mendota's Main Street and a bakery.
Half a day between trains
- Railroad museum and the locomotive (1 hour).
- Park playground (45 minutes).
Make it a full day
Museum, park, lunch, and the Sweet Corn Festival in August if your dates line up.
Snack stop: A bakery and a diner downtown.
Out the window: Three railroads cross here; watch for freight trains.
The museum has limited hours; check before you go.
Stop 6 of 10PCTBoth trainsour honest take: ride on
Princeton
A small town with a covered bridge and a main street. A stretch stop.
The Red Covered Bridge, a drive north of town, one of the few left in Illinois.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot.
- 10 minDowntown Princeton's Main Street.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: A cafe on Main Street.
Out the window: Prairie.
Stop 7 of 10KEEBoth trainsour honest take: ride on
Kewanee
The hog capital of the world, with a festival on Labor Day weekend. Otherwise a platform.
Hog Days, if it is Labor Day weekend.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot.
- 10 minDowntown Kewanee.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Prairie.
Stop 8 of 10GBBBoth trains, plus the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief
Galesburg
A railroad town through and through: a railroad museum next to the depot with a steam locomotive, a caboose and a Pullman car, the National Railroad Hall of Fame nearby, and Railroad Days in June. Carl Sandburg's birthplace is a 15-minute walk. Four trains a day each way make it the easiest stop on the line to plan.
The Galesburg Railroad Museum's steam engine, number 3006, which kids can see up close, and the Railroad Days festival in June with train rides.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1984 depot with a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 2 minGalesburg Railroad Museum next to the depot, with a steam locomotive, caboose and Pullman car (seasonal; small admission).
- 10 minDowntown Galesburg's Main Street and the Orpheum Theatre.
- 15 minCarl Sandburg's birthplace cottage, free, with a garden.
- 10 minDiscovery Depot Children's Museum at 128 S Chambers St, ages 1 to 10 (admission).
Half a day between trains
- Railroad museum (1 hour).
- Discovery Depot (90 minutes).
- Lunch on Main Street.
Make it a full day
Railroad museum, Discovery Depot, Sandburg's cottage, lunch, and the Knox College campus. Railroad Days, the first weekend of June, has excursions and a street fair.
Snack stop: Main Street cafes and Landmark Cafe.
Out the window: The BNSF yard is on the right westbound; freight trains line up for miles.
The railroad museum is seasonal (spring to fall); Discovery Depot is year-round.
Stop 9 of 10MACBoth trains
Macomb
A college town with a courthouse square a 5-minute walk from the depot, a toy store, and Western Illinois University. Quiet and friendly; a good stretch stop with ice cream.
The courthouse square's gazebo and a scoop at the ice cream shop.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored depot with a waiting room.
- 5 minMacomb's courthouse square: a toy store, a bakery and ice cream.
- 15 minWestern Illinois University's campus and the Western Hall.
- at stopSpring Lake Park, by car, with a beach and a playground.
Half a day between trains
- Courthouse square and ice cream (1 hour).
Make it a full day
Square, campus, Spring Lake by car. Mostly a stop for visiting students.
Snack stop: Ice cream on the square.
Out the window: Farms, then the river bluffs begin.
Stop 10 of 10QCYBoth trains; the end of the line
Quincy
A Mississippi River town with a hilltop park where the river views are the point, a children's museum downtown, and a street of mansions. The depot is on the edge of town; a cab gets you to the river in five minutes. The western end of the line.
Riverview Park's bluff, with the Mississippi bridges below and barges pushing through. Then the Quincy Children's Museum.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a waiting room.
- at stopRiverview Park on the bluff, 5 minutes by cab, with a playground and the river.
- at stopQuincy Children's Museum downtown, ages 0 to 10 (admission).
- at stopWashington Park and the Lincoln-Douglas debate site downtown.
- at stopClat Adams Bicentennial Park on the riverfront, with a fountain.
Half a day between trains
- Cab to Riverview Park (1 hour).
- Children's Museum (90 minutes).
Make it a full day
Children's Museum, Riverview Park, lunch downtown, the riverfront fountain park, and the evening train back east. Or a night in Quincy and Hannibal, Missouri (Mark Twain's town) by car in the morning.
Snack stop: Downtown Quincy has cafes; the riverfront has a snack stand in summer.
Out the window: Arriving from the east the river appears below the bluffs.
Sandburg's prairie
My mom read me Sandburg's Rootabaga Stories, which are full of trains, and I read them to my kids on this line because it seemed right. Somewhere past Mendota, with a steam engine behind us and the prairie going gold, my daughter asked if the Zigzag Railroad was real. I said this one was close enough. Get off in Galesburg. See the engine.
Next in this series: the Lincoln Service, and the California Zephyr, which shares these tracks to Galesburg and keeps going to the Rockies. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg trips with kids: questions parents ask
What is the difference between the Illinois Zephyr and the Carl Sandburg?
Only the time of day. Both run Chicago to Quincy with the same stops; the Carl Sandburg is the morning train out of Chicago and the Illinois Zephyr the evening one, swapping on the return.
How long is Chicago to Galesburg?
About 2 hours 40 minutes, and about 4 hours 20 minutes to Quincy. Naperville is 35 minutes from Chicago.
Are these trains double-decker?
No, they are single-level cars with level boarding at most stations, which makes them the easiest Illinois trains for a stroller. There is a cafe car.
What is the best stop for a toddler?
Naperville. The DuPage Children's Museum is steps from the platform, the Riverwalk has paddle boats and a playground, and Metra runs home all day.
Do kids pay on these trains?
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 Galesburg worth a stop with kids?
Yes. The railroad museum with its steam locomotive is beside the depot, the Discovery Depot children's museum is downtown, and four trains a day each way make it the easiest stop to plan.
Which stops should we skip with kids?
La Grange, Plano, Princeton and Kewanee are small-town or commuter platforms. Mendota is a train-kid stop; Macomb is a stretch with ice cream.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Illinois Services timetable, August 2026, and Amtrak station pages
- DuPage Children's Museum, Galesburg Railroad Museum, Discovery Depot Children's Museum, Quincy Children's Museum, Union Depot Railroad Museum (Mendota): hours and admission as posted October 2026
- Naperville Park District: Riverwalk and Centennial Beach
- 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.