Lincoln Service With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
Four trains a day, 110 miles an hour across the prairie, and a children's museum directly across the street from one of the platforms. The Lincoln Service is the easiest big-kid history trip in the country: Lincoln's house and law office in Springfield, Route 66 towns with swinging bridges, and St. Louis at the end with the Arch and the City Museum, which is less a museum than a ten-story climbing structure. My dad grew up on Lincoln stories. He would have loved this line. 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 Normal.Two hours, then the Children's Discovery Museum across the street, the fountain on the circle and ice cream, and any of four trains home. Jump to Normal.
- Ages 5 to 10: Springfield.The Lincoln Presidential Museum's ghost show, Lincoln's real house (free, with a badge), and rubbing his nose at the tomb. Jump to Springfield.
- The big one: St. Louis.Two nights: City Museum, the Arch tram, the free zoo, the Magic House, a Cardinals game. Jump to St. Louis.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, four Lincoln Service trains a day each way, plus the Texas Eagle once a day on the same stops, so most stops have five choices. Second, the new Venture cars have big windows, level boarding at the newer stations and a cafe with tables. Third, the fast track between Joliet and Alton is 110 mph; it is smooth, but sit facing forward if anyone gets carsick. Alerts are on the Lincoln Service page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, seats, bathrooms, strollers and what to pack are all in our Lincoln Service parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
Stop 1 of 11CHI4 Lincoln Service trains a day plus the Texas Eagle
Chicago Union Station
Union Station's Great Hall, with its skylight and marble stairs, is where the Lincoln Service begins. With five trains a day to St. Louis, this is the Midwest line with the most choices, and the 110 mph stretch south of Joliet is the fastest a family can ride in the middle of the country.
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, 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. The Lincoln Service is how you leave it, five times a day.
Snack stop: The station food court.
Out the window: Leaving Chicago southbound you pass the rail yards and the canal, then the suburbs, then the prairie opens up past Joliet and the train speeds up.
The Texas Eagle shares this line once a day and continues to Texas; its tickets are separate.
Stop 2 of 11SMTSome trainsour honest take: ride on
Summit
A suburban platform by the canal. Nothing to walk to. Ride on.
The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal beside the tracks.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The canal and the rail yards.
Not every train stops here.
Stop 3 of 11JOLEvery train, plus Metra
Joliet
A big downtown transportation center with the old Union Station restored beside it, a block from the Rialto theater and a few blocks from a Route 66 museum with a giant Blues Brothers display. The old prison from the movie is a cab ride away and gives tours. Joliet is also where the trains speed up to 110 mph heading south.
Standing on the platform as a southbound train leaves and accelerates. Then the Route 66 Welcome Center's photo ops, which small kids find hilarious.
Right off the platform
- at stopJoliet Gateway Center: a modern transportation center with restrooms, a waiting room and a staffed counter, next to the restored 1912 Union Station.
- 5 minJoliet Area Historical Museum and the Route 66 Welcome Center downtown, with the Blues Brothers on the roof.
- 5 minThe Rialto Square Theatre, a 1926 palace with tours.
- at stopOld Joliet Prison, 2 miles by cab, with tours for ages 10 and up.
- 10 minBicentennial Park on the river, with a playground.
Half a day between trains
- Route 66 Welcome Center and the museum (1 hour).
- Bicentennial Park playground (1 hour).
Make it a full day
Museum, lunch downtown, the Rialto tour, and the prison tour for bigger kids. Metra also runs here, so the return to Chicago is flexible.
Snack stop: Downtown Joliet has a bakery and diners near the station.
Out the window: South of Joliet the train hits 110 mph on the straight prairie track. Watch the fence posts blur.
Stop 4 of 11DWIEvery trainour honest take: ride on
Dwight
A Route 66 town with a restored 1891 depot, a vintage gas station and a park. A stretch stop with a lot of charm but not a day out.
Ambler's Texaco, a 1933 Route 66 gas station restored as a visitor center, a 5-minute walk.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe restored 1891 depot.
- 5 minAmbler's Texaco Gas Station on Route 66.
- 5 minRenfrew Park and a playground.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard, or the gas station and the park (1 hour).
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: A cafe downtown.
Out the window: Prairie and corn.
Stop 5 of 11PONEvery train
Pontiac, Illinois
A Route 66 town with a mural painted on every other wall, a Route 66 museum, and a swinging footbridge over the river. The platform is a 10-minute walk from all of it. A good stretch-your-legs stop with enough to fill two hours.
The three swinging bridges over the Vermilion River, which bounce. Kids run back and forth until you make them stop.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small platform near downtown.
- 10 minThe Illinois Route 66 Association Hall of Fame and Museum, free, with a VW bus and the Bob Waldmire art bus.
- 10 minDowntown Pontiac's murals, two dozen of them, a scavenger hunt on its own.
- 10 minThe swinging bridges over the Vermilion River at Play Park and Humiston-Riverside Park, with a playground.
Half a day between trains
- Route 66 museum (45 minutes).
- Murals and the swinging bridges (1 hour).
Make it a full day
Add the Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum (free) and lunch on the square. Four trains a day each way make it easy to go on to Normal or back to Chicago.
Snack stop: Cafes around the courthouse square.
Out the window: Prairie and the fastest track in Illinois.
Stop 6 of 11BNLEvery train
Bloomington-Normal Uptown Station
A modern station in Uptown Normal with a children's museum across the street, a circle fountain kids wade in, a bookstore and an ice cream shop. This is the best stop on the line for a small child, and it is two hours from Chicago.
The Children's Discovery Museum, right across from the platform, three floors with a Luckey Climber. Then the Uptown Circle fountain on a hot day.
Right off the platform
- at stopUptown Station: a modern transportation center with restrooms, a waiting room and a staffed counter.
- 2 minChildren's Discovery Museum at 101 E Beaufort St, three floors for ages 0 to 12 (admission; closed Mondays).
- 3 minUptown Circle, a fountain and lawn, with a farmers market on Saturdays in summer.
- 3 minUptown Normal's shops: a toy store, a bookstore, ice cream at Emack and Bolio's.
- 15 minIllinois State University's campus and the Normal Theater's family matinees.
Half a day between trains
- Children's Discovery Museum (2 hours).
- Uptown Circle and ice cream (45 minutes).
Make it a full day
Museum, lunch Uptown, the campus quad, the Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington by cab (small and good for little kids), and any of four trains home.
Snack stop: Emack and Bolio's ice cream and a bakery on the Circle.
Out the window: Illinois State University's towers on the right southbound.
The museum is closed Mondays.
Stop 7 of 11LCNEvery trainour honest take: ride on
Lincoln, Illinois
The only town named for Lincoln before he was president, and he christened it with watermelon juice. There is a watermelon statue by the old depot. That is the whole stop, and it is a good one for five minutes.
The watermelon statue beside the depot, and the story of Lincoln christening the town with juice from a watermelon in 1853.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform beside the old depot; the Lincoln Depot has restrooms and a small display.
- at stopThe watermelon monument right at the depot.
- 8 minDowntown Lincoln's courthouse square and the Lincoln Heritage Museum at Lincoln College.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard, or the watermelon and the square (45 minutes).
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: A cafe on the square.
Out the window: Corn, and the Lincoln courthouse dome.
Stop 8 of 11SPIEvery train
Springfield
Abraham Lincoln's home, his law office, his tomb and a presidential museum with a ghost show, all within a 15-minute walk of the station. The Lincoln Home is free and the rangers are good with kids. Springfield is the big history day on this line, and it works for ages 5 and up.
The Lincoln Presidential Museum's Ghosts of the Library show, which makes small kids gasp, and then standing in Lincoln's actual house.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1895 depot with a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 10 minAbraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, with the holavision shows and a kids' area (admission).
- 10 minLincoln Home National Historic Site, free, with a Junior Ranger badge.
- 8 minThe Old State Capitol and Lincoln's law office downtown.
- at stopLincoln's Tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery, 2 miles by cab, where kids rub his bronze nose for luck.
- 15 minWashington Park's carillon and botanical garden, with a playground.
Half a day between trains
- Presidential Museum (2 hours).
- Lincoln Home and the Junior Ranger badge (1 hour).
Make it a full day
Museum, Lincoln Home, lunch on a horseshoe sandwich (a Springfield thing), the Old State Capitol, the tomb by cab, and the evening train. Or sleep downtown.
Snack stop: Downtown Springfield's cafes; a horseshoe sandwich at D'Arcy's Pint by cab for the real thing.
Out the window: The Capitol dome on the right southbound.
The Presidential Museum is the one with admission; the Lincoln Home and the tomb are free.
Stop 9 of 11CRVEvery trainour honest take: ride on
Carlinville
A small town with a courthouse so big it nearly bankrupted the county in 1870, and a square of Sears catalog houses. A stretch stop.
The enormous courthouse, visible from the platform.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small platform and shelter.
- 10 minThe Macoupin County courthouse and the square.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: A cafe on the square.
Out the window: Farms and the courthouse dome.
Stop 10 of 11ALNEvery train
Alton
A river town across from St. Louis with a modern station near the Mississippi, a giant statue of the tallest man who ever lived (he was from here), and the confluence of three rivers a short drive north with bald eagles in winter. A quick stop with a strong story.
The life-size Robert Wadlow statue, 8 feet 11 inches tall, and a kid standing next to it. Then the river.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with a waiting room and restrooms.
- at stopThe Robert Wadlow statue on College Avenue, 2 miles by cab.
- at stopAlton's riverfront and the Clark Bridge, by cab.
- at stopThe Audubon Center at Riverlands and the confluence, 15 minutes by car, with eagles December to February.
- at stopPere Marquette State Park's lodge and trails, 30 minutes by car.
Half a day between trains
- Cab to the Wadlow statue and the riverfront (1 hour).
Make it a full day
Eagle watching at Riverlands in winter, the statue, lunch downtown, and St. Louis 30 minutes on.
Snack stop: Downtown Alton has a bakery and diners.
Out the window: South of Alton the train runs along the Mississippi floodplain and crosses into Missouri with the Arch ahead.
Stop 11 of 11STLEvery train
St. Louis Gateway Transportation Center
A transportation center a 15-minute walk from the Gateway Arch and a short ride from the City Museum, which is the best indoor playground on the planet: a ten-story building of caves, slides and a school bus hanging off the roof. The zoo is free. St. Louis might be the best kids' city on any Amtrak line.
The City Museum's rooftop Ferris wheel and the school bus hanging over the edge, then the tram to the top of the Arch, where the windows are small and the view is enormous.
Right off the platform
- at stopGateway Transportation Center: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and MetroLink light rail.
- 15 minGateway Arch National Park: the museum is free, the tram to the top has a fee and sells out in summer.
- at stopCity Museum at 750 N 16th St, 10 minutes by cab or MetroLink, open late (admission).
- at stopSaint Louis Zoo in Forest Park, free, by MetroLink and a short walk.
- at stopThe Magic House children's museum in Kirkwood, by MetroLink and a cab, ages 0 to 10.
- 10 minBallpark Village and Busch Stadium.
Half a day between trains
- Arch tram and museum (2 hours).
- City Museum (as long as they can stand).
Make it a full day
City Museum in the morning, the Arch after lunch, the zoo the next morning, the Magic House the next afternoon, a Cardinals game at night. Sleep downtown. Two nights minimum.
Snack stop: Ted Drewes frozen custard by cab, toasted ravioli on the Hill, and the Arch grounds' cafe.
Out the window: Arriving from the north you cross the Mississippi with the Arch straight ahead out the left window.
City Museum is messy, physical and wonderful; pads for knees, closed shoes, and expect to lose a child for ten minutes in a tunnel. Book Arch tram tickets ahead in summer.
Lincoln's line
Lincoln rode this corridor as a circuit lawyer, and his funeral train came back up it in 1865. My dad told me that when I was eight and I have never forgotten it. I tell my kids on every ride, somewhere around Lincoln, Illinois, with the watermelon statue going by. Then we get off in Normal and go to the museum across the street, because that is what they came for, and that is fine. The history soaks in anyway.
Next in this series: the Missouri River Runner, which continues from St. Louis to Kansas City, and the Illini and Saluki. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Lincoln Service trips with kids: questions parents ask
How long is the Lincoln Service from Chicago to St. Louis?
About 5 hours, with four Lincoln Service trains a day each way and the Texas Eagle once a day on the same stops. Normal is about 2 hours from Chicago; Springfield about 3.5.
What is the best Lincoln Service stop for a toddler?
Bloomington-Normal. The Children's Discovery Museum is directly across from Uptown Station, with a fountain, a toy store and ice cream on the same block.
Is Springfield good for kids?
Yes, from about age 5. The Lincoln Home is free with a Junior Ranger badge, the Presidential Museum has shows that feel like magic, and the tomb is a cab ride away. Everything downtown is within a 15-minute walk of the station.
How do we get to the City Museum from the St. Louis station?
A 10-minute cab, or MetroLink to Civic Center and a 10-minute walk. The Arch is a 15-minute walk from the station. The zoo is free and reachable by MetroLink to Forest Park.
Do kids pay on the Lincoln Service?
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 Lincoln Service?
Yes, a cafe car with snacks, sandwiches, kids' items and tables. You can bring food aboard too.
Which Lincoln Service stops should we skip with kids?
Summit, Dwight, Lincoln and Carlinville are small-town platforms; Dwight and Lincoln have a nice ten-minute stretch if a train is late. Alton needs a cab for its attractions.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Illinois Services timetable, August 2026, and Amtrak station pages
- Children's Discovery Museum (Normal), Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Gateway Arch, City Museum, Saint Louis Zoo, The Magic House: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- Illinois Route 66 Association, Joliet Area Historical Museum
- 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.