Southwest Chief With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
The Chief is the train of old depots. Harvey House hotels you can sleep in, a Santa Fe depot every hundred miles, and at the end the last great station ever built. It is also two nights with small children, so here is how I think about it: the first night is Kansas, and you sleep through it. The second day is the whole point, Colorado at breakfast, Raton Pass by nine, Santa Fe by lunch, Albuquerque's long stop at three. The third morning is Los Angeles. My mom never rode this one, but she kept a Harvey House postcard from Winslow on the fridge for twenty years, and I finally found out why. Below is every stop, the ones you sleep through, and the four or five worth a night.
By Kelsey Lizee Cecil. Times are approximate from the fall 2026 timetable; checked against Amtrak and each attraction in October 2026. Hours change; read the "know before you go" notes.If you only have one day
- With a toddler: Trinidad to Raton.One hour, up and over Raton Pass, through the tunnel at the top with Colorado at one end and New Mexico at the other, and off before nap time. Jump to Raton.
- Ages 4 to 8: Kansas City to Albuquerque.Science City the day before, the 9:37pm train, wake up in Colorado, two mountain passes, and Albuquerque's 50-minute platform stop at 2:25pm. Sleep in Old Town. Jump to Albuquerque.
- The big one: the whole thing, with Flagstaff in the middle.Chicago to Flagstaff, two nights at the Grand Canyon by the Williams train, then the Chief on to Los Angeles and the Surfliner to the beach. Jump to Flagstaff.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, this is one train a day, so getting off means staying the night; Kansas City, Lamy for Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Flagstaff are the stops worth it. Second, book a Family Bedroom for a family of four: it sleeps everyone, has windows on both sides, and meals are included, which matters over two days. Third, the best six hours are the second morning westbound, so protect the first night's sleep and have breakfast ready by La Junta. Alerts are on the Southwest Chief page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, rooms, what to pack for two nights, the Grand Canyon and Santa Fe bus connections, and how the dining car works with a four-year-old are all in our Southwest Chief parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
Westbound, Lawrence through Garden City are passed between 10:45pm and 5am on the first night, and Kingman through San Bernardino on the second. Eastbound the dark stretches are Needles to Winslow and Garden City to Lawrence. Unless one is your destination, sleep. La Junta at breakfast westbound is where the real trip begins.
Stop 1 of 32CHITrain 3 leaves about 1:30pm; Train 4 arrives about 3:30pm
Chicago Union Station
The Chief leaves Chicago at 1:30pm, which means lunch in the Great Hall, the Mississippi before dinner, and Kansas City at bedtime. Union Station is the right place to start a long train: the marble stairs, the skylight, the benches, and a platform long enough that finding your car is its own walk. Eastbound you arrive mid-afternoon with the river and the parks still open.
Lunch on a Great Hall bench with the bags, then the gate. Let the kids find the sleeper's door number on the platform.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the Great Hall, restrooms, a food court, a staffed counter, checked baggage and the Metropolitan Lounge for sleeper passengers.
- 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.
- 10 minWillis Tower Skydeck and the glass ledge.
A few hours here
- Morning at Maggie Daley Park and the Riverwalk (2 hours).
- Lunch in the station food court.
- Board by 1pm with two days of snacks.
Stay the night
Chicago is a weekend on its own: the Field Museum's Sue, Shedd Aquarium, the Children's Museum at Navy Pier, the L as a ride. Then the Chief out of the Great Hall after lunch.
Snack stop: The station food court; the Riverwalk stands in summer. Buy fruit and crackers for the train before you board.
Out the window: Rail yards, then suburbs, then by Mendota the flat farms that run to the Mississippi.
Union Station has checked baggage and a Metropolitan Lounge for sleeper passengers. Families with small kids are often boarded first; wait near the gate.
Stop 2 of 32NPVWestbound about 2:05pm (pickup only); eastbound about 2:40pm (drop-off only)our honest take: ride on
Naperville
A suburban stop 30 minutes out of Chicago, shared with Metra. The westbound train only picks up here, so for a family in the western suburbs this is a shorter drive than the Loop. The DuPage Children's Museum is a five-minute walk from the platform, which makes a fine morning before a 2pm train.
The DuPage Children's Museum's air and water room, then the train (admission; check hours).
Right off the platform
- at stopA Metra and Amtrak station with a waiting room.
- 5 minDuPage Children's Museum, 301 N Washington St, ages 0 to 10.
- 10 minDowntown Naperville's Riverwalk along the DuPage River, with a covered bridge.
A few hours here
- Board here if you live nearby; the museum first, then the platform.
Stay the night
Skip, unless this is your boarding stop.
Snack stop: Downtown Naperville's cafes and ice cream.
Out the window: Suburbs thinning into farmland.
Stop 3 of 32MDTWestbound about 2:55pm; eastbound about 1:00pmour honest take: ride on
Mendota
A farm town where the Union Depot Railroad Museum sits right at the station, with a Burlington steam locomotive and a caboose outside. A train kid will press their face to the glass. The museum keeps short hours and the Chief does not wait, so it is a window stop unless Mendota is where you live.
The steam locomotive beside the platform, out the window.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe Union Depot Railroad Museum at the station, with a steam engine and cars outside (limited hours; check).
- 5 minDowntown Mendota, and the Sweet Corn Festival in August.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Corn to the horizon, and the first grain elevators.
Stop 4 of 32PCTWestbound about 3:15pm; eastbound about 12:40pmour honest take: ride on
Princeton
A small Illinois town with a brick depot and a red covered bridge north of town. Pleasant, but not a reason to get off a two-night train.
Count the grain elevators.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a waiting room.
- 10 minDowntown Princeton's Main Street.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Corn and soybeans.
Stop 5 of 32GBBWestbound about 4:10pm; eastbound about 11:45am
Galesburg
The railroad town of western Illinois, and the best first ride on the Chief from Chicago: two hours and forty minutes, arriving at 4:10pm beside a railroad museum with a steam locomotive, a Pullman sleeping car and a caboose you can climb into. The Discovery Depot Children's Museum is a few blocks away. Three other trains a day serve Galesburg, so you can get off here and still get home tonight.
The Pullman car at the Railroad Museum next to the station, then compare it with your own sleeper (check hours; the museum is seasonal).
Right off the platform
- at stopA staffed station with checked baggage and a waiting room.
- at stopGalesburg Railroad Museum, beside the station, with a locomotive, a Pullman and a caboose (small admission; seasonal, check days).
- 5 minDiscovery Depot Children's Museum, ages 1 to 10 (admission).
- 10 minCarl Sandburg's birthplace cottage, a small free site.
A few hours here
- Railroad Museum (45 minutes).
- Discovery Depot (90 minutes).
- Dinner on Seminary Street and the Illinois Zephyr or Carl Sandburg back to Chicago.
Stay the night
Galesburg Railroad Days in June brings model layouts and equipment to the yards. The Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg cover this stop by day; see that trip plan.
Snack stop: Cafes on Seminary Street, a few minutes from the platform.
Out the window: West of Galesburg the farms roll a little, then the Mississippi bluffs.
The Galesburg Railroad Museum keeps limited, seasonal hours; check before promising a caboose. Galesburg has checked baggage.
Stop 6 of 32FMDWestbound about 5:05pm; eastbound about 10:40am
Fort Madison
The Mississippi crossing. Just before the stop westbound the train rolls onto a mile-long swing bridge with cars driving on the deck above you, and then it pulls into a restored 1910 Santa Fe depot on the Iowa riverfront, which Amtrak moved back into in 2021. A replica of the 1808 fort is a short walk south, and Riverview Park with its playground is right beside the tracks. A good stretch stop at dinnertime.
Look at the water, then look up: the cars are on the deck over your heads. Then the swing span's pivot as you come off the bridge.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1910 Santa Fe depot, with a waiting room, a ticket window and checked baggage on weekdays (check hours).
- at stopRiverview Park on the Mississippi, with a playground and the bridge in view.
- 5 minOld Fort Madison, a reconstructed 1808 fort with costumed guides (seasonal; admission).
- 10 minDowntown Fort Madison's Avenue G shops and the Santa Fe steam locomotive on display.
A few hours here
- Riverview Park and the fort (90 minutes), if you are staying the night.
Stay the night
A river night: the fort, the park, dinner downtown, and tomorrow's train at 5:05pm west or 10:40am east.
Snack stop: Cafes downtown; the park has picnic tables.
Out the window: The Mississippi on the swing bridge right before the stop westbound; then the hills of northeast Missouri as the light goes.
Fort Madison's ticket window and checked baggage are weekdays only, in two short blocks around the trains. Old Fort Madison is seasonal; check before planning on it.
Stop 7 of 32LAPWestbound about 6:25pm; eastbound about 9:25amour honest take: ride on
La Plata
A tiny Missouri town that train fans treat as a pilgrimage, because the BNSF main line here carries up to 75 freight trains a day and a motel beside the tracks built a lookout platform to watch them. There is a small rail art gallery next door. For a family it is a curiosity, not a stop; the Chief is at dinner westbound.
A freight train passing on the other track while you sit at the window.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored Art Deco depot with restrooms, open around the trains.
- 5 minThe Depot Inn's train-watching lookout and the Silver Rails gallery, for the train-obsessed.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip, unless you have a child who would rather watch freight trains than do anything else.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Rolling Missouri farms, then dark.
Stop 8 of 32KCYWestbound arrives about 8:55pm, leaves 9:37pm; eastbound arrives about 6:30am, leaves 7:15am
Kansas City Union Station
The grandest station on the route, and a smart place to break the trip. The 1914 Grand Hall has a 95-foot ceiling, and the same building holds Science City, a hands-on science center with a real train to climb on and a sky bike. A covered skywalk leads to Crown Center, where Kaleidoscope, Hallmark's free art studio for kids, and a Legoland Discovery Center sit a few floors apart. The westbound stops for 40 minutes at bedtime; get off, sleep at Crown Center, and take tomorrow's train.
Science City's train and its sky bike, then the Grand Hall clock, which has a face six feet across.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the Grand Hall, restrooms, restaurants, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- at stopScience City inside Union Station, ages 2 to 12 (admission).
- at stopThe KC Rail Experience model railroad and real locomotive inside the station (admission with Science City; check).
- 10 minCrown Center by the covered Link skywalk: Kaleidoscope (free, ages 5 to 12), Legoland Discovery Center and Sea Life aquarium (admission), and a fountain to run through in summer.
- at stopThe free KC Streetcar from Union Station through downtown to the River Market.
- 5 minThe National WWI Museum across the lawn, with a glass bridge over a field of poppies, for ages 8 and up (admission).
A few hours here
- Westbound: arrive 8:55pm, the skywalk to a Crown Center hotel, Science City and Kaleidoscope in the morning, and tomorrow's 9:37pm train.
Stay the night
Two nights: Science City and Kaleidoscope the first day, the streetcar to the River Market and the WWI Museum's tower the next, barbecue every evening, and the Chief on. The Missouri River Runner from here to St. Louis is in its own trip plan.
Snack stop: Union Station has a cafe and a candy shop; Crown Center has a food court; barbecue is everywhere.
Out the window: Dark westbound. Eastbound at dawn the train crosses the Missouri River just after leaving.
Union Station has checked baggage and is staffed for both trains. The westbound stop is about 40 minutes, long enough to walk the Grand Hall, but ask the car attendant before leaving the platform.
Stop 9 of 32LRCWestbound about 10:45pm; eastbound about 4:45amour honest take: ride on
Lawrence
The university town, with a restored 1956 depot, passed at bedtime westbound and before dawn eastbound.
None at these hours.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored depot with a waiting room, open around the trains.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 10 of 32TOPWestbound about 11:25pm; eastbound about 4:15amour honest take: ride on
Topeka
Kansas's capital, in the dark. The Kansas Children's Discovery Center is excellent, and you will not see it from this train.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station building and platform.
- at stopKansas Children's Discovery Center, by car, daytime only.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 11 of 32NEWWestbound about 1:40am; eastbound about 1:50amour honest take: ride on
Newton
A Santa Fe railroad town with a big 1930 depot, at 1:40am both ways.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA large brick depot, open around the trains.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 12 of 32HUTWestbound about 2:15am; eastbound about 1:10amour honest take: ride on
Hutchinson
The one that hurts. Hutchinson has the Cosmosphere, a space museum with a real Apollo capsule, and Strataca, an underground salt mine you ride an elevator 650 feet down into. Both are wonderful for kids, and the train is here at 2am. Come back by car.
None at 2am. Tell them about the salt mine at breakfast.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
- at stopCosmosphere and Strataca, by car, daytime, and worth a separate trip.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip, on this train.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 13 of 32DDGWestbound about 4:10am; eastbound about 11:10pmour honest take: ride on
Dodge City
The Gunsmoke town, with a 1898 depot that once held a Harvey House hotel and a Boot Hill Museum downtown. The train is here at 4am westbound and 11pm eastbound. The grandparents will be sorry.
None at these hours.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1898 Santa Fe depot, with a long platform.
- 10 minBoot Hill Museum, daytime only.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 14 of 32GCKWestbound about 5:05am; eastbound about 10:20pmour honest take: ride on
Garden City
A western Kansas town with a free zoo in a big park, passed at 5am. The first light is coming westbound; the dining car opens soon.
None. Coffee.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot.
- at stopLee Richardson Zoo in Finnup Park, by car, free, daytime.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dawn over the flattest land on the route.
Stop 15 of 32LMRWestbound about 5:35am; eastbound about 7:50pmour honest take: ride on
Lamar
The first Colorado stop, in Mountain time, with a Madonna of the Trail statue beside the depot marking the Santa Fe Trail. Get everyone up and fed: the good day starts at La Junta in an hour.
The Madonna of the Trail statue by the platform, if anyone is awake.
Right off the platform
- at stopA depot that doubles as the town welcome center, with the Madonna of the Trail statue outside.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: Breakfast on the train.
Out the window: High plains at sunrise; the Arkansas River valley.
Westbound, set watches back an hour after Garden City.
Stop 16 of 32LAJWestbound arrives about 6:35am, leaves 6:50am; eastbound about 6:50pm
La Junta
Where the Chief's best day begins. The westbound stops for 15 minutes at breakfast, a crew change and a chance to stand on a platform in the cool air with the Spanish Peaks on the horizon. Bent's Old Fort, a reconstructed 1830s fur-trading post on the Santa Fe Trail, is eight miles east by car and one of the best living-history sites in the West for kids. In spring and summer, park rangers often board here to talk about what is outside.
The platform at 6:35am with a cup of cocoa, then back to the lounge for the climb to Raton Pass.
Right off the platform
- at stopA staffed station with a waiting room and checked baggage.
- at stopBent's Old Fort National Historic Site, by car, with costumed traders and a real adobe fort (free).
- 15 minThe Koshare Museum at Otero College, with a kiva-style round room and Native art (admission; check hours).
- 10 minDowntown La Junta's cafes.
A few hours here
- Stretch on the platform (15 minutes); stay aboard.
Stay the night
A La Junta night by rental car: Bent's Old Fort for a morning, the Koshare Museum, and the 6:50am train over Raton Pass.
Snack stop: Breakfast in the dining car; a bakery downtown for those staying.
Out the window: West of La Junta the Spanish Peaks rise ahead on the left, then the foothills, then Trinidad under Fishers Peak.
La Junta has checked baggage and is staffed for both trains. The 15-minute westbound stop is real, but ask before wandering.
Stop 17 of 32TRIWestbound about 8:10am; eastbound about 5:15pm
Trinidad
A brick-street town at the foot of Raton Pass, with a mesa called Fishers Peak over it and a platform a few minutes from the old main street. For a first mountain ride, board here: Trinidad to Raton is one hour, over the pass and through the tunnel at the top, and the kids are off before anyone needs a nap. A new state park on the peak has trails for short legs.
Board at 8:10am and go straight to the lounge. The climb starts immediately and the tunnel comes within the hour.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station building and platform.
- 5 minMain Street's brick-paved blocks, a toy store and cafes.
- 10 minTrinidad History Museum, with a Santa Fe Trail garden (admission; check days).
- at stopFishers Peak State Park, by car, with a short loop trail and picnic tables (park pass).
- 15 minKit Carson Park's playground.
A few hours here
- Westbound: board here for the hour over Raton Pass to Raton.
Stay the night
A Trinidad night: Main Street, the history museum, Fishers Peak, and the morning train over the pass.
Snack stop: Cafes and a bakery on Main Street.
Out the window: The train starts climbing right away, with the highway alongside, through pinon and juniper to the tunnel at the top of the pass.
Stop 18 of 32RATWestbound about 9:10am; eastbound about 4:15pm
Raton
The train crosses into New Mexico inside the Raton Pass tunnel, 7,588 feet up, and comes out a few feet from the state line. Raton's 1903 depot is a few minutes from a historic downtown with a 1915 theater and a little museum. Families doing the Trinidad-to-Raton hour get off here; families with a car find Sugarite Canyon State Park 10 miles north with a lake and a campground. The westbound stops for five minutes.
The tunnel at the top of the pass. Tell them Colorado is at one end and New Mexico at the other, and have them yell the state when the light comes back.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1903 Mission-style depot with a waiting room.
- 5 minHistoric First Street, with the Raton Museum (free; check days) and the Shuler Theater's murals.
- 10 minRipley Park's playground.
- at stopSugarite Canyon State Park, by car, with a lake and a short lakeshore trail (park fee).
- at stopCapulin Volcano National Monument, by car, 30 miles east, where you can walk the crater rim.
A few hours here
- Westbound: arrive 9:10am after the pass, First Street and the museum (1 hour), lunch, and the eastbound back over the pass at 4:15pm.
Stay the night
A Raton night by car: Capulin Volcano's rim walk, Sugarite Canyon's lake, and the morning train on to Albuquerque.
Snack stop: Cafes on First and Second Streets.
Out the window: Out of the tunnel the land opens into mesas and grassland, with the Sangre de Cristo range far off on the right.
The westbound stop is short; the Trinidad to Raton hour is the best first ride on the route and needs no night aboard.
Stop 19 of 32LSVWestbound about 11:00am; eastbound about 2:30pm
Las Vegas, New Mexico
Not that Las Vegas. This one is a Santa Fe Trail town with 900 historic buildings, an 1899 depot and, right beside it, La Castaneda, a Harvey House hotel that sat empty for decades and reopened in 2019 with a restaurant. A hot spring and a castle-like college sit up the canyon by car. The town plaza is a mile from the station. After this stop the train climbs Glorieta Pass, the second mountain of the day.
Lunch at La Castaneda's restaurant, steps from the platform, in a Harvey House that looks the way it did in 1900.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1899 depot, with a waiting room.
- at stopLa Castaneda hotel, next to the platform, with a restaurant and a lobby to peek into.
- 20 minThe Old Town Plaza and the Plaza Hotel, a mile west.
- at stopMontezuma Hot Springs, free pools beside the road below the United World College's castle, by car.
- at stopFort Union National Monument, by car, with adobe ruins to walk among (free).
A few hours here
- Westbound: arrive 11am, lunch at La Castaneda, a walk up to the plaza, and a night; the train on at 11am tomorrow.
Stay the night
A Las Vegas night at La Castaneda: Montezuma's hot springs by car, Fort Union's ruins, the plaza, and the westbound to Albuquerque.
Snack stop: La Castaneda's restaurant; cafes on Bridge Street near the plaza.
Out the window: West of town the train winds up through Apache Canyon toward Glorieta Pass, with walls close enough to touch in places, then down into Lamy.
The station is not staffed, and Amtrak lists it as not accepting unaccompanied minors. Check La Castaneda's restaurant hours before planning lunch there.
Stop 20 of 32LMYWestbound about 12:55pm; eastbound about 12:40pm
Lamy
The stop for Santa Fe, which is 18 miles north. Lamy itself is a 1909 depot, a brewery inside it, and a few houses in the hills. An Amtrak Thruway shuttle meets the train for Santa Fe; book it with the ticket. Santa Fe has a children's museum with an outdoor garden, Meow Wolf's art house for kids six and up, a plaza with ice cream, and the Rail Runner train on to Albuquerque. The westbound arrives at lunchtime, which makes a Santa Fe afternoon easy.
The shuttle up to Santa Fe, then the Santa Fe Children's Museum's garden and climbing structure, then a sopapilla on the plaza.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1909 depot, with a waiting room (11am to 7pm) and a brewery inside; no ticket window and no checked baggage.
- at stopAmtrak Thruway shuttle to Santa Fe, about 30 minutes; book with the train.
- at stopSanta Fe Children's Museum, ages 0 to 10, with a big outdoor space (admission).
- at stopMeow Wolf's House of Eternal Return, for ages 6 and up and brave 5-year-olds (admission).
- at stopThe Plaza, the Palace of the Governors and the Railyard Park, with a playground and the Rail Runner's Santa Fe depot.
- at stopThe Rail Runner Express from Santa Fe to Albuquerque, a 90-minute commuter train with kids' fares.
A few hours here
- Westbound: get off at 12:55pm, the shuttle to Santa Fe, the Children's Museum and the plaza (3 hours), and a Santa Fe night.
Stay the night
Two nights in Santa Fe: the Children's Museum and the plaza, Meow Wolf for the big kids, the Railyard playground, and either the shuttle back to Lamy or the Rail Runner down to Albuquerque to rejoin the Chief.
Snack stop: The brewery at the depot has food; the plaza has ice cream and the Five and Dime's Frito pie.
Out the window: Lamy sits in a bowl of pinon hills; west of here the train drops toward the Rio Grande valley with the Sandia Mountains ahead.
The Lamy depot is tiny and unstaffed; arrive with snacks, water and a bathroom trip done. The Santa Fe shuttle is sold as an Amtrak connection; add it when you book.
Stop 21 of 32ABQWestbound arrives about 2:25pm, leaves 3:14pm; eastbound arrives about 10:40am, leaves 11:30am
Albuquerque Alvarado Transportation Center
The long stop. The Chief sits in Albuquerque for about 50 minutes in both directions while it is cleaned and fueled, and everybody gets off to stand in the sun on the platform. Across town in Old Town are Explora, a science center built for kids, the Natural History Museum's dinosaurs, and a zoo and aquarium joined by a little train. The Rail Runner to Santa Fe leaves from the same station. If you stay a night anywhere on the Chief, this is the easiest.
The 50-minute platform stop: walk the whole train, find the engines, let the kids run the platform's length. Then, if you stay, Explora's high-wire bike.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe Alvarado Transportation Center: a Mission-style station with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage, with the Rail Runner and city buses alongside.
- at stopExplora, a hands-on science center for ages 1 to 12, in Old Town by the Route 66 or 766 bus or a 10-minute cab (admission).
- at stopNew Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, across the street from Explora, with dinosaurs and a volcano (admission).
- at stopABQ BioPark Zoo, Aquarium and Botanic Garden, linked by a narrow-gauge train, by bus or cab (admission).
- at stopOld Town Plaza, with a candy shop and the San Felipe church, next to the museums.
- at stopSandia Peak Tramway, by car, one of the longest aerial trams in the world, up to 10,000 feet (fare).
- 10 minThe Albuquerque Museum's sculpture garden and downtown's Route 66 neon.
A few hours here
- Westbound: the 50-minute platform stop, or get off at 2:25pm, Explora until it closes, and a night in Old Town.
Stay the night
Two nights: Explora and the Natural History Museum the first day, the BioPark zoo and aquarium with the mini train the second, the tramway at sunset, and the Chief on at 3:14pm west or 11:30am east. In early October the Balloon Fiesta fills the sky at dawn; book a year ahead.
Snack stop: Old Town's candy and ice cream; the station has vending and a few downtown cafes are a block away.
Out the window: West of Albuquerque the train crosses the Rio Grande, then runs across the high desert past the red mesas toward Gallup, with the sun setting ahead.
Ask the car attendant how long the Albuquerque stop really is before letting kids run. The station has checked baggage and is staffed. Explora and the Natural History Museum share a parking lot and one bus ride.
Stop 22 of 32GLPWestbound about 5:55pm; eastbound about 7:35am
Gallup
A Route 66 railroad town between the Navajo Nation and the Zuni Pueblo, with the 1918 depot turned into a cultural center with exhibits on weaving and silver. The westbound arrives at dinnertime with the red cliffs glowing; the eastbound at breakfast. A trading-post town for jewelry and rugs, and in summer there are nightly dances downtown. A stretch stop for most families, and a night for some.
The red rock cliffs east of town in the evening light out the right window westbound, then the depot's weaving exhibit if it is open.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1918 depot, with the Gallup Cultural Center's exhibits and a cafe (check hours), a waiting room and a staffed counter.
- 5 minRoute 66 downtown's trading posts and the El Rancho Hotel's lobby, where the movie stars stayed.
- 5 minThe courthouse square's nightly summer dances, free, in July and August.
- at stopRed Rock Park, by car, with a short trail under the cliffs.
A few hours here
- Stretch on the platform; the cultural center if it is open (30 minutes).
Stay the night
A Gallup night at the El Rancho: Red Rock Park, the trading posts, the summer dances, and the morning eastbound or the evening westbound.
Snack stop: The cultural center's cafe when open; diners along Route 66.
Out the window: Red mesas and the long freight trains of the BNSF main line, then dusk and Arizona.
Gallup has a staffed counter. Arizona does not change its clocks, so the time difference at Winslow depends on the season.
Stop 23 of 32WLOWestbound about 6:45pm; eastbound about 4:45am
Winslow
The depot shares its building with La Posada, a Harvey House hotel designed by Mary Colter in 1929 and rescued in the 1990s, with gardens, a famous restaurant and rooms where the train goes by outside. The Chief stops at the back door. Two blocks away is the corner from the Eagles song, with a statue and a flatbed Ford, which parents enjoy more than kids. Meteor Crater is 20 miles west by car. The westbound arrives at dinnertime; eastbound at 4:45am, which is why you sleep at La Posada and take the train west.
Dinner at La Posada's Turquoise Room with the train outside the window, then the gardens.
Right off the platform
- at stopLa Posada hotel and the Amtrak waiting room, in the same 1929 building; no ticket window, and no checked baggage.
- at stopLa Posada's gardens, lobby and art, free to walk through.
- 5 minStandin' on the Corner Park, with the statue, the mural and a gift shop.
- at stopMeteor Crater, by car, with a rim walk and a visitor center (admission).
- at stopHomolovi State Park, by car, with ancestral Hopi pueblo ruins (park fee).
A few hours here
- Westbound: get off at 6:45pm, dinner and a night at La Posada.
Stay the night
Two nights at La Posada: Meteor Crater by rental car, Homolovi's ruins, the corner, and the Chief west at 6:45pm (or east at 4:45am for the brave).
Snack stop: La Posada's restaurant and its bakery; a diner on Route 66.
Out the window: West of Winslow the land climbs toward the San Francisco Peaks and the pines, in the dark westbound.
Arizona does not observe daylight saving time; the timetable accounts for it, but phones can confuse the kids' bedtime. Book La Posada well ahead.
Stop 24 of 32FLGWestbound arrives about 7:50pm, leaves 7:55pm; eastbound about 3:35am
Flagstaff
The mountain town at 7,000 feet, with a 1926 depot on the main street that is also the visitor center, and the Grand Canyon 80 miles north. The westbound arrives at 7:50pm, which is a hotel night and then the canyon. Amtrak sells a bus connection to the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams; from there a vintage train runs to the South Rim every morning. Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was found, opens its telescopes at night, and Flagstaff is a dark-sky city, so have them look up on the platform.
The Grand Canyon Railway from Williams to the rim: a two-hour ride with musicians in the cars and a staged train robbery on the way back. Then the first look over the edge.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1926 depot: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter, checked baggage and the Flagstaff visitor center.
- 5 minDowntown Flagstaff's Heritage Square, toy store and ice cream, right across the tracks.
- at stopLowell Observatory on Mars Hill, a short cab ride, with evening telescope viewing (admission; check the schedule).
- at stopAmtrak Thruway bus to Williams and the Grand Canyon Railway, booked with the train (fare).
- at stopWalnut Canyon National Monument, by car, with cliff dwellings on a one-mile loop (admission).
- at stopMuseum of Northern Arizona, by car, with dinosaur tracks and a kids' gallery (admission).
- at stopArizona Snowbowl, by car, with a scenic gondola in summer and skiing in winter (fare).
A few hours here
- Westbound: arrive 7:50pm, a hotel downtown, Lowell Observatory if the kids are up for it, and the Grand Canyon tomorrow.
Stay the night
Three nights: the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams and a night at the rim, Walnut Canyon's cliff dwellings, Lowell's telescopes, and the Chief on west at 7:55pm.
Snack stop: Downtown has ice cream and a bakery within five minutes of the platform.
Out the window: Dark westbound; the pines and the peaks are there in the morning eastbound after Williams Junction.
Flagstaff has checked baggage and a staffed counter. The eastbound arrives at 3:35am, so plan a Flagstaff stay around the westbound. Book the Grand Canyon Railway and the bus as Amtrak connections.
Stop 25 of 32KNGWestbound about 10:45pm; eastbound about 12:30amour honest take: ride on
Kingman
A Route 66 town with a model railroad in the depot and a Santa Fe steam engine in a park downtown. Both are better by daylight, and the train is here near midnight both ways.
None at these hours. Tell them about the steam engine in the park.
Right off the platform
- at stopA Mission-style depot with a model railroad club inside (limited hours).
- 5 minLocomotive Park's Santa Fe engine No. 3759 and the Route 66 museum in the old powerhouse, daytime.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 26 of 32NDLWestbound about 11:50pm; eastbound about 11:20pmour honest take: ride on
Needles
The California line, on the Colorado River, at midnight. The first Pacific time stop westbound. Needles is the hottest town on the route most summer days, which is a good reason to be asleep.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform beside the old El Garces Harvey House.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark; the Colorado River is crossed just before the stop westbound.
Westbound, set watches back an hour after Kingman.
Stop 27 of 32BARWestbound about 3:20am; eastbound about 8:45pmour honest take: ride on
Barstow
The 1911 Casa del Desierto, a Harvey House hotel, is the station, and it holds a railroad museum and a Route 66 museum. Open on weekends by day. The Chief is here at 3am westbound.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe Casa del Desierto Harvey House, with two small museums (weekends; daytime).
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 28 of 32VRVWestbound about 4:00am; eastbound about 7:55pmour honest take: ride on
Victorville
A high desert town with a Route 66 museum, at 4am. After this stop westbound the train drops through Cajon Pass in the dark, one of the busiest mountain railroad grades in the country.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark; the first lights of the Inland Empire after Cajon Pass.
Stop 29 of 32SNBWestbound about 5:20am; eastbound about 6:40pmour honest take: ride on
San Bernardino
A grand 1918 Santa Fe depot with a small railroad museum inside on weekend mornings, and Metrolink trains to Los Angeles. The westbound is here at dawn and the eastbound at dinner; a transfer stop, not a destination.
The dome of the depot in the first light.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1918 depot, with Metrolink alongside and a railroad museum on Saturday mornings (check).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Orange groves giving way to warehouses and the San Gabriel Mountains on the right.
Stop 30 of 32RIVWestbound about 5:50am (drop-off only); eastbound about 6:20pmour honest take: ride on
Riverside
The Mission Inn's town, with a Metrolink station on the edge of downtown. A 5:50am drop-off westbound. Families headed to Riverside do better with Metrolink.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform shared with Metrolink.
- at stopThe Mission Inn and downtown Riverside, by cab.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Suburbs and freeways in the early light.
Stop 31 of 32FULWestbound about 6:40am (drop-off only); eastbound about 5:35pm (pickup only)
Fullerton
The last stop before Los Angeles, and the first station the Pacific Surfliner shares with the Chief. The Spanish-style 1930 depot sits in a downtown with a pedestrian plaza, and if your plan is the beach rather than the city, get off here at 6:40am and take the Surfliner south to San Juan Capistrano or San Clemente an hour later. Rally's train starts in Los Angeles but it stops here too.
Change here for the Surfliner and be on the sand at San Clemente by mid-morning.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1930 Santa Fe depot, with a waiting room, a staffed counter and the Surfliner and Metrolink on the same platforms.
- 5 minDowntown Fullerton's plaza, cafes and a bakery.
- at stopThe Fullerton Train Museum's railcars on the station grounds, open some Saturdays (check).
- at stopDisneyland, by cab, 15 minutes.
- at stopThe Pacific Surfliner south to Orange County's beach stops, about every hour.
A few hours here
- Westbound: get off at 6:40am, breakfast downtown, and the Surfliner to the beach.
Stay the night
A Fullerton base for Disneyland by cab, or the Surfliner to San Juan Capistrano's mission and San Clemente's pier. See the Pacific Surfliner trip plan.
Snack stop: A bakery and cafes on Harbor Boulevard, a few minutes from the platform.
Out the window: Freeways, the LA River's concrete channel and the downtown towers ahead.
The westbound Chief only lets passengers off at Fullerton; the eastbound only picks up. Surfliner tickets are separate; buy them in the app.
Stop 32 of 32LAXTrain 3 arrives about 7:30am; Train 4 leaves about 4:55pm
Los Angeles Union Station
You arrive at breakfast time, two nights and 2,265 miles from Chicago, at the last great station built in America: 1939, with a tiled waiting room, leather chairs and garden patios planted with orange trees. Olvera Street, the oldest block in the city, is across the road with taquitos and a plaza. The Metro leaves from the station for the Natural History Museum's dinosaurs and the space shuttle, and the Pacific Surfliner, the train in the book, leaves from these platforms for the beach.
Breakfast in the garden patio with the kids running under the orange trees, then Olvera Street's plaza, then a Surfliner south to see the ocean from a train.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the waiting room, restrooms, restaurants, a staffed counter, checked baggage and the Metropolitan Lounge for sleeper passengers.
- 5 minOlvera Street and El Pueblo's plaza, with taquitos, a tiny museum and a street of stalls.
- 10 minPhilippe's, the French dip sandwich counter that has been there since 1908, with sawdust on the floor.
- 10 minChinatown's Central Plaza and its bakeries.
- 15 minGrand Park's splash pad and City Hall's free observation deck.
- at stopNatural History Museum's dinosaur hall and the California Science Center's space shuttle Endeavour, by Metro to Expo Park (admission; check Endeavour's exhibit status).
- at stopGriffith Observatory and the Griffith Park train rides, by cab or the DASH bus.
- at stopThe Pacific Surfliner from these platforms to San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente and San Diego, about every hour.
A few hours here
- Arrive 7:30am, breakfast in the patio, Olvera Street, and the Metro to the dinosaurs (3 hours).
Stay the night
Three nights: Expo Park's dinosaurs and the shuttle, Griffith Park's observatory and pony rides, Santa Monica's pier, and then the Surfliner south to the grand-paw-rents or the Coast Starlight north. Rally's train starts here.
Snack stop: Olvera Street's taquitos and churros; Philippe's; the station's own cafe and bakery.
Out the window: Arriving westbound the train follows the LA River's concrete channel past the downtown towers and into the station's palms.
Union Station has checked baggage, a Metropolitan Lounge and the Metro B, D, A and E lines underneath. The Surfliner, the Coast Starlight and Metrolink all leave from here; the FlyAway bus to LAX leaves from the Patsaouras plaza behind the station.
Every stop has a depot
I found the postcard again when we cleaned out my parents' house: La Posada, Winslow, Arizona, 1962, my mom's handwriting on the back from a trip with her own parents. We stayed there last spring. The train went by outside the window at dinner and my son stood on his chair to wave at it. I did not tell him why I was crying. He thought it was the train. In a way it was.
Next in this series: the California Zephyr, the other two-night train west from Chicago, through the Rockies and the Sierra to the bay. From Los Angeles the Pacific Surfliner, the train in the book, leaves from the same platforms for the beach, and the Coast Starlight runs north along the ocean to Seattle. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Southwest Chief trips with kids: questions parents ask
How long is the Southwest Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles?
About 44 hours, two nights aboard. Train 3 leaves Chicago at about 1:30pm and arrives in Los Angeles at about 7:30am two days later; Train 4 leaves Los Angeles at about 4:55pm and arrives in Chicago mid-afternoon on the third day.
What is the best part of the Southwest Chief for kids?
The second day westbound: La Junta at 6:50am, Raton Pass and its summit tunnel by 9am, Glorieta Pass after Las Vegas, and the long platform stop at Albuquerque at 2:25pm. The Mississippi swing bridge at Fort Madison on the first afternoon is the other moment.
Which Southwest Chief stop is best for a night with kids?
Albuquerque is the easiest: Explora, the Natural History Museum's dinosaurs and the BioPark zoo, and the train stops there for 50 minutes anyway. Kansas City's Science City is inside the station, and Flagstaff is the stop for the Grand Canyon.
Can we get to the Grand Canyon or Santa Fe on the Southwest Chief?
Yes, both by bus. Amtrak sells a connection from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, and a Thruway shuttle from Lamy 18 miles up to Santa Fe. Book either one with the train so it sits on the same ticket.
Can we ride just part of the Southwest Chief with a toddler?
Yes. Trinidad to Raton is one hour over Raton Pass with the tunnel at the top; Chicago to Galesburg is under three hours and ends beside a railroad museum; Las Vegas, New Mexico, to Albuquerque is four hours over Glorieta Pass. None needs a night aboard.
Which Southwest Chief stops should we skip with kids?
All the night stops (Lawrence to Garden City and Kingman to San Bernardino westbound), plus the small platforms: Naperville, Mendota, Princeton, La Plata, Lamar and Riverside. The trip is Chicago, Galesburg, Fort Madison, Kansas City, Raton Pass, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Flagstaff and Los Angeles.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Southwest Chief timetable, fall 2026 (Trains 3 and 4), and Amtrak station pages
- Science City at Union Station Kansas City, Explora, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, ABQ BioPark, Santa Fe Children's Museum, Lowell Observatory, Grand Canyon Railway, DuPage Children's Museum: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- La Posada Hotel, La Castaneda Hotel, Visit Albuquerque (Old Town bus routes), Old Fort Madison and Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
- Great American Stations and Wikipedia station and route articles for addresses, station history, Raton Pass, Glorieta Pass and the Fort Madison bridge, 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.