Wolverine With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
Three trains a day each way, 110 mph across the middle of Michigan, and a stop for almost everything a kid wants: a beach at New Buffalo, a free museum in Kalamazoo, a hands-on museum in Ann Arbor, a Model T ride at The Henry Ford, penguins in Royal Oak. The Wolverine is the Midwest's best train for a family that wants options. My mom's sister lived in Ann Arbor, and this is the train we would have taken to see her. Below is every stop from Chicago to Pontiac 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: Chicago to New Buffalo.The 6:45am train arrives at 9:04am, the beach is a 10-minute walk, and the 11:24am Blue Water or an afternoon Wolverine takes you home sandy. Jump to New Buffalo.
- Ages 4 to 8: Ann Arbor.The Hands-On Museum, a Zingerman's sandwich, and inner tubes down the Argo Cascades in summer. Arrive 12:33pm on the morning train. Jump to Ann Arbor.
- The big one: The Henry Ford.Get off at Dearborn, cab to the museum, ride a Model T and a steam train in Greenfield Village, sit on the Rosa Parks bus. Two days if you can. Jump to Dearborn.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, the Wolverine is reserved and the three daily trains leave Chicago at 6:45am, 2:35pm and 5:50pm; the morning train is the one for day trips. Second, the Blue Water shares the line to Battle Creek and adds a fourth option for New Buffalo, Niles, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. Third, the trains now run with the new Venture cars, which have big windows, a cafe car with tables and level boarding at the newer stations. Alerts are on the Wolverine page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, seats, bathrooms, strollers and what to pack are all in our Wolverine parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
Eastbound Train 350 leaves Chicago 6:45am and reaches New Buffalo 9:04am, Kalamazoo 10:14am, Ann Arbor 12:33pm, Dearborn 1:02pm, Detroit 1:30pm, Royal Oak 1:54pm and Pontiac 2:21pm. Westbound trains leave Pontiac at 5:43am, 8:50am and 5:03pm. Check the day's schedule before you plan a museum.
Stop 1 of 15CHITrains leave 6:45am, 2:35pm and 5:50pm
Chicago Union Station
Every Wolverine starts in Union Station's Great Hall, under a skylight the size of a tennis court. The 6:45am train gets you to Michigan by lunch; the 2:35pm gets you to Ann Arbor by dinner. The river and Maggie Daley Park's slides are a walk away for families waiting on the afternoon train.
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.
Half a day between trains
- Riverwalk and a boat before the 2:35pm train (90 minutes).
- Maggie Daley Park (1 hour).
Make it a full day
Chicago is a weekend on its own. The Wolverine is how you leave it, three times a day.
Snack stop: The station food court and the Riverwalk stands.
Out the window: Leaving Chicago eastbound you curve around the bottom of Lake Michigan past the steel mills of Indiana, and then the dunes begin.
Union Station has checked baggage. The Wolverine is reserved; book the kids as passengers.
Stop 2 of 15HMIAll three trainsour honest take: ride on
Hammond-Whiting
An industrial platform in Indiana. Whiting's lakefront park and its Pierogi Fest are a cab away, but this is a commuter stop.
The steel mills and refineries out the window, which for a certain four-year-old are the best thing on the trip.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter.
- at stopWhiting Lakefront Park and Whihala Beach, by cab, with a view of the Chicago skyline across the water.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Refineries, steel, and then the lake.
Stop 3 of 15NBUAll three trains, plus the Blue Water
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 first stop in Michigan, and the easiest beach day from Chicago by train.
New Buffalo's public beach, where the dunes meet the lake and the water is swimmable by July. Ice cream at Oink's on the way back.
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.
- 10 minThe harbor and the Galien River marina.
- at stopWarren Dunes State Park, 20 minutes by cab, with the big dunes to climb.
Half a day between trains
- Beach (2 hours).
- Oink's for ice cream and the train home.
Make it a full day
Beach all day, dinner in town, and a night at a cottage. Warren Dunes by cab if you want the climb.
Snack stop: Oink's Dutch Treat, and the beach snack stand in summer.
Out the window: Between New Buffalo and Niles the tracks run through orchards and vineyards; this is Michigan's fruit belt.
Three Wolverines plus the Blue Water stop here daily, so it is a flexible day trip from Chicago, about 2 hours 20 minutes.
Stop 4 of 15NLSAll three trains, plus the Blue Water
Niles
A Michigan Central depot from 1892 so pretty that Hollywood has filmed here, with a garden, a fountain and a park along the St. Joseph River a few minutes away. The depot itself is the attraction; the town is small and friendly.
The depot gardens and the clock tower. The Niles depot was built to look like a castle, and it still does.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1892 depot: a waiting room, restrooms and gardens outside.
- 5 minRiverfront Park along the St. Joseph River, with a playground and a path.
- 8 minDowntown Niles' Main Street: a bakery and a few shops.
- 10 minFort St. Joseph archaeology site, with summer open houses.
Half a day between trains
- Depot gardens (20 minutes).
- Riverfront Park playground (1 hour).
- Bakery and the next train.
Make it a full day
A gentle day: the river path, the park, lunch downtown, and the Fernwood Botanical Garden by cab, which has a children's garden.
Snack stop: Downtown bakery.
Out the window: The St. Joseph River crossing right at the station.
Stop 5 of 15DOAAll three trains, plus the Blue Waterour honest take: ride on
Dowagiac
A small town with a restored depot and a downtown of sculptures. Pleasant for a stretch; not a day out with kids.
The bronze sculptures along Front Street, a scavenger hunt of sorts.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored depot with a waiting room.
- 5 minDowntown Dowagiac's Front Street and its sculpture trail.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: A cafe on Front Street.
Out the window: Farms and small lakes.
Stop 6 of 15KALAll three trains, plus the Blue Water
Kalamazoo
A transportation center two blocks from a free, excellent museum with a planetarium and a children's floor, and a few blocks from a downtown mall with a toy store. The Air Zoo, with real planes and indoor rides, is a cab ride away. Kalamazoo is the stop I send Chicago families to first.
The Kalamazoo Valley Museum's Children's Landscape, free, and then the planetarium show. 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, with a planetarium (small fee).
- 5 minThe Kalamazoo Mall, a pedestrian street with a toy store, a candy shop and a bookstore.
- 8 minBronson Park, with a fountain and lawns.
- at stopAir Zoo Aerospace and Science Museum, 15 minutes by cab, with planes to climb into, a flight simulator and indoor rides.
Half a day between trains
- Kalamazoo Valley Museum and the planetarium (2 hours).
- Kalamazoo Mall for a snack and the toy store (45 minutes).
Make it a full day
Museum in the morning, lunch on the Mall, the Air Zoo in the afternoon by cab. Three trains a day each way make the return easy.
Snack stop: Downtown's bakeries and a candy shop on the Mall.
Out the window: Kalamazoo's downtown and the river.
The museum is closed Mondays.
Stop 7 of 15BTLAll three trains, plus the Blue Water
Battle Creek
The cereal city. The transportation center is a few blocks from downtown, where a children's science center and a riverwalk sit near the old Kellogg headquarters. Binder Park Zoo, with a huge Africa section, is a cab ride away.
Binder Park Zoo's giraffe feeding, or the Kingman Museum's planetarium. For small kids, 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 of natural history, with a planetarium (small admission, limited days).
- at stopBinder Park Zoo, 15 minutes by cab, with a tram and giraffes to feed.
Half a day between trains
- Riverwalk and the fountain plaza (1 hour).
- Kingman Museum if open (1 hour).
Make it a full day
Binder Park Zoo for most of the day by cab, then the riverwalk and dinner downtown.
Snack stop: Downtown cafes.
Out the window: The Kalamazoo River.
Stop 8 of 15ALISome trainsour honest take: ride on
Albion
A small college town stop. Nothing within walking distance for a family. Ride on to Jackson or Ann Arbor.
The Albion College campus out the window.
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: Farms.
Not every Wolverine stops here; check the day's schedule.
Stop 9 of 15JXNAll three trains
Jackson
The oldest continuously operating train station in America, built in 1873, with a waiting room that still looks like it did then. Downtown Jackson is a short walk, with a children's museum and the Cascades, an illuminated waterfall that runs on summer nights.
The Cascades Falls at night in summer, lit up in colors with music, which my kids thought was the best thing in Michigan.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1873 depot: a historic waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 8 minDowntown Jackson's Michigan Avenue and Bright Walls murals.
- at stopThe Cascades at Sparks Park, 2 miles by cab, running summer evenings with a playground beside it.
- at stopMichigan Space and Science Center items at the Ella Sharp Museum, with a planetarium, by cab.
Half a day between trains
- The depot and downtown (1 hour).
- Cab to the Cascades park playground (1 hour).
Make it a full day
A summer evening: cab to the Cascades for the light show, dinner downtown, and the next morning's train.
Snack stop: Downtown Jackson has a few family restaurants; the depot has vending.
Out the window: East of Jackson the tracks straighten and the trains hit 110 mph through the fields.
The Cascades run evenings from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Stop 10 of 15ARBAll three trains
Ann Arbor
A college town with a hands-on science museum downtown, a natural history museum with dinosaurs on campus, and a riverside park with a cascade of rapids a short walk from the station. Ann Arbor is the Wolverine's best stop, and the 6:45am train from Chicago gets you here by 12:33pm.
The Hands-On Museum's bubble room and its two-story climber, then the Argo Cascades, where kids float the rapids in inner tubes in summer.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter, next to the Huron River.
- 5 minGallup Park and the Argo Cascades on the Huron River, with inner tube and kayak rentals in summer.
- 12 minAnn Arbor Hands-On Museum downtown, four floors for ages 0 to 12 (admission).
- 15 minUniversity of Michigan Museum of Natural History, free, with dinosaur skeletons and a planetarium.
- 12 minDowntown and Main Street: Zingerman's Deli, a toy store and the Kerrytown farmers market on Saturdays.
Half a day between trains
- Hands-On Museum (2 hours).
- Zingerman's for lunch (1 hour).
- Argo Park by the river (45 minutes).
Make it a full day
Hands-On Museum, Zingerman's, the Natural History Museum's dinosaurs, tubing the Argo Cascades in summer, and a Michigan game in fall. Sleep downtown and take the morning train either way.
Snack stop: Zingerman's Deli near Kerrytown, Blank Slate Creamery, and the Kerrytown market.
Out the window: The Huron River beside the station.
Stop 11 of 15DERAll three trains
Dearborn John D. Dingell Transit Center
The stop for The Henry Ford, the biggest museum of American things anywhere, with a real Rosa Parks bus to sit on, presidential cars and a working village with a steam train and Model T rides. The transit center is a 10-minute cab from the museum; the Ford Rouge factory tour is part of it.
Riding a real Model T through Greenfield Village, then the steam train around the village. Then the Rosa Parks bus inside the museum.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern transit center with a waiting room and restrooms.
- at stopThe Henry Ford museum, 10 minutes by cab or the bus: open daily, with Greenfield Village (seasonal) and the Rouge factory tour.
- at stopGreenfield Village: Model T rides, a steam train, a working farm and Edison's lab, April to October.
- 15 minDearborn's Arab American National Museum and the bakeries along Michigan Avenue.
Half a day between trains
- Cab to The Henry Ford for the museum only (3 hours).
Make it a full day
The Henry Ford and Greenfield Village together are two days. Sleep in Dearborn. Add the Rouge truck factory tour for kids 8 and up.
Snack stop: The museum's Lamy's Diner, and the Arab bakeries on Michigan Avenue for baklava.
Out the window: Ford's Rouge complex is visible from the train.
Greenfield Village closes for winter; the museum is open all year.
Stop 12 of 15DETAll three trains
Detroit
The Amtrak station is a small one in New Center, but the city has a riverfront with a carousel, a people mover that is a ride on its own, and the restored Michigan Central Station, which reopened in 2024 and is a cathedral of a building. The Detroit Zoo is a stop up the line at Royal Oak.
Riding the Detroit People Mover around downtown for a single fare, then the Riverwalk's carousel and the fountain at Hart Plaza.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station in New Center with a waiting room.
- at stopThe QLine streetcar on Woodward, free, from New Center to downtown.
- at stopThe Detroit Riverwalk, by QLine: a carousel, a splash fountain, the Outdoor Adventure Center and views of Canada.
- at stopMichigan Central Station in Corktown, restored and open for visits and tours (check days).
- at stopThe Detroit Institute of Arts, 10 minutes' walk from the station, free for Michigan residents, with Diego Rivera's murals.
- at stopThe People Mover, an elevated loop around downtown.
Half a day between trains
- QLine downtown and the Riverwalk carousel (2 hours).
- The People Mover loop (30 minutes).
Make it a full day
DIA in the morning (it is nearly walkable from the station), QLine downtown, lunch at Eastern Market on a Saturday, the Riverwalk, Michigan Central, and a Tigers game. Sleep downtown.
Snack stop: Eastern Market on Saturdays, Coney dogs at Lafayette or American downtown.
Out the window: The Detroit skyline and the Renaissance Center towers to the south.
The QLine is free. Michigan Central's public hours have varied since it reopened; check before you go.
Stop 13 of 15ROYAll three trains
Royal Oak
The stop for the Detroit Zoo, which is a 15-minute walk or a quick cab from the platform, with a penguin center that is the best in the country and a polar bear tunnel. Downtown Royal Oak has ice cream and a toy store a few blocks away.
The Polk Penguin Conservation Center, where penguins swim over your head through a tunnel. Then the polar bear underwater viewing.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter, downtown.
- 15 minDetroit Zoo at 8450 W 10 Mile Rd: the penguin center, the Arctic Ring of Life, a train ride around the park (admission; open daily).
- 5 minDowntown Royal Oak's Main Street: a toy store, Treat Dreams ice cream and cafes.
Half a day between trains
- Walk or cab to the zoo (3 hours).
- Ice cream downtown and the train.
Make it a full day
The zoo all day, dinner downtown Royal Oak, and the evening train back toward Chicago or on to Pontiac.
Snack stop: Treat Dreams ice cream on Main Street; the zoo has food.
Out the window: Suburban Detroit.
The zoo's penguin center sometimes has timed entry on busy days.
Stop 14 of 15TRMAll three trainsour honest take: ride on
Troy
A modern transit center in an office park. Nothing walkable. Ride on or get off at Royal Oak for the zoo.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern transit center with a waiting room.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Office parks.
Stop 15 of 15PNTAll three trains; the end of the line
Pontiac
The eastern end of the Wolverine, in a transit center with a Greyhound connection. Downtown Pontiac is a long walk; most families get off at Royal Oak or Detroit. If you ride to the end for the sake of the end, there is a park nearby.
Tell them this is where the Wolverine turns around. Watch the crew change ends.
Right off the platform
- at stopA transit center with a waiting room and restrooms.
- 15 minDowntown Pontiac's Saginaw Street and a small park.
Half a day between trains
- Watch the turnaround, then ride back to Royal Oak for the zoo.
Make it a full day
Skip, or end here if someone is picking you up.
Snack stop: None near the station.
Out the window: The end of the line.
Three trains a day means no rush
The thing about three trains a day is that nobody has to drag a child away from a beach or a penguin tank to make the only train. You get to say yes to one more go on the slide. I did not get many of those with my parents and my kids. I get them on this line, and I take every one.
Next in this series: the Blue Water, which shares the tracks to Battle Creek and heads for Lake Huron, and the Pere Marquette to Grand Rapids. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Wolverine trips with kids: questions parents ask
How long is the Wolverine from Chicago to Detroit?
About 5 hours 45 minutes to Detroit and 6 hours to Pontiac, with three trains a day each way. Ann Arbor is about 5 hours 50 minutes on the morning train, which arrives at 12:33pm.
What is the best Wolverine stop for a toddler?
New Buffalo. The beach, a playground and an ice cream shop are a 10-minute walk from the platform, and four trains a day (three Wolverines and the Blue Water) make the return easy.
Can we take the Wolverine to The Henry Ford?
Yes. Get off at Dearborn (the John D. Dingell Transit Center) and take a 10-minute cab or the local bus to the museum. Greenfield Village, with the Model T and steam train rides, is open April to October; the museum is open all year.
Which Wolverine stop is closest to the Detroit Zoo?
Royal Oak. The zoo is about a 15-minute walk or a 5-minute cab from the platform, and downtown Royal Oak's ice cream shops are a few blocks the other way.
Do kids pay on the Wolverine?
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.
Is there food on the Wolverine?
Yes, a cafe car with snacks, sandwiches, kids' items and tables. The Venture cafe cars have big windows and are a good place to sit for a while.
Which Wolverine stops should we skip with kids?
Hammond-Whiting, Dowagiac, Albion, Troy and Pontiac are platforms with little to walk to. Battle Creek and Jackson are fine but need a cab for the best things.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Michigan Services timetable, September 2026 revision, and Amtrak station pages
- Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, The Henry Ford, Detroit Zoo, Michigan Central Station: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- Great American Stations and Wikipedia station articles for addresses and station history, cross-checked with Amtrak
- City park pages: New Buffalo Public Beach, Gallup Park, Sparks Park Cascades, Detroit Riverwalk
Hours, prices and bus routes change. I update this page when they do; if you spot something out of date, tell me.