New to our adventure list, is exploring the Union Pacific West Metra Line! The Union Pacific West Metra Line runs from Chicago Ogilvie (Chicago OT) out to Elburn, with stops in some darling downtowns with lots to explore, including great ice cream shops, toy stores, parks and cute restaurants. Towns along the line include: Oak Park/River Forest, Elmhurst, Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Winfield, West Chicago, and Geneva.Â
Whether your little one is an avid train lover, or you are just looking for an adventure for the day, a Metra ride is a great way to get the most bang for your buck. The experience of watching your train arrive and boarding, to the excitement of the ride itself and getting off in a completely different place is memorable for kids both big and small.
Metra offers a variety of ticket options, including weekend and day passes, as well as ride-all-day promotions. Family Fares, which run every day until Labor Day, and then only on weekends after that, allow for up to three children (ages 11 and under) to ride free with a paying adult. Find travel schedules and buy tickets through the Ventra app or at the vending machine at your local station. Check here to see if your station has a ticket vending machine.
Remember that if the ticket booth at the station where you boarded is open, you will have to pay a $5 fee to buy your ticket on the train. If it’s closed (as they often are on weekends), then you can buy your ticket on the train with no fee. You can also purchase tickets on the Ventra app, which is the easiest option. See more information about buying Metra tickets. Also, make sure to check the business hours of the places you’d like to visit, as some of these local shops have days they’re closed or early hours, especially on holidays or weekends.
Note: This train line is different than the one that runs from Chicago Union Station through Naperville and out to Aurora, so be sure when you go explore, you have the correct train line.
Oak Park
Grab a sweet or savory breakfast, and explore the many shops in Oak Park for a fun adventure.
Chicago Waffles
726 Lake St
Oak Park, IL 60301
(847) 921-4003
Geppettos’s Toy Box
730 Lake Street
Oak Park, Illinois
708-445-9906
Oak Park Public Library
834 Lake St.
Oak Park, IL 60301
(708) 383-8200
Scoville Park
800 W. Lake Street
Oak Park, IL
Elmhurst
Elmhurst has plenty of shops and parks to explore without walking too far off the train line. Check out the popular Umbrella Sky on the north side of the tracks, or take a stroll to the Elmhurst Public Library and Wilder Park on the south side of the tracks.
Elmhurst Public Library
125 S Prospect Ave
Elmhurst, IL 60126
Pilot Pete’s Coffee and Treats
128 W 1st St
Elmhurst, IL 60126
(630) 454-8060
Sweet Circle
116 N. York St.
Elmhurst, IL 60126
630) 501-0184
Umbrella Sky
Schiller Court at Schiller and York Streets
Elmhurst, IL 60126
Wilder Park
175 S Prospect Ave
Elmhurst, IL 60126
Lombard
Lombard has a vintage Dairy Queen Store just a short walk from the train station and the popular Lilacia Park. If you’re in the mood for a slightly longer stroll, check out Lily’s Cafe for coffee and a snack.
Dairy Queen Store
205 S Main St
Lombard, IL 60148
(630) 627-6364
Lilacia Park
150 S. Park Ave.
Lombard, Illinois
Lily’s Cafe
415 Crescent Blvd
Lombard, IL 60148
Glen Ellyn
Why not enjoy taking the train to Glen Ellyn to then eat lunch in a train themed restaurant, where a real life train delivers your food? It doesn’t get much better than that.
2 Toots Grill
450 N. Main St.
Glen Ellyn, Il. Â 60137
(630) 858-4300
Blackberry Market
401 N Main St.
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
(630) 474-2300
Glen Ellyn Public Library
400 Duane Street,
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
Wheaton
Downtown Wheaton is bustling with kid friendly activity at their Wheaton train stop (note-College Ave is also in Wheaton, but farther from Downtown Wheaton). Check out 302 Wheaton for kid sized burgers and a kid-friendly (fenced) outdoor area.
302 Wheaton
302 W Front St
Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 480-0198
Clocktower Mini Golf and Skate Park
Naperville Rd &, E Liberty Dr
Wheaton, IL 60187
Graham’s Chocolates, Ltd
119 W Front St
Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 221-1199
Longfellow Elementary School Playground
311 W Seminary Ave
Wheaton, IL 60187
Kilwins Ice Cream – Chocolate – Fudge
100 N Hale St
Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 668-2353
Kimmer’s Ice Cream
109 E. Front St.
Wheaton IL 60187
(630) 765-7704
Little Popcorn Shop
111 W Front St
Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 690-7712
Memorial Park
225 Karlskoga Ave
Wheaton, IL 60187
MOORE Toys and Gadgets
107 E Front St
Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 480-4285
Wheaton Public Library next to Adams Park
25 N Cross St
Wheaton, IL 60187
Winfield
Grab donuts or a light lunch at the deli, then take a walk to Wynwood Fields, which has all the park amenities (including a splash pad and playground).
Giagnorio’s Deli
0S100 Winfield Road
Winfield, IL 60190
(630) 668-6622
Sugar Mama’s Mini Donuts
27W460 Chicago Ave
Winfield, IL 60190
Wynwood Fields
0S060 Wynwood Rd
Winfield, IL 60190
West Chicago
West Chicago is a slightly quieter stop, but has a small train replica memorial that any train lover will enjoy.
Train Display at the West Chicago Train Station
424 Main St
West Chicago, IL 60185
Small display (located just west of the West Chicago Train Station) great for train lovers.
Raised Bakery and Cafe
124 Main Street
West Chicago, Illinois 60185
(331) 240-2176
Geneva
We love our train trips to Geneva. From Wheaton, it is about a 20 minute train ride-which is perfect! The walk to the All Chocolate Kitchen is worth it to explore the sculptures made from real chocolate. There are countless shops, restaurants, and bakeries along 3rd Street.
All Chocolate Kitchen
33 S. Third St.Â
Geneva IL 60134
(630) 232-2395
Deane’s Market and Deli
500 S. Third St., Ste. 141Â
Geneva IL 60134
(630) 402-0139
Located right across from the Geneva Train Station, with WIFI and a kid’s menu.
Eye Candy Bake Shop
228 S. Third Street
Geneva, IL 60134
(630) 402-0326
This is a gluten free bakery that specializes in dietary restrictions.
HEY SUGAR
507 S. Third St., Suite E
Geneva IL 60134
(630) 262-8200
Kilwins Ice Cream – Chocolate – Fudge
407 S 3rd St Ste 186
Geneva, IL 60134
(630) 232-7122
Elburn
Elburn is a classic downtown stop. We loved grabbing ice cream from Alice’s Place and checking out the very popular Ream’s Meat Market.
Alice’s Place
208 S. Main Street
Elburn, IL 60119
(630) 365-6000
Lion’s Park
500 S. Filmore Street
Elburn, IL 60119
(630) 365-6315
Ream’s Meat Market
250 South Main Street
Elburn, IL 60119
(630) 365-6461
Rustic Road Farm
1N292 Brundige Rd
Elburn, IL 60119
(773) 682-0490