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 parks, cute cafes, toy shops and great local ice cream shops. Towns along the Union Pacific West Metra line include: Oak Park/River Forest, Elmhurst, Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Winfield, West Chicago, and Geneva. 

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.

Know Before You Go: Tickets

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.

Kid Friendly Stops on the UPW 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 Street
Oak Park, IL 60301
(847) 921-4003

Classic Cinemas Lake Theatre
1022 Lake Street
Oak Park, IL 60301
(708) 848-8870
Plan your trip on a day where you can take advantage of the Summer Movie Deals and free refills at the Lake Theatre, just a short walk from the train.

Geppettos’s Toy Box
730 Lake Street
Oak Park, Illinois
708-445-9906

Oak Park Public Library (Main Library)
834 Lake Street
Oak Park, IL 60301
(708) 383-8200
The Oak Park Public Library Children’s Service department has daily activities and play space for toddlers, school aged children as well as young babies.

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 and York Theare 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.

Classic Cinemas York Theatre
150 N York Street
Elmhurst, IL 60126

Coordinate your Metra trip to catch one of the 10:00am movies in the Wednesday Morning Movie Series at the York Theatre. Tickets are only $2 per person. Every Classic Cinemas location also has a sensory-friendly theatre during the Wednesday Morning Movie Series with the lights up and sound down allowing more freedom for movement than a traditional theatre.

Elmhurst Public Library
125 S Prospect Avenue
Elmhurst, IL 60126

Pilot Pete’s Coffee and Treats
128 W 1st Street
Elmhurst, IL 60126
(630) 454-8060
Pilot Pete’s is actually located inside the Elmhurst Metra Station, so you don’t have to walk far at all for your caffeine fix!

Sweet Circle
116 N. York Street
Elmhurst, IL 60126
630) 501-0184

Umbrella Sky
Schiller Court at Schiller and York Streets
Elmhurst, IL 60126

Wilder Park
175 S Prospect Avenue
Elmhurst, IL 60126

Lombard

The Lombard Metra stop has a vintage Dairy Queen Store just a short walk from the train station. Grab a pretzel dog for the kids, and coffee for you at Gnarly Knot Pretzel Company and then take a stroll through Lilacia Park.

Dairy Queen Store
205 S Main Street
Lombard, IL 60148
(630) 627-6364

Gnarly Knots Pretzel Company
100 W St Charles Road
Lombard, IL 60148

Lilacia Park
150 S. Park Avenue
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 Street
Glen Ellyn, IL  60137
(630) 858-4300

Blackberry Market
401 N Main Street
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 Street
Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 480-0198

Clocktower Mini Golf and Skate Park
Naperville Road & E Liberty Drive
Wheaton, IL 60187

Graham’s Chocolates, Ltd
119 W Front Street
Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 221-1199

Longfellow Elementary School Playground
311 W Seminary Ave
Wheaton, IL 60187
This fully-fenced playground is just a few short blocks from the Wheaton train stop and is a great place to run off some extra energy before getting back on the train.

Kilwins Ice Cream & Chocolate Store
100 N Hale Street
Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 668-2353

Kimmer’s Ice Cream
109 E. Front Street
Wheaton IL 60187
(630) 765-7704

Little Popcorn Shop
111 W Front Street
Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 690-7712

Memorial Park
225 Karlskoga Avenue
Wheaton, IL 60187
Enjoy the 2026 summer series of performances at Memorial Park after grabbing dinner downtown. Memorial Park is home to the bandshell, and across the street from Longfellow where the kids can play. Be sure to check for ticket info before heading out, as some concerts charge admission.

MOORE Toys and Gadgets
107 E Front Street
Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 480-4285

Wheaton Public Library
25 N Cross Street
Wheaton, IL 60187
The library has lots of events and story times, but is a little bit longer walk from the Wheaton Metra stop, especially for little legs.

Winfield

Grab donuts or a light lunch on this quiet Metra stop.

Giagnorio’s Deli
0S100 Winfield Road
Winfield, IL 60190
(630) 668-6622

Sugar Mama’s Mini Donuts
27W460 Chicago Ave
Winfield, IL 60190

West Chicago

West Chicago is also 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 Street
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, IL 60185
(331) 240-2176

Geneva

We love our train trips to Geneva. The walk to the Coffee, Cones & Cabernet is worth it to explore the sculptures made from real chocolate. There are countless shops, restaurants, and bakeries along 3rd Street.

Coffee, Cones & Cabernet
33 S. Third Street
Geneva IL 60134
(630) 232-2395

Deane’s Market and Deli
500 S. Third Street, Suite 141 
Geneva IL 60134
(630) 402-0139
Located right across from the Geneva Train Station, with wi-fi 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 Street, Suite E
Geneva, IL 60134
(630) 262-8200

Kilwins Ice Cream & Chocolate Store
407 S 3rd Street, Suite 186
Geneva, IL 60134
(630) 232-7122

Elburn

Elburn is another quiet, classic downtown stop. We loved grabbing ice cream from Alice’s Place and checking out the very popular Ream’s Meat Market and their onsite Wurst Wagon where you can grab lunch.

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

Are you closer to another Metra route? We have routes for BNSF and Union Pacific West lines, too!