One of our favorite train events of the year will take place at Union Station in Chicago this Saturday, May 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. National Train Day is an Amtrak-sponsored event where people in cities all over the country can find out why trains matter. We went for the first time last year and my then 3-year-old train fanatic LOVED every second of it.
Here are some tips to enjoy the day:
1. To add to the excitement, take a Metra train to Union Station.
2. Book a train trip early! Amtrak offers a 40-minute train ride back and forth from the rail ride. The times that are available are 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m. Last year, it was hard to come by tickets, but it looks like trips can be booked online. Tickets are $5 per adult and half price for kids ages 2-12.
3. Check out the model train displays
4. There’s a cool little Chuggington area where they provide free train-themed kids’ activities including arts & crafts, photo opportunities and train play tables.
5. Curious to see what an Amtrak train sleeper car looked like? We had a chance to peruse a few Amtraks and other kinds of trains.
Other special activities planned:
Dovetail Games will be offering a free download of the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner version of the hit game “Train Simulator 2014.”
Operation Lifesaver, whose mission is to end collisions, deaths, and injuries at railroad crossings and on rail property, will be holding free giveaways and providing interactive opportunities to learn more about rail safety. The organization will also be promoting it’s new “See Tracks? Think Train” campaign.
Hope you enjoy National Train Day as much as we will!
