I have question about chicago city.

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jewel

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hey, does anyone know how to get to the lincoln zoo from union station

the quickest way? and which line to take and so on.

I have only 4hours in chicago and I want to spend maximum time at lincoln park and the zoo and oz park. I gotta catch the train to oregon and I have no time to get lost in chicago. I will be very happy if anyone could answer my question.

how long does it take bus trip from union station to lincoln park? and which stop should I getoff to get to the zoo?

thanks a lot.

jewel. :huh:
 
Try this link.

Use the starting point drop down for Union Station and the destination dropdown for Lincoln Park Zoo.

It will show you all the ways you can get there and how long it takes.

It may say it can't find Lincoln Park Zoo, shows some other choices. Pick the top Lincoln and resubmit. It should work, then.

I know someone who works at CTA and I'll see if that glitch can be fixed.

In any event, it is about 1/2 hour on the bus each way.
 
With only four hours in Chicago, I would be very leery about going anywhere too far.

That said, you can take a 151 or 156 bus from Union Station directly there (though, note that the 156 operates weekdays only). The 151 boards southbound on Canal, which is right in front of the "Great Hall." You can either exit from the Great Hall onto Canal, or you can take the escalators up from the Amtrak ticket counter area (not the one that leads to the food court, but the one that leads away from the Hertz rental car desk, directly across from the ticket counter) up to Canal, and cross the street. You can also take a 156, which boards northbound on Canal at Jackson (which is the south end of the station). Follow the same instructions as for the 151, but head south a half block (up the escalators from the ticket counter, out the door, turn left, go to the corner and cross the street).

Fare is $2 cash (no transfers issued), or you can buy a CTA transit card from the machines in the METRA (not Amtrak) ticket counter area, which is halfway between the Great Hall and the Amtrak ticket coutners. A single ride with a transit card on a bus is $1.75, and a transfer (good for two additional rides) is 25 cents (if used within 2 hours of initial boarding). Or you could buy a $5 one-day pass, if you don't want to worry about transfers, from a machine next to the transit card machine.

The 151 and 156 both take the same street through Lincoln Park (though I would recommend the 156, if traveling on a weekday, because the route is a little bit shorter, and it often gets better equipment). Look for the Armitage stop, listen for the automated announcements, or ask the driver to let you know when to get off.

The ride there takes about 35-40 minutes (maybe slightly longer on the 151, since it winds its way through State Street and Michigan Avenue), so, as I said earlier, you may not have that much time. Since CTA's service can get unreliable, depending on the time of day you travel (if it's midday, it *shouldn't* be too bad, but there are no guarantees in life), I would recommend leaving the zoo 1.5 hours before your scheduled departure (which, if you're taking the Empire Builder, is 2:15, so I'd say no later than 12:45). The 151 and 156 to Union Station board across the street from where you get off northbound. Same fare rules apply.

The 151 ends directly in front of Union Station. The 156 goes past Union Station on Adams Street (get off when you cross the Chicago River the second time; the first crossing will be on LaSalle Street, the second will be after you've traveled through downtown and turned onto Adams).

If you're coming in on another Amtrak train, keep in mind that your train might arrive late, which will cut into the amount of time you have available.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
 
The travel planner recommends the "Webster" stop, though I suggested Armitage. Webster may be closer to the actual main gate (I'll double check today and report back).

As for the Travel Planner glitch, the Travel Planner is maintained by the RTA (sort of a parent organization under which CTA, Metra, and Pace fall). Let's just say that there are some misgivings as to the quality of information the travel planner gives out (and of the RTA information center in general). So, I wouldn't rely entirely on the schedule times listed.

One thing I forgot to mention in my previous post (and probably will edit into that post) is that the 156, which is the preferred route, operates *weekdays only*. If you're coming through on a Saturday or Sunday, you would have to use the 151.
 
With only a four hour layover, I would reccomend something a little less time consuming. Maybe the sky deck at Sears Tower? Perhaps explore Union Station? I wouldn't travel far from the station though.
 
Count me in amongst those who don't think it's a good idea to take a bus to the zoo. For one thing, even if you could unscramble where to stand and wait for the bus, then you have to figure out which bus you want to be on as there are probably a couple of different route buses stopping at the same place. Not to mention the time it takes to get there.

If it was me, knowing what I know, I'd skip the zoo until I had more time. Try the Sears Tower. Or walk east several blocks and you'll be on State Street, which is a big shopping area.
 
Unless there was something you specifically wanted to see at the zoo I would not go there. To be safe you would only have about one hour in the zoo.

Don't forget you will first have to store your luggage and then wait for a bus in each direction. I would not take a chance. You could always take a taxi.
 
Jewel,

I too would stick around the area. I ride Metra into Chicago every weekday and for the last few weeks, the buses have been extremely late, with large groups of people waiting for the same bus. You could always walk 7 blocks down Jackson Street and visit the lakefront: Millenium Park, Art Institute, and window shopping on Michigan Avenue.

I guess what I am underscoring is that right now, I wouldn't depend on the buses.
 
Hi, again. I'd like to thank you all for answering to my question. Especially I'd like to thank you, Robert for giving me so many information.(sorry for posting so late. I can only post on saturday.)

Well, I guess I have to give up my idea of going to see the zoo.

I really would love to the Tin Man in Oz park and Lincoln park zoo which is one of the best zoo on earth. And since I love to read Oz ( Baum wrote Oz in Chicago.) I wanted to see the tin man.

I guess I 'll have to go back to Chicago some othertime and see all that!

My train will arrives in Chicago at 9:05am on September 27. and leaves at 2:15 the sameday.

I'm taking the coach all the way from N.Y to Oregon. It' gonna be hard for me to not able to take a shower the whole way!

But I had a no choice but to take the coach due to my limiteed budget.

I Asked for up grade and been told that I have to pay $1.000!

Jesus, I couldn't afford that.

Do you think I could get cheaper once I'm on the train to up grade?

This is the first time for me to take Amtrak and I'm very excited about it.

I have many questions I'd like to ask but I don't know where to write to.

I'd love to join you folks but don't know how. :huh:
 
jewel said:
My train will arrives in Chicago at 9:05am on September 27. and leaves at 2:15 the sameday.I'm taking the coach all the way from N.Y to Oregon. It' gonna be hard for me to not able to take a shower the whole way!

But I had a no choice but to take the coach due to my limiteed budget.

I Asked for up grade and been told that I have to pay $1.000!

Jesus, I couldn't afford that.

Do you think I could get cheaper once I'm on the train to up grade?
Yes, you can when you ask the conductor on train for upgrade. Usually, it's the cheapest one unless you book for sleeper class like a year in advance.

I recommend to ask for it on Empire Builder because you'll be spending two nights on board. The first night from the east to Chicago is fine with coach class.
 
In addition to upgrading on the train, you can also look into upgrading for a portion of your journey. For example, you could look into a sleeper upgrade from Chicago to Havre, MT (about halfway between Chicago and Portland). That would give you a sleeper for the middle portion of your journey (including free meals and access to a shower during that time).

As for your time in Chicago, keep in mind that the Lake Shore Limited has a tendency to run late, so your train may arrive well after 9:05 am. This would limit your time in Chicago.

If you have any more questions about your upcoming trip, or what you could do in Chicago during your layover, just ask.
 
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