Union Station

A great place to wait for the train! And super close to the blue line! Super convenient spot for enjoying Chicago! One time, I missed my train and tried to take a nap on a bench. Apparently, that’s a huge no no…

Well the building is awesome but the inside needs some love and attention. They don’t do a great job letting you know here to go and the staff was not overly helpful. It best to use the kiosk and get the tickets or the app. Make sure ask where you need to go because it changes randomly. Clearly not enough seating for everyone in waiting area. We all over the ground and standing.

Everything seemed to go smooth once our train arrived. There area where we were a
Waiting was very crowded, but since this my first train I don’t know if that is normal. The station seemed a little dirty. The floors needed mopping. The food court had a few good things to choose from while you waited

Beautiful old train depot that could use a facelift. They should take a queue from Denver’s Union Station and situate trendy bars and restaurants in here for some added $$$ to the city. A lot of vagrant types hanging around in the concourse, but since they have no where else to go I don’t know what the fix is.

Gross. This place looks like it hasnt been cleaned since it was built in the gilded age. No security screening means vagrants can come up to you and harass you for money. Don’t take the train if you in any way value your time. Took a sleep car once across the US and without a doubt Chicago was unsurprisingly the filthiest station we stopped in.
Also Amtrak is the only real rail line left for passengers, which is like if Spirit Air bought out all the other airlines for the express purpose of taking a gigantic shit in the american public’s collective mouth.

Well organized, great and helpful staff — especially the Amtrak folks — and easy to navigate. Four entrances to the main building (including two accessible), and clear well-​marked directions and instructions to get tickets, food, restrooms, or assistance. It can obviously get a bit busy during major travel times, but if you plan ahead it’s still a great way to travel. Arriving to the building is currently a pain what with the usual traffic and now construction all around. There’s a clear taxi line /​drop-​off area, but these areas are not well organized. If you are arriving and expecting to get picked up, expect to walk several blocks to reach decent parking.

Hovering between two and three stars. Originally from Michigan but living in Milwaukee, I travel through here when I take the train to visit. The Great Hall is beautiful, especially during Christmastime. The rest of it is pretty dirty feeling. I sat in the Amtrak lounge the other week and a pigeon walked up to the seat next to me to eat some food crushed into the floor. That kind of thing. And I get it, it’s a train station — it doesn’t need to be glamorous. But still. It was also a little annoying that the Amtrak south lounge was being reserved for elderly and disabled travelers only, with the rest of us being kept in the Great Hall. I could understand that at peak times, but there were only a handful of passengers in the lounge, where the seats are more comfortable and charging stations are available. The Great Hall only has the big wooden benches and no outlets. Not a great place to spend a layover. Food is fine. You can choose from McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts, Burrito Beach, Corner Bakery, Nuts on Clark, and a few others. More often, I prefer to take a short walk outside to nearby Jimmy John’s or Potbelly’s for a chance to take in some Chicago views. Overall, it serves its purpose as a station and serves as a connector to lots of great places, but I wouldn’t want to spend more time here than necessary. Pro tip: If you *are* here for an extended time, rent a luggage locker and store your bag while you wander around the city.

This place has a pretty extensive food court and offers you some good food choices, but there is never enough seating. The waiting areas are also very crowded and could do with more seating. The big empty space upstairs seems to be wasted on the occasional meeting or event.

A friend and I needed to take Amtrak to Milwaukee, WI since Amtrak is out of Union Station… here I am. This is a massive public transit hub (Amtrak and local train service) — could be a little over whelming.
Since I had arrived early, I was able to explore. First, Amtrak is very easy to find. I felt the direction signs were a little confusing, however, I was able to find the Grand Hall where many movies are filmed. The Grand Hall is majestic with the marble and the pews for benches. Very beautiful.
The food court area is still being renovated. There are quite of few fast restaurants and couple of actual restaurants available for your choosing. Overall, the public areas are very clean.
Boarding Amtrak train was very painless. The agent had scanned your ticket, then you walk a short distance then board the train.
Even if you are not taking a train, I would suggest for anyone to check this place out.

We don’t go to Chicago that often but it always is great to travel by train by husband prefers driving mostly. Union stations needs to have more benches though. Rest I haven’t looked around much so can’t really comment on other things. Until next time ciao

I usually visit Chicago a few times a year via Amtrak. I love the Great Hall. It truly is a beautiful space, so I usually spend a bit of time there winding down before I get back on the train to head home. I’ve also had the opportunity to travel overnight on Amtrak, so I’ve been able to check out the Metropolitan Lounge. They have free coffee, soft drinks and snacks and the M L bathroom is a welcomed sight after cramped train bathrooms. While the Metropolitan Lounge is pretty great, it pales in comparison to the Legacy Club. It’s worth the extra money. Really.

A great place excepy there is to much renovations going on they are taking away the old historic look and feel

I work in the building and frequent the little marts and food court. The employees are always helpful whether it is guiding me through the latest reroute of construction or information on which track I should go to. The cleanliness of the downstairs area could use some work but it isn’t horrible. I’m currently distracted by the many advertisements for Scottsdale, Arizona!

Stepping into Chicago Union Station is like stepping back in time. It’s grand, beautiful and it’s got the gilded golden aura to it. I’m glad Amtrak and the trains still operate and keep travel by rail still alive in the US. Although to be honest, their modern dark wood booth in the middle of the floor doesn’t really match the style of everything else. I can forgive them for that though since they are doing construction. It’s a good sign that they are keeping it up for future travelers. It was also very neat to realize from a display some of the movies that had been filmed here. Very cool!

Terrible

$ 44 round trip MKE to CHI on Amtrak’s Hiawatha line?
Yes please!
… and Union Station is where you land on the Chicago side. While it’s not a perfect train depot, it’s solid.
Centrally-​located right downtown, it’s pretty freaking easy to navigate both boarding and arrival.
Riding the train is super-​easy and also, it’s fun. MKE and CHI are great getaways for the other for lots of reasons, so I’m def stoked that the Hiawatha’s now rocking expanded hours, too.

As a former commuter to UIC and University of Chicago @ The Gleacher Center, I have come to know Union Station on a very intimate level– whether that’s a good thing is still up in the air.
I’ve always been fascinated by the history and architecture of this gigantic structure, and I think it’s a shame how it doesn’t seem to be taken care of the way it should be. But that’s a whole different discussion.
When you enter Union Station from the streets, you can come in through the main doors on Canal St. This allows you to descend into the Great Hall via the old staircases, which are indented from decades and decades of commuter foot traffic. It’s amazing to think of the history that those steps have seen.
When you enter on the other sides of the building, you’ll find yourself on the Great Hall floor, which offers long wooden «pew-​type» benches to sit on, but this can change depending on the day or what events are being held at the building. In regards to those benches, to be honest, they were things that I generally avoided sitting on because of the constant flow of people sleeping on them.
There are also plenty of restaurants and bars in the station that offer the tired commuters some solace after a long hard day– or before your day starts, if that’s your choice. One thing that really disappointed me about their food scene, though, is they got rid of some great local fair, known as Nino’s Paninos. I loved that place; I went there every single day. Then they close it and bring in a chain restaurant. Not cool, Union Station, not cool at all. But the other food places available in the station get the job done, I suppose. They’re fast and efficient because they have to be.
In regards to the concourses for Metra and Amtrak, they’re pretty generic, but always incredibly overcrowded when it’s the peak of rush hour. I can only speak for Metra, as I’ve never taken Amtrak, though. Metra has ticket booths outside the concourses (buy your tickets in the station, because if you don’t, they charge you a fee on the train), but beware of timing because the lines normally move at a snails pace.
The bathrooms are pretty small, and they always have a line. But they stay clean and they get the job done for you!
One thing that kind of rubs me the wrong way about Union is the state of the holding area for the trains. Man, if you want to breath in diesel fumes, then this is the place for you. The ventilation here is not the greatest, and the ceiling is BLACK because of it. I also don’t like that the holding areas allow you to walk past the train engines, and I mean this strictly for security reasons. Union Station constantly has the «If you see something, say something,» voices blaring everywhere, but being that it’s post 9/​11, it still always made me uneasy that security wasn’t tighter at that place.
But overall, the time that I spent as a commuter was always pretty easy. The CTA is located outside the building, as well as taxi service, so you can get anywhere fairly quickly. Union Station is also a cool place to check out history as well.

If you’ve ever been to Europe, this station is worse than most of the bathrooms over there. Cramped, confusing, and dirty; I prefer to hang out in the Grand Hall to avoid the madness. Severe lack of seating, poor announcements, and the crush of humanity. *sigh* Let’s just get on the damn train, please?

Nice historic building with lots of food options and a bar, called The Junction.
Sometimes trains get delayed and the concourse gets super duper crowded.

Chicago Union Station is a typical modern American urban train station. Now inundated with commuters and a few long distance Amtrak passengers, you are quickly rushed into a long underground platform breathing diesel exhaust before entering the basic reception interior and baggage claim. Once you leave the train area, the station opens up into the classic and modern transportation hub for Chicago.
I had a rather long wait for my baggage upon arrival in Chicago. The time was similar to some airports, but was even more annoying after such a long journey. Catching a taxi was very easy, but it took a little time to figure out where to go. I would have appreciated a little more food options, but my main priority was escape and arrival to the much more attractive city. Fortunately, the utilitarian layout makes the overall process quick and beings a great time in Chicago.

Union Station is a pretty standard but pleasant train station experience.
Architecturally speaking, the building is gorgeous. It has a room called the Great Hall, which is as great as it sounds. It’s massive and classic looking, and makes you feel like you’re somewhere a lot cooler than a train station. It has big windows and statues, and tons of wooden bench seating.
The station itself is pretty easy to navigate, and there are always a lot of people around to help you if you have any questions.
There’s a food court upstairs, but it’s a pretty big hassle to get to if you have any luggage bigger than a backpack or gym bag. There’s a lot of variety in the restaurants up there, including a bar, McDonald’s, Au Bön Pain, Corner Bakery, and Nuts on Clark.
This station is always clean and feels safe. It’s easily one of my favorite stations, despite its small problems.

If you are a fan of historic train stations (and if you’re not what is wrong with you?) you will enjoy visiting Union Station in Chicago. The main room is grand and adorned with beautiful columns and a few statutes. Beautiful and expansive, yet not as grand as NY or DC, but holds its own nonetheless. I didn’t use any of the services at the station so can’t speak to that, but has a piece of grand architecture, it shouldn’t be missed.

My overall experience at Union Station was nothing more than average. I’m usually the one running to catch the train because it seems like there’s never enough time to make it back to the one I want. Last night was no different. The Metra ticketing area isn’t quite close to track # 11 (the one we were boarding on.) We had approx 20 minutes to get our tickets before the train was set to leave, but there were only 3 automated credit card machines and approximately 40 people in line for the ticket counters. Unfortunately for me, the people in front of me were tourists or not familiar with what route they were taking because it took pretty much the entire time just to buy two measly tickets from the vending machine. In order to satisfy the rushes, they should add more credit card machines.
We didn’t spend enough time in Union Station to explore the dining options, but I will say that the location is pretty convenient.

Fast efficient, runs frequently. No frills
Certainly not the bullet train. Nice architecture. A little confusing. The people behind the cashier are so deadpan, perhaps it’s being underground and deprived of sunlight.

I take the metra from the burbs into Union Station regularly, but this was the first time taking an Amtrak train from there. Service was great. They kept us informed of the boarding priority process, (who goes and where to stand) and of the timing. They got us on board 20 mins to departure and we left on time.
The antique décor is just beautiful. You can’t help admire the walls and the ceiling. They have plenty monitors to check departure times and plenty of helpful train conductors/​workers with any questions you may have.

Yet another train station that makes NY Penn Station look like a giant pile of … Well you know…
In all seriousness though, this is a great example of what a train station should be: organized, clean and easy to navigate. Upon arriving here from a long train ride, I was impressed with how easy I was able to find my way through station and out to the street. There are also a good amount of amenities located within the station. The overall experience was very seamless, as it should be.
The station is also located right in the center of downtown Chicago with easy access to public transportation, hotels and restaurants. From a convenience standpoint, it certainly doesn’t get any better than this.

This is my second time at this station, very easy to follow when you check the monitors for gate time.
The only downfall is there’s no one that you can so questions which is weird.
But overall pretty basic in and out

This was a pretty hasslefree trip back to the Detroit area from Chicago. The station actually reminded me of a small airport, in all of the right ways. There were staff peppered around and they were actually helpful and kind of friendly. They seem very organized and helped us to board our train. However, a little more work and would be helpful. The line for a train snaked through the lobby and this allowed some rude, stroller-​toting late arrivals to cut into the line.
Union station is centrally located near the loop. It was in walking distance from my hotel at the W. Seeing how easy this trip was, I would definitely travel by these means again

Judging from these reviews, Union Station seems to baffle and frighten people from Wisconsin.
The reality is that Union Station is more than capable at what it does. If you get lost or confused in a train station, you may have other challenges in your life. If walking three blocks is a challenge, maybe get a nice Rascal.
You’ll be just fine as long as your head and eyes function at a basic level.

I’m use to the Ogilvie Transportation Center, which is across the street from Union, at Madison. I enter on the Madison side of Union, so where the main locomotive engines are, relative to the track. I always get nervous walking through because we’re talking about trains-​upon-​trains of engines spewing smog. If there was a time that I wanted to mimic the Japanese/​Chinese surgical mask fashion show, this would be the time.
Other than that, pretty impressed that Metra and Union Pacific keeps all these trains on time and on the right tracks.

First time traveling by myself, and I was actually pretty scared of Union Station in downtown Chicago. I was scared I wasn’t going to find me train and I’d get lost, and I remember it being such a big place.
Well… as soon as I walked into the doors, they had a sign with my train right on the screen, and there were people there directing on where to go. So, thankfully I wan’t too confused and got on my train with ease. My second time (Coming back) here, was a lot smoother, and I knew exactly where to go now.
The Union Station police were super helpful on helping me where to go, and it’s a generally clean place. Just watch out for the occasional pigeon roaming around.

The building itself is historic and an architectural marvel. It’s bygone splendor is still quite visible, it’s worth a visit. As a traveler, it’s hard to enjoy the majesty of the design because it’s not very clean, it’s more than a little dangerous, and the workers here are mean and frightening. Under federal AMTRAK police jurisdiction, the priority and highest focus is on preventing terrorism. I do feel safe in that regard, but hustlers, con artists, and pickpockets are more than a nuisance. The workers yell at people, a lot. They act more like prison guards, and in fact I have seen the Cook County Sheriff’s deputies treat jail inmates with more respect. Some other Unilocaler compared this station unfavorably with traveling by train in Europe, but that’s not at all similar. This station has more of an India feel to it, with slightly less crowd, but even more daunting to visitors. Workers make absolutely no effort to help out tourists, and they seem to go out of their way to prevent orderly lines to form instead passively encouraging last minute cutting in. The workers often shout at bewildered customers at the same time the loud and somewhat unintelligble loudspeaker is blaring something different. One of the funniest things I overheard here was a French couple, the wife saying to her husband, «Et les Americains disent a Paris, les gens Francaise sont rudes!!!» (I think she said, «and the Americans say the people of Paris are rude!»).
The difference is night and day with Milwaukee where the AMTRAK workers are friendly, helpful, and not at all like correctional officers. Don’t let this deter you from traveling by train, it’s a wonderful way to go, but try to always be very alert here in Chicago Union Station, travel light, and allow extra time if you’re not familiar with where you’re going. Often a couple minutes before the train departs they stop further entry, even if you were waiting in line, you have to be there early, and be ready for boarding before they open up for boarding (it’s up to you to find the right place).

This is the heart of Chicago’s public transportation. From this station, you can go out to the suburbs or for me, from the suburbs to Chicago. On the weekend, it is $ 7 roundtrip into city, which is way cheaper than driving in and having to pay for parking.
Union Station is huge and spacious and quite clean. On the 2^nd floor, there is a pretty big food court for you to grab a bite while you wait for your train ride to board.

I do love this station. You can easily find your way throughout it. There is a food court upstairs. There is plenty of seating while you wait.
Get there early to be sure not to miss your train. They are right on time unless there are issues.
Most of the Amtrak personnel are friendly and helpful. One exception was a woman who came to tell us to move out of an aisle. Then she told another train line to do the same. She was rude. Yelling and corralling us like sheep. I think she could have gotten her point across without her demeaning attitude. Whatever! The rest of them are nice.
The train ride itself is always positive. Restrooms can get stinky, but I guess that’s to be expected. There are 2 restrooms on each car. Seats recline and are comfortable. Trays drop down. You can take your own food on or buy on the dining car. Electrical outlets at every seat section. Onboard free wifi.
Check online about carry-​on. They allow quite a bit actually. So you may not even need to store anything below. I never have any of the times I rode.
You can’t beat the price and you can sit back and relax while someone else takes you to your destination.

ALL ABOARD REVIEW #1100
I had no idea what I was going to write about for this historic review & then it dawned on me… why not Union Station!
Recently I brought the little one on a tour of the building & she had a great time. We sat on the historic wooden benches of the Great Hall & talked about the history that happened in this very room. The millions of people that passed through this room on to there next destinations. America grew because of the railroads. Sometimes it is fun to learn about history when you are sitting in the middle if it.
It is like a giant city underground & at rush hour it is simply a mad house of activity. If you love people watching then this is the place. You will see suburban people trying to get home. Out of towners walking around, people dragging suitcases just trying to figure out where they are at. It is really confusing down here.
I showed my little one the luggage area that looks just like the airport. I explained that people use to exclusively ride on trains before airplanes went commercial. She thought that was cool. We then looked at the big board of train departures. We joked about hoping on a train to Los Angeles or Portland or Seattle. We finally settled on sending Mom a joke photo of us going to Kenosha. You can truly get anywhere by jumping on a train here.
There are also plenty of stores, restaurants & bars down here. Also keep on eye out for the mobile drink carts. It seems everyone is enjoying a giant party down here. These suburban people have it down. Get lit up & then ride the train home to the burbs. I also had no idea that Metra trains were BYOB. I saw a group once with a giant cooler popping open brews. I was so jealous from my seat but I also learned I would be packing my own party next time. Which I have already done several times!
If you’ve never seen Union Station then you need to check it out. You probably remember the Grand Staircase that was used in the movie «The Untouchables». In the movie Elliot Ness shoots it out with Al Capone while a baby carriage slowly bounces down the stairs. That was one of the most beautiful movie scenes ever. While we walked that staircase we noticed that the stairs were curved & wavy. My little one asked why & I told her that the grooves were created by millions of people using the staircase for the last 89 years. That is so cool to see. Every traveler has left there mark literally at Union Station.
How did this great hall come to be? A group of railroad companies came together to build a central location to make it easier for travelers. In the old days there were several main stations and this made it hard for travelers who were making connections. Not every railroad company jumped on this concept. Some others continued to operate there own stations.
This building is actually the second Union Station and third train station to be built on this site. They started building it in 1913 but didn’t finish until 1925. The project was delayed by labor strikes/​shortages & WW1. The estimated cost of building this massive structure was $ 65,000,000.
The architect was Daniel Burnham but he did not live long enough to see his vision completed. Honestly this guy laid out the whole city. Union Station was part of the «American Renaissance» & was one of several monumental Beaux-​Arts railroad stations built. It was a combination of traditional old architecture with engineering technology & city planning in mind.
Just stand in the center of the Great Hall waiting room and bask in its beauty. This is considered one of the great interior public spaces in America. Look up at the ceiling at the vaulted skylight and try not to take a photo. You can’t because it is stunning. You want a fun fact. Light wasn’t coming through until 1991 because the skylight had be blacked out since the World War. What a shame!
Walk up a staircase & stand on one of the balconies overlooking the Great Hall. You can see everything from up here. As my little one said, «I feel like a princess up here!» Later in the day she asked me if she could get married at the Great Hall so she could wave at here guests like a princess. I looked at her & said, «Yes!» I’ve attended many great events here so why not a wedding.
My personal favorite are the giant wooden benches where travelers waited until there next train. The space is simply amazing & a must see, even if you’re not getting on a train.
This is a piece of American history. As many as 100,000 people mostly soldiers traveled through Union Station during World War II. It was a busy time with roughly 300 trains daily. Once people started flying commercially these numbers declined.
Union Station in Chicago still remains busy today and is the is third-​busiest in the US behind Grand Central Terminal & Penn Station in NYC.
So if you’re looking for a history lesson this is the place. America was built by the railroad & this station played a significant part in that history. Welcome Aboard!

Main entrance is a bit hard to spot because the building looks deserted from outside. I just followed the lady and found myself looking up at the high ceiling and feeling a bit of nostalgia. This place reminded me of Grand Central minus the endless human traffic.
At 8 PM, there weren’t too many people at the station. I went up to the guy behind the counter and asked how to get to my destination. He goes, «It’s fooooooouuuuur dollars and 25 cents and you have twoooooooooo minutes before the train leaves.»
«Where do I go for the train?»
«Platform 12 and you have oooooooooone minute and fiiiiiiiifty seconds before the leave.»
«Oooooookay! Thanks!»
There are a lot of people who use this train to and from the suburbs. Pretty good savings compared to my taxi fare earlier. I was at Oak Brook in 45 minutes. Not bad at all.