Located in Union, Illinois, the Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railroad museum in the U.S. After taking in its expansive collection of locomotives, streetcars, trolleys, and freight and passenger cars --- as well as an extensive collection of railroading artifacts --- in April through October, museum visitors can board a coach or trolley car pulled by a preserved diesel or steam locomotive for a short excursion ride.
The Monticello Railway Museum, located in the central Illinois town of Monticello, offers train rides on weekends and holidays from May through October. Visitors may board the vintage diesel locomotives and coaches at either the Nelson Crossing depot at the museum or the Wabash Depot in downtown Monticello. The museum hosts a series of special events throughout the year, such as the Ghost Train with its Haunted Boxcar in October and its Polar Express excursion to the "North Pole" in December.
Visitors who stumble upon this oft-overlooked railroad in Freeport, Illinoise, are in for a real treat. The Silver Creek & Stephenson Railroad uses a 1912 steam locomotive to pull its excursion rides along 3.4-mile round-trip route. From May through October, riders may board the train at the Silver Creek Depot. On one special day in July, aspiring engineers may reserve their time behind the throttle, where they can actually run the train.
For those seeking a scenic cross-country trip, Chicago's Amtrak hub is home to several train routes that make the journey as memorable as the destination. One of the nation's most beautiful railway routes, the California Zephyr travels from Chicago through the Colorado Rockies, the Sierra Nevada mountains and Salt Lake City before reaching the bay city of San Francisco. The Lake Shore Limited travels daily from Chicago to New York City or Boston along some of the country's most beautiful shorelines, including Lake Michigan, the Erie Canal and the Finger Lakes region in New York State. Amtrak's Southwest Chief runs daily from Chicago to Los Angeles through the American West, affording breathtaking vistas of America's plains, mountains, Native American pueblos and deserts.
