Chicago Celebrates Its Transportation History with New Exhibit
Chicago has always been the Midwest’s travel hub, with innovations by air, road and railway centering around Chicago since the 1800s. And now an exciting new exhibit is opening November 22 through January 25 at Union Station that aims to celebrate the past and future of Chicago’s plane, train, and bus terminals over the last 75 years. According to an article in Chicago Magazine, the exhibit is the latest passion project from transportation guru Joe Schwieterman, author and professor of public policy and urban planning at DePaul University. “We’re featuring terminals that have been barely covered in the past and those that were truly extraordinary, such as Englewood Union Station and the Chicago Greyhound Station at Clark/Randolph, which was the largest independently operated bus station in the world,” says Schwieterman. “We also show how much has been lost due to demolition.”
The image is of Dearborn Station, circa 1970 taken by Bob Krone.
Highlights of the 16-panel exhibit will include:
- Rare photos of terminals ranging from O’Hare to Millennium Station to the former Dearborn Station and Miegs Field
- Maps commissioned through a cartographer for Trains magazine
- And classic films with Chicago terminal backdrops such as Home Alone and The Blues Brothers.
The exhibit will be held in the breezeway linking Union Station’s Great Hall with the ticking concourse, and that’s no accident; milestones reached by Amtrak from the station as well as plans to restore the station to its glory days by moving ticketing back to the Great Hall will also be on display.
OTHER TRAVEL NEWS THIS WEEK
- Shop Hotel Lincoln’s Vintage Market
This Saturday, 15 local vendors hawking holiday gifts will be center stage at Hotel Lincoln’s free pop-up market (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.). Goods include Parisian maps, jewelry, and vintage clothing, plus a how-to session with Jourdan Fairchild, creator of Fly DIY and a Chicago contributor.
- How to Pack for a Family Vacation
Dash the misperception that you need to haul lots of luggage on a family vacation. “We were still able to pack everything for two adults and three kids (ages four, six, and eight) into just two suitcases and two carry-ons,” says Eric Stoen, founder of Travel Babbo. His tips: pack empty duffels to ship things home, leave behind the sport coat, and use packing cubes (compact storage bags that go inside of your luggage). More at WendyPerrin.com.
- Take a Video Tour of New York’s Tribeca Neighborhood
“Many attribute much of the transformation of Tribeca—a former no-man’s land now filled with cool shops and hip restaurants—to Robert De Niro, who is the owner of the handsome, 88-room Greenwich Hotel,” reports Travel+Leisure’s Sarah Spagnolo. See the video, then pack your bags.
