Six hour layover in Chicago

July 16, 2008 7:36 AM

Six hour layover in Chicago. Is it feasible to take the train to O'Hare, get to the Art Institute for a quick visit (I really want to see one painting) and then get back to O'Hare and not miss the plane? This would happen on a Friday, 3PM-9PM.

And, if it's not doable, what's the yummiest food at O'Hare? (I'll just have a big dinner and a nap if I have to stay inside the airport). Thanks!

posted by PenguinBukkake to travel & transportation (24 comments total)

The train is FROM O'Hare, clearly. I'll land at O'Hare and my connection leaves from O'Hare. Sorry for the typo!
posted by PenguinBukkake at 7:38 AM on July 16, 2008

I wouldn't risk it. The train can get all kinds of messed up and 6 hours doesn't sound like enough to get from O'Hare - which is pretty darn far from downtown Chicago - to the Art Institute.
posted by agregoli at 7:40 AM on July 16, 2008

(I was including time to peruse the Art Institute too - I think you'd be too rushed).
posted by agregoli at 7:41 AM on July 16, 2008

If you really want to see the painting, you might want to hire a cab. Otherwise, stay at the airport.
posted by billtron at 7:41 AM on July 16, 2008

Don't forget to take rush hour into account, the trains going to be packed on your way into Chicago.
posted by cyphill at 7:44 AM on July 16, 2008

Yes, I think that would be feasible. The Jackson stop on the Blue Line will deposit you a few blocks away, and you should be able to get in at least a couple hours at the museum. It's contingent on how much time you want to leave for getting back through security when returning to O'Hare.
posted by adamrice at 7:45 AM on July 16, 2008

Its probably doable. Right now a few stops are closed on the blue line so you'll have to take a bus to the train. This might add another 30 mins to your commute. Id spend at most 90 minutes at the museum considering how bad the blue line is.
posted by damn dirty ape at 7:49 AM on July 16, 2008

Depends what Friday and if it is an international flight. If it is before the end of July be aware that there is track construction on the Blue Line from O'Hare and you will be required to take a bus from O'Hare to the next stop and vice versa. I would estimate 1h15m for that trip but it could be longer.

If you're in August or later I expect that it would be about 1h each way. It's only a few minute walk from the el stop to the art institute so I see no reason you couldn't do it, but have enough cash to take a cab back if you get stuck or late on time.

I would do the following: Land, check your bags and check in for your next flight if you have to. Take the train downtown, you'll be there by 5 if you get out of the airport by 3:45 or so. Leave the art institute no later than 6:30, back at the airport by 8. That should be fine for domestic. It's quick, but enough time to see what you want to see.
posted by true at 7:49 AM on July 16, 2008

They're working on the Blue Line between Rosemont and the airport - you have to do a bus shuttle between stations, I think for a couple more weeks. So give it an hour each way, on the train.

Then about a five block walk from the subway station to the Art Institute.

Hope this helps!
posted by readery at 7:53 AM on July 16, 2008

I agree with the last few answers - as long as you allow 1 hour to 1 hour and a half to get to and from O'Hare, you should be fine. Even if there are issues that arise with the blue line, you should have enough time. I'm a few stops before Jackson and it pretty much takes 45 minutes consistently (not included the current rerouting between O'Hare and Rosemont).

Personally, I think the train is the better way to go rather than a cab. A cab will take 40 minutes at best at that hour and cost you at least $35. I don't think it's worth the 20 - 30 minutes you could save. At worst, with traffic a cab could take up to an hour and a half and cost nearly $45. If you're really pressed for time you can check Google Maps for traffic on a mobile device - if it shows green, you know you can make it in 40 minutes.
posted by slo at 8:00 AM on July 16, 2008

I think 6 hours should be enough time. I'll side with the blue line over a cab.

Also, it would be a good idea and check ahead of time to see if the painting you want to see will be there when you are--sometimes they are lent out.
posted by simplethings at 8:11 AM on July 16, 2008

I don't live in Chicago, but when I was there for a week not long ago. My hotel was near the airport and my conference was downtown. I took the Blue Line every day, during rush hour, and don't recall any significant problems other than involuntary closeness to my fellow man. I do remember whizzing past the all the cars stuck on the freeway though, so in my case it was faster than a cab could be.

I think it's doable, as long as your flight into Chicago isn't delayed and getting to the Blue Line from the airport is not a big hassle.

One hint based on my own ignorance: get directly onto a Blue Line train from downtown. Don't hop on another then think of transferring. I did this once. The platform attendant told me to take the Red Line and get off at a certain stop to transfer to the Blue Line. But she used what the local's call the stop, not what the sign actually said. So, I ened up far, far away from downtown on the wrong train, never seeing the stop she told me. I had to get on an inbound train back into town. It was the last train of the night and I made it on with only minutes to spare. So, don't do it that way and you should have an hour or so for the museum.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 8:17 AM on July 16, 2008

I've taken cabs from O'Hare to the Wrigley building, which is close to the Art Institute, multiple times doing even doing rush hours and it seldomly took more than 40 minutes one way. so yeah, six hours should do the trick even if traffic is a bit dire. what nobody else has mentioned is that the blue line runs terribly slow in large parts and doesn't actually pick you up at the terminal -- you have to walk quite a distance underground to get to the stop. I suppose you're going to see a rothko, american gothic or a john painting there, which are all worth a trip alone.

I would suggest that if you have carryon only to worry about and you can manage to stand in front of the terminal with five hours to spare, do it. plan for one hour into town, two hours at the art institute and one hour back and you still have one hour left to check back in. totally doable unless that outgoing flight is international, in which case all bets are off and I didn't say anything.
posted by krautland at 8:22 AM on July 16, 2008

Before you go, call to make sure the painting you are interested in is will be on display when you are there.

The Art Institute of undergoing renovations right now, and parts of the collection were not on display, as I found out first-hand a few weeks ago.
posted by kathryn at 8:34 AM on July 16, 2008

The outgoing flight is national, and I only have a small carryon. Thanks everybody. I'll also call the museum to check if the painting is there.
posted by PenguinBukkake at 8:43 AM on July 16, 2008

Don't miss:

This

Or any of the stuff by this guy

or the huge collection of Monets (including at least 6 of the wheat stack series) and Renoirs

I'm not sure I could spent just an hour in there.
posted by Bonzai at 8:45 AM on July 16, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is certainly not be missed. The pointillism technique can only truly be appreciated in person and the scale of the painting coupled with the technique is pretty amazing.

Are we allowed to ask what painting you want to see?

I'll add ancedotally that I've had good luck with the Chicago trains in the past, although you will want to keep in mind that some of the O'Hare concourses are rather long so getting from the gate to the exit of the airport and vice versa can be quite the ordeal depending on where your plane lands and departs from.
posted by mmascolino at 9:02 AM on July 16, 2008

Almost the entire Impressionist collection from The Art Institute is currently on display in Fort Worth, till early autumn. Make sure you make that call before you do much else.
posted by dancestoblue at 9:29 AM on July 16, 2008

I haven't been in Chicago in a few years so my info isn't totally up-to-date, but barring some sort of freak occurance I can't imagine that it would truly be a problem, especially if you really just want a short visit. I guess it depends on what time you want to be back at the airport. If you leave the Art Institute by 5:30PM (giving you 3 hours to split between travel time and check-in which should be way more than enough), and even if it takes you 1.5 hours to get there (never took me that long, but I guess current delays could change that), you'd still have a whole hour there.
posted by EmilyClimbs at 9:38 AM on July 16, 2008

The construction on the blue line O'Hare station is scheduled to go through July 27. The reports I've heard is that it doesn't add that much extra time to the commute (although I haven't done it myself).

I regularly take the blue line from the Loop to O'Hare, and in the past few months it's never taken me more than an hour. There were some bad periods last year but they've gotten better.

Even taking into account the need to take the shuttle bus to Rosemont, what you're proposing sounds eminently doa ble. Good luck!
posted by QuantumMeruit at 11:56 AM on July 16, 2008

You won't be able to carry your carryon into the Art Institute (if it's larger than a small handbag--the gate keepers are fairly stern about this in my experience), but they have lockers. Also, Thursday and Friday nights are free until Labor Day!
posted by crush-onastick at 12:05 PM on July 16, 2008

I called, the painting's there. I'll try to visit the museum, thanks everybody. And if I end up missing my connection for that, it'll be worth it in a way.
posted by PenguinBukkake at 12:07 PM on July 16, 2008

Just out of curiosity, which painting is it?
posted by sabira at 3:05 PM on July 16, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Also, a cab will probably be slower that time of day.
posted by gjc at 4:53 PM on July 16, 2008