Luggage storageChicago

Getting into Chicago: airports and train stations

Arriving in Chicago before your Airbnb is ready or leaving long after checkout often means dragging a bag through the Loop. Finding a nearby spot to leave it is straightforward, and we help with that.

Major sports venues are split: Wrigley Field has no luggage or large bag storage, while Soldier Field runs a bag check during major events, and several museums and cultural sites will hold bags at a coat check but enforce tight size limits. Stations around the Loop are well suited to getting around, with rail connections covering most of the city but few storage options at the stations themselves. For Terminal 5 arrivals, a free airport shuttle train connects to the Blue Line station that serves Terminals 1, 2, and 3. CTA rules require you to be able to handle all your luggage in a single trip on and off buses and trains, so consider storing anything you can't manage on your own. On CTA trains and buses, bags must stay on your lap or on the floor between your feet rather than on a seat or in the aisle. Millennium Station serves both the Metra Electric District and South Shore Line, so either line can get you there. With Stasher, you can store bags from $2.49 per bag per day at 10+ locations across Chicago.

Some top Stasher locations in Chicago include:

• Local shop, 7 min walk from Millennium Park · rated 5/5 (60+ reviews)
• Local shop in the Chicago Loop
• Local shop, 1 min walk from LaSalle Street Station · rated 5/5 (100+ reviews)
• Restaurant, 6 min walk from Cadillac Palace Theatre

Most points cluster around the Chicago Loop, Millennium Park and Millennium Station. You'll typically find a bag drop at local shops and restaurants. Every booking comes with the Stasher Guarantee, which protects your bags up to US$13,000. Stasher storage in Chicago can be booked through the website or app.

Bag rules at Chicago's sports venues

Wrigley Field has no luggage or large bag storage at all, so arriving with luggage or a large bag means sorting it out before you go.

Soldier Field is a different story: during major events it offers a bag check for items that exceed the stadium's policy, with lockers at the 18th St. Turnaround. The stadium is a 3/4-mile walk from Roosevelt Station on the Red, Green and Orange Lines, which is worth knowing if you're carrying something heavy.

If you are taking the Red Line to a Cubs game, the Addison stop puts you about one block east of the ballpark.

Museums and parks: checking bags at cultural sites

The Art Institute of Chicago sits downtown and is a short walk from most CTA bus routes and all rail lines, with the Adams/Wabash L station one block west and the Monroe L station a few blocks away.

The Chicago History Museum requires bags larger than 13 x 12 x 4 inches to be checked at its free coat check, while the DePaul Art Museum bans bags and purses larger than 13 x 17 x 4 inches and all backpacks, with a bag check available. The Auditorium Theatre takes a similar line during events, prohibiting large bags, backpacks and luggage but providing a coat check.

Millennium Park lets visitors bring bags, but they may be searched and must be smaller than 26 inches long, 15 inches wide and 15 inches high. The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and free to enter, and is served by Metra Electric District and South Shore Line trains at Millennium Station plus various CTA bus and train lines nearby.

Getting around the city with luggage

The Chicago Loop is the hub of the CTA rail network, with six of eight L lines converging at stations like Clark/Lake, State/Lake, Washington/Wells and Adams/Wabash. That concentration makes it a practical place to connect to buses and trains while heading somewhere like McCormick Place or Navy Pier. For McCormick Place, take the Green Line to Cermak-McCormick Place or the number 3 bus south on Michigan Avenue. Navy Pier is reachable on the number 29 bus north on State Street or the number 124 bus east on Washington Street. And if you're coming straight from O'Hare, the Blue Line one-way fare to downtown costs $5 or less, which covers the transfer from the airport.

Willis Tower is served by the Quincy station, giving access to the Brown, Orange, Pink and Purple lines.