If you step off at L at Quincy, you’ll notice time slipping back a century.
At 220 S. Wells St., the station’s vintage house and elevated platforms hold onto their late-19th-century look.
It’s one of the oldest surviving “L” stations—and a rare place where old Chicago is still part of the daily ride.
Preserving the past
The Chicago Transit Authority has renovated the station twice, following a strict mandate to preserve its historic design as it was on opening day.
In the 1980s, a major restoration project was initiated to restore the station’s original character.
Crews rebuilt the vintage wooden ticket booths and preserved the iconic heavy metal turnstiles that remain at the entrance. The intricate woodwork and stamped tin ceilings contribute to the historic atmosphere for riders passing through the fare gates.
Adding modern access
The station still has plenty of old-school charm, but it’s been updated for today’s riders. A recent renovation replaced aging staircases and added elevators connecting the platforms to street level, making the station fully accessible. The new structures and wayfinding signs were designed to fit right in with the original architecture.
Take a look along the wooden platforms, too. Framed reproductions of vintage ads for local beaches, rapid transit lines, and hiking trails line the railings—a little glimpse of what a Chicago commute looked like decades ago.
