Visiting Downtown Chicago via train

[Raildudes dad]

My daughter and some of her friends want to go to the Field Museum on a Friday. They are going to end up in Wheaton IL for the remainder of the weekend. Rather than driving downtown and fighting parking and traffic they want to take the train in and out.

Anyone have any experience using the South Shore from East Chicago or any point east of there? Parking availability in the South Shore lots?

Anyone park on the Metra Electric out at Homewood or nearby and then take the train inbound?

[cnw8835]

I rode the South Shore in from the Dune Park station last year. Plenty of safe parking, easy on/off of I-94 at the Chesterton/Porter exit. The ride into the city was a bit over an hour from there.

[BB]

No parking problems at Ogden Dunes when the air and water show was going on downtown but that was back in 2008. Museum Campus/11th Street closet stop to the Field Museum.

[J T]

I rode the South Shore in from the Dune Park station last year. Plenty of safe parking, easy on/off of I-94 at the Chesterton/Porter exit.

Is that the lot we often park in while in the area? Nadia and I are going to Chicago for the weekend in a couple of weeks and I'm debating whether I want park and take the South Shore or drive into the city (which I usually prefer for the flexibility).