ON THIS PAGE: Commuter Trains | CTA Bus | Taxis | University Buses | Driving | Parking | Barrier-Free Access

SEE ALSO: University Web Pages with Directions and Maps: Regional | Campus-wide | KPTC and RI subsections

Visitor Information

Teaching and administrative center of
the Department of Physics at the University of Chicago
Kersten Physics Teaching Center (KPTC)
5720 South Ellis Avenue
Southwest corner of 57th Street and Ellis Avenue
(directory of KPTC staff & offices)

Most faculty offices and laboratories are one block north
in the Research Institutes (RI) complex,
5640 South Ellis Avenue
This is also the mailing address and primary entry for
Astronomy & Astrophysics Center (AAC)
High Energy Physics (HEP)
Laboratory for Astrophysics Research (LASR)

Commuter Trains

METRA Electric is a commuter rail line extending between downtown and the southern suburbs. There are three stations in Hyde Park; platform access is available at 51st-53rd, 55th-56th-57th, and 59th Streets. For the Kersten Physics Teaching Center, get off at the 55th-56th-57th Station, leave the platform at the south end, and walk west about 3/4 mile along 57th Street. (If you'd prefer a 1/4-mile walk, get off at the north end of the platform, and for an additional $1.50 fare take a #55 CTA bus westbound from the northwest corner of 55th Street and Lake Park Avenue. See CTA below). When boarding at a Metra station, be sure the train stops at the 55th-56th-57th station (or, if you're willing to walk about a mile, at the 59th Street Station); that is, few trains stop at all stations. Ticket charges vary depending on the distance traveled; $1.95 is the fare for one-way travel between Hyde Park and downtown. For more information and a schedule, call 836-7000 (from any of the five local area codes) or visit the Metra web site. Northern Indiana's South Shore Line trains stop only at the 59th Street station.

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CTA Bus

From downtown, board the #6 Jackson Park Express bus along the west (southbound) side of State Street between Lake Street and Van Buren Street. Downtown, where the blocks are "short," there are marked bus stops every other block; for southbound buses on State Street, these are usually on the northwest corner of the intersection. Take the #6 Jackson Park Express to 55th Street. Transfer to the #55 Garfield bus on 55th Street at the northwest corner of Hyde Park Boulevard. When you board, hold the transfer card with the black stripe facing you and the arrow pointing downward, and insert the card in the farecard machine attached to the right side of the farebox. The transfer card will pop back up for you to take if this is your first transfer. Get off the #55 bus at Ellis Avenue. Walk two blocks (1/4 mile) south to the Kersten Physics Teaching Center. On a lovely day, you may enjoy walking along 57th Street - don't bother to buy a transfer; get off at 57th and Stony Island Avenue and walk west 3/4 mile along 57th Street.

When boarding express bus downtown deposit $2.05 in the farebox and ask for transfer (exact fare; no change returned: $1.50 fare + $0.25 express surcharge + $0.30 transfer). When returning, deposit $1.80 and ask for a transfer ($1.50 + $0.30 transfer); the $0.25 express surcharge applies only when boarding downtown.

From south of the University there is no express surcharge. Take a #6 Jackson Park Express, #1 Indiana/Hyde Park, #15 Jeffrey Local, or #28 Stony Island bus to 57th Street. Walk west along 57th Street about 3/4 mile. Or deposit $1.80 in the farebox when boarding and ask for transfer ($1.50 + $0.30); then ride to 55th Street, board the #55 bus on the northwest corner, get off at Ellis Avenue, and walk south two blocks (1/4 mile).

From the north or west side of Chicago, deposit $1.80 and ask for a transfer when boarding a CTA bus or train to downtown and transfer to the #6 Jackson Park Express bus (see above). When boarding the bus downtown, deposit the $0.25 express surcharge in the farebox and insert your transfer card into the farecard machine attached to the right side of the farebox; the transfer card will pop back for you to take if this is your first transfer.

If you have a CTA Transit Card, you need not ask for a transfer. Just insert the Transit Card in the farecard machine attached to the right side of the farebox (or train turnstile) each time you board a CTA bus (or train). Also, Transit Card users don't have to pay express bus surcharges. These cards may be purchased on campus or online; CTA maps and schedules are also available at Reynolds Club. N.B.: Transit Cards expire after one year (date shown on back). To exchange an expiring full fare card for a new one, add value at a CTA train station farecard machine within 60 days before the expiration date. There are no refunds or exchanges on expired cards.

For detailed information about City bus and train schedules, call 836-7000 (from any of the five local area codes). Information is also available via the CTA website.

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Taxis

The number for Checker/Yellow cab is 312-829-4222 (312-TAXICAB). Fares (plus tip) to campus are about $20 from downtown, $25 from Midway Airport, and $50 from O'Hare Airport. If you prefer to pay by credit card, provide your card information to the dispatcher when you call.

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University Buses

Daytime CTA routes - 170, 171, and 172 (maps) - are free to UC students displaying their Chicago Cards; others pay the regular CTA fare. (N.B., daytime service is reduced during the summer.) Special passes are required for the Shoreland Express Shuttle. University of Chicago I.D. is required for the free local evening buses (maps). All riders pay the regular fare on the CTA's evening UChicago-Lakeview route 173 to downtown and points north (Sept. to mid-June service; map). Visit the Transportation Services webspace, including announcements.

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Driving

See University directions: general, from O'Hare Airport, from Midway Airport.

FYI: The Kersten Physics Teaching Center is about a mile due west of the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI).

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Parking

Visitor parking is available two blocks north of KPTC in the University parking structure on the southeast corner of 55th Street and Ellis Avenue. There is an 80-space "pay and display" area for visitors. The pay station machine takes bills, coins (quarters, dimes, and nickles), and charge cards. The charge is $1 per hour for the first four hours and then $2 per hour until 4 p.m. From 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. and on weekends and holidays, parking in the new structure is free, but drivers should nevertheless process their tickets at the pay station (more).

On week days from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m. and on week ends, parking is not restricted in University lots. That is, permits are not required evenings and week ends, and gates are raised.

Finding on-street parking on a weekday is difficult at best. Parking on Ellis Avenue between 57th and 59th Streets is metered by the City of Chicago (30 minutes/quarter, maximum of two hours). There is little turnover during the day despite the time limit. These meters also require payment on Saturdays.

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Barrier-free Access

The primary barrier-free access is from the north door (southwest corner of 57th Street at Ellis Avenue). However, for the large lecture hall, Kersten 106, there is a ramp serving the southwest entrance (west of the stairs for the south entrance).