See Inside Denver’s 143-Year-Old Train Station

When it opened on June 1, 1881, Denver’s Union Station was the tallest building in the West. The bustling train hub, which was situated in a dusty field near the South Platte River, cost $525,000 to build.

A lot has changed since then. But Union Station is still the beating heart of Denver, welcoming more than 30,000 people each day.

Now, the historic train depot has unveiled a fresh new look, thanks to an $11 million renovation that wrapped up last week. For five months, crews worked to give the busy transit hub a much-needed makeover while maintaining—and emphasizing—its historic charm.

“People always are worried: What are you doing? Are you ruining it? What’s going to happen to all of the historic touches?” says Ed Blair, the area general manager for Sage Hospitality, which manages the station, to the Denver Post’s Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton. “Nothing. We’re only highlighting them.”

Denver’s history is deeply linked to the growth of rail travel. In the late 19th century, railroads helped transform Denver from a “dusty frontier town to the largest and most opulent city between Chicago and San Francisco,” as Visit Denver, the city’s tourism agency, writes.

The first trains began arriving in Denver in 1870. Within ten years, the city had several competing railroads, which ultimately joined forces to construct what was then called “Union Depot,” a 500-foot-wide venue built in the Victorian Eclectic style.

Train travel in Denver continued apace until 1894, when tragedy struck: An electrical short in a chandelier in the women’s restroom sparked a fire that burned the main wing, the roof and the clock tower.

The tower and the depot were rebuilt after the blaze, but Denver quickly outgrew these facilities. In 1914, crews enlarged the central section—building it in the Beaux-Arts style—and renamed the venue Union Station.

By the mid-1940s, at the height of World War II, 80 passenger trains traveled through Denver each day, bringing with them more than 50,000 people. But car and air travel quickly surpassed rail travel in popularity—and by the mid-1960s, the number of daily passenger trains had dropped to 23.

In the ensuing decades, Union Station fell into disuse, becoming a dilapidated shell of its former self.

But starting in the early 2000s, Denver residents rallied to save the historic landmark. A group of investors and preservationists joined forces to create the Union Station Alliance, which spearheaded a $54 million revitalization project.

Union Station is “not only physically a landmark, but it’s [also] emotionally and symbolically a big landmark for the people of Denver,” as preservationist Dana Crawford said in a 2009 video.

Their hard work paid off: In 2014, the newly reimagined Union Station opened its doors to much fanfare. Now, ten years later, it is a thriving community gathering space known as “Denver’s living room.”

More than 70 light rail trains travel between Union Station and Denver International Airport each day. For many visitors flying to Denver, the historic train station is the first place they see when they arrive in the city. It’s also a hub for Amtrak trains, Greyhound buses and many local and regional public transit routes.

Visitors can have dinner at Stoic and Genuine, find their new favorite read at the Tattered Cover Book Store, grab an espresso at Pigtrain Coffee Co., sip a cocktail at the Cooper Lounge or people-watch from the open seating in the Great Hall. Union Station also hosts a variety of public events and gatherings, from concerts and fitness classes to pet-friendly happy hours and artisanal markets.

Those looking to spend the night can book a room at the Crawford Hotel (named after Dana Crawford), which is located in Union Station’s old offices and attic. The newly redesigned guest rooms “[call] back to the train glamor days, with nods to art deco and featuring rich jewel tones,” as the Denver Gazette’s Bernadette Berdychowski writes. Overnight guests can even learn about Union Station’s history by listening to custom bedtime stories loaded onto the in-room alarm clocks.

As Blair tells the Denver Post, “People stay here because they want a piece of history.”

Sarah Kuta | READ MORE

Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.