This is one of my favorite buildings in Kansas City. It is a grand design from days of old. I think I read at one time that the ceilings are approximately 90ish feet high. The masonry work is awe-inspiring. I heard at one time that it was the 3rd or 4th largest train station in the country. You probably know that Kansas City is a big train area with what I think may be the second largest train-rail hub in the country. Amtrak runs out of this station. -- I love the arches on the front facade. The entry landscaping is pretty good but could be better in my opinion. There are many cool events here each year. One of my favorite events is the Christmas tree decoration displays/bid for purchase. Although I thought it was a bit more quaint when they held it at Longview Community College in a restored barn/stable setting. Union Station gives it a more formal feel. I also love the setting shown in the picture with downtown in the background.
Opened in 1914, it served as a replacement for the original Union Depot which opened in 1878. Union Station served a peak annual passenger traffic of over 670,000 in 1945 at the end of World War II, then spent the next four decades in gradual decline until its closure in 1985.
In 1996, a public/private partnership began funding Union Station's $250 million restoration. By 1999, the station reopened as a series of museums and other public attractions. In 2002, Union Station saw its return as a train station when Amtrak began providing public transportation services and has since become Missouri's second-busiest train station. As of 2010, the refurbished station boasts theaters, ongoing museum exhibits, and attractions such as the Science City at Union Station, the Irish Museum and Cultural Center, and the Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity.
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