Union Station Kansas City

Union Station Kansas City. . Following the flood of 1903, Kansas City's original Union Depot, located in Kansas City's west bottoms, was rebuilt on this site in 1914 as Union Station and heralded as one of the most beautiful train stations, and the third largest passenger rail station in the country. President Woodrow Wilson declared Union Station the "gateway to the West". As a 10-level, 900 room, 20-acre complex, it rivaled any in the nation. Once home to the Fred Harvey business empire, Union Station accommodated hundreds of thousands of passengers each year. In 1917 during world war one, nearly 80,000 trains passed through this working train station. An estimated one million travelers, many of them uniformed personnel, passed through here during world war two., Closed in the 1980s due to declining rail passenger service, Union Station sat empty and neglected, narrowly escaping demolition on several occasions. In 1996, a historic bi-state initiative was passed to fund the Station's renovation. With renovation completed in 1999, it created a multi-complex destination that reflects the intersection of commerce, culture, and entrepreneurship for the entire community. , Having celebrated its centennial in 2014, Union Station continues to fulfill its mission to preserve this historic monument and its stories, inspiring lifelong learning and creating lasting memories for all of Kansas City. Today, the massive campus is home to Science City, the Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium, Bank of America Exhibition Gallery, Regnier Extreme Screen Theatre, City Stage, Amtrak train service, world-class exhibitions, conferences, restaurants, office space, retail, and attraction venues that welcome over two million annual visitors. , Union Station stands as a vibrant and majestic destination for our entire metro region and dominates the hearts, minds and skyline of Kansas City just as it did the day it opened over 100 years ago., 1906 - Twelve Railroad Companies form the KC Terminal Railway , 1914 - Under that entity, Kansas City's Union Station is built and opens , 1972 - Union Station is placed on National Register of Historic Places , 1989 - Last remaining occupant of Union Station closes , 1996 - To save Union Station, historic Bi-State Initiative passes , 1999 - Grand Reopening of Union Station in 1999 , 2014 - Union Station celebrates its Centennial Anniversary, Architectural masterpiece. Living history. A place for great learning and adventure. Where Kansas City connects. Each of these phrases - and more - are regularly used to describe Union Station today. Visitors of all ages, from all places and for all reasons tie Union Station to magical moments and memories in their lives. What a great honor it is to have such a magnificent monument in and for our community., Indeed, Union Station is Kansas City's iconic symbol of inclusion, inspiration, lifelong learning, and its center for civic celebration., Driving Union Station's success is a sustained focus on foundational beliefs, including Preservation, Community, Creativity, Ambition, Determination and Diversity., When communities come together to accomplish great things, places like Union Station emerge and endure to reflect the very visions and traditions that created them., Thank you Kansas City for valuing the grandest of traditions and having the vision to create, save, sustain and celebrate this majestic landmark for present and future generations.