Union Depot -- Tulsa OK
N 36° 09.385 W 095° 59.436
15S E 230960 N 4005442
The beautiful Art Deco Tulsa OK Union Depot is not how to the Tulsa Symphony and the OK Jazz Hall of fame.
Waymark Code: WMGN8F
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 03/23/2013
Views: 13
The Art Deco Tulsa Union Depot sits in the edge of downtown and currently serves as a musical arts center.
In its heyday, the Tulsa Union Depot served major Class I rail lines the(St Louis & Southwestern RR (Cotton Belt), the Santa Fe (ATSF), the Missouri Kansas & Texas RR (Katy) and the Missouri Pacific (MoPac), plus the regional Midland Valley RR (MVRR).
All rail operations here ceased in 1967 and the building was vacant and deteriorating until 1983.
More history of this wonderful building can be found at the Preservation Tulsa website: (
visit link)
"Tulsa Union Depot
3 South Boston Avenue
Built: 1931
This variegated Bedford stone depot, designed by R. C. Stephens, was completed in 1931. The exterior of this impressive example of Art Deco Architecture reveals the inspiration of machinery as a theme for geometric designs. The desire for machine-like geometric clarity evident in this building became something of a mania in the 1930s. The Depot serviced as many as thirty-six trains a day in its prime. However, rail travel diminished as the years rolled by and need for the Depot’s services decreased. It ceased operation in 1967.
The Depot stood vacant and neglected for years. Then, in 1983, the deteriorating structure, including the caved-in roof, was restored and adapted for contemporary uses. The original interior was skillfully preserved and integrated into office space. The walls, moldings and medallions on the ceiling were restored to their original colors.
The renovation of this building was an important milestone in preservation in Tulsa. It demonstrated how successfully such historic buildings could be rehabilitated and utilized. Building further on this concept of adaptive reuse, the Depot was rehabilitated in 2007 to become the home of the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, complete with gallery and performance space." [end]