Cincinnati Union Terminal
Posted by: 
kbarhow
N 39° 06.602 W 084° 32.204
16S E 712981 N 4331875
Cincinnati Union Terminal is now occupied as a museum complex.
Waymark Code: WM2PDN
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 12/01/2007
Views: 137
Cincinnati was a major crossroads for the rail industry in the late 1800s, with many railroads serving the area. The major players (see listing below) began planning for a union terminal in the 1890s. Construction began in 1928, with completion of the Cincinnati Union Terminal in 1933. Soon after it opened, the decline in rail traffic began. During WW2, the station saw extensive traffic with troops as the nation geared up and went to war. After the war, traffic fell off significantly, and the terminal was closed in 1972. There were plans afoot to tear down this fantastic building, but local officials intervened. It was used for brief stint as a shopping mall in 1981, only to close in 1985. In 1990 it was reopened to house various local museums and a theater.
This is a fantastic building that is a real local gem. The architecture is an amazing example of Art Deco design (I believe Art himself worked on the design). There are some really nice mosaics in the lobby depicting scenes of early Cincinnati and local industry. Some of these were lost when the terminal was shut down, with others moved to the local airport.
See the attached Wikipedia listing for additional details and links.
Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: Yes
Is the station/depot open to the public?: Yes
If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?:
As a museum and also as an Omnimax Theater. Amtrak also has three trains that run through the station weekly. The yard was taken over for freight trains. Take a look at the Google map Sat image for the site.
What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: B&O, C&O, Big4, L&N, N&W, PRR, SRW, with Amtrak still running
Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link]
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