Union Station, Denver

Yesterday I flew off to Denver. Again. I was very happy to escape the high temperatures in the UK! We were very cool on the plane! Unlike the UK, Denver is almost always that hot in the summertime, but of course air conditioning is the norm just about everywhere. I do spend as little time as possible outdoors this time of year, which is a pity because there is so much to enjoy in Denver! I’m looking forward to the fall when it’s a bit cooler!

I had an quick errand near Union Station, and then went out for brunch at a nice breakfast/lunch place right there at the station. I love this view of the station, seen from a walkway across the tracks. Union Station is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1880 and in 1953 the neon sign ‘Union Station Travel By Train’ was installed.

By the 1970s air and road travel far exceeded rail travel, and in the 1980s many rails were removed and it looked as if the station might be demolished and moved closer to the stockyards. There was public outcry and eventually the station was saved. In 2012 a light rail (tram) service through the station was added, serving the whole metro Denver area, as well as a train connecting downtown to the new Denver International Airport. By 2014 the station was completely revitalised, including the addition of a new bus terminal, and the Crawford Hotel was added within the historic building, named after Dana Crawford who led the campaign to save the station (as well as many other historic buildings in the city).

The interior of the main terminal building is beautiful. There are coffee shops and bakeries, a few other bars and restaurants and a few small boutiques. It’s been called ‘Denver’s Living Room’ - a place to hang out, work remotely, meet friends, relax, whether or not you’re actually waiting for a train. See Extra photo for more views inside and out.

I once arrived at Union Station from Chicago on Amtrak way back in the late 80s. It wasn’t really run down, but there wasn’t much there other than seating areas and a ticket office. I love the transformation!

Three years ago I finally did the second part of the cross-country California Zephyr train (Chicago to San Francisco) and left from Union Station early on an October morning (see my blip on day 1 here!). That was quite an epic trip and I hope I can do more like that one day! In the meantime I will just ‘hang out’ and enjoy the ambiance.