Visit The Last Of The Great Railway Stations in Los Angeles

July 1, 2009 at 5:39 PM | by Omri | 0 Comments

Urban blog Infrastructurist just published a heartbreaking post bemoaning 11 gorgeous American train stations that have been demolished. One that's thankfully been spared: downtown Los Angeles's Union Station, routinely referred to as "The Last of the Great Railway Stations."

Opening in 1939 and costing $11 million, the station quickly became a central destination for the West Coast's passenger trains. It was not uncommon during the 1930s and 40s for 7,000 passengers a day to crowd into the station, which still provides the hub for Greater LA's many rail services. Even if you're not a passenger it's an architectural treasure worth incorporating into your Los Angeles tour.

From the outside Union Station almost looks like one of California's famed missions. That's not a coincidence: the building was designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, with ceramic tiles, arched windows, and even two bell towers. The inside has the same feel, with intricate tiles laid into the ground and painted ceilings supported by wooden beams.

One of the coolest parts of the station is the old ticketing hall. It's attached to the passenger waiting area and closed off by a rope, but visitors are more than free to look inside. On one wall there are gigantic stained glass windows flooding the room with light. On the other side are dozens of old ticketing booths. The gigantic room is totally abandoned. You can all but see and hear queues of hundreds of dusty passengers lining up, chatting loudly, and waiting for Old West ticket sellers to get to them. It feels like a surreal scene from a Hollywood Western.

The Los Angeles Conservancy offers tours of Union Station on the third Saturday of every month. Tours start at 10am and last about 2 and a half hours. Reservations are mandatory.

[Photo: Saltysailor / Wiki Commons]

Related Stories:
· Union Station [LA Metro]
· Trains Coverage [Jaunted]
· Los Angeles Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

Jaunted

Select a Destination:

Tags: Trains / Train Stations / Los Angeles Travel / History Lessons / Tours / → All Tags