Cincinnati, Richmond, & Muncie Depot facts for kids

Muncie, IN
The depot as seen in 2007
Location	700 E. Wysor St. Muncie, Indiana
History
Opened	1901
Closed	April 27, 1986
Rebuilt	1974
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Marion toward Chicago Cardinal Richmond toward New York Mountaineer Richmond toward Norfolk Preceding station Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Following station Jonesboro toward Hammond Chicago, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad Losantville toward Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Richmond, & Muncie Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Indiana Show map of Indiana Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Architect	William S. Kaufman; Locke & Hill
Architectural style	Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	97000304
Added to NRHP	April 14, 1997

The Cincinnati, Richmond & Muncie Depot is an old train station in Muncie, Indiana. People also call it the Wysor Street Depot. It was built in 1901. Later, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway bought it in 1910.

This station was very busy with passenger trains for many years. In 1997, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it is a special place for visitors. It also serves as an office for the Cardinal Greenway, a popular walking and biking trail.

History of the Depot

The Cincinnati, Richmond and Muncie Railroad (CR&M) built this station in 1901. A few years later, in 1910, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) took it over. The C&O ran trains through Muncie for many years.

In the early 1930s, C&O had a night train that went from Chicago to Cincinnati. By 1938, this train became a day trip. It ran from Hammond to Cincinnati. The C&O stopped passenger train service to Muncie in 1949. After that, the station was used for moving goods until 1950. Then, a company called Muncie Gear Works used the building.

Restoring the Station

In 1973, a company called Chessie System decided to bring the station back to life. They wanted it to be used for passengers again. This was so Amtrak trains could use it. Trains like the James Whitcomb Riley and George Washington stopped there. These routes later became known as the Cardinal train.

However, the Cardinal train changed its route in 1986. So, the Muncie station was no longer used for passengers. On April 14, 1997, the station was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical building.

Work to fix up the station began in 2003. The restoration was finished, and the building opened to the public on June 5, 2005.

The Depot Today

Today, the old train station is a visitor center. It is also an office for the Cardinal Greenway. This is a fun recreation trail for walking and biking. The trail uses the old path where the C&O trains used to run.

Inside the depot, you can see old photos and items from the area's railroad past. There are also pictures of the towns nearby. The original C&O train tracks are gone now. But another set of tracks is still used by the Norfolk Southern Railway. A safety fence separates these active tracks from the Cardinal Greenway trail.