Indianapolis Union Station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Indianapolis Union Station
Amtrak intercity train station
Union Station, 1988
Location	350 South Illinois Street, Indianapolis, Indiana
Owned by	City of Indianapolis
Platforms	1 island platform (formerly more)
Tracks	2 (formerly 12)
Connections	Greyhound Lines Burlington Trailways
Construction
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	IND
History
Opened	September 20, 1853
Rebuilt	1888, 1984, 2002
Traffic
Passengers (FY2018)	28,804  11.98%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Crawfordsville toward Chicago Cardinal Connersville toward New York
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Crawfordsville toward Chicago Hoosier State Terminus Kentucky Cardinal Jeffersonville toward Louisville Terre Haute toward Kansas City National Limited Richmond toward New York or Washington, D.C. Lafayette toward Chicago James Whitcomb Riley and George Washington 1971-1974 Cincinnati (River Road) toward Washington, D.C. or Newport News Preceding station Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Following station Speedway toward Springfield Springfield – Hamilton New Palestine toward Hamilton Preceding station Illinois Central Railroad Following station Frances toward Effingham Effingham – Indianapolis Terminus Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station St. Louis Terminus Big Four Route Main Line Union City toward Cleveland Avon toward St. Louis Lawrence toward Cleveland Augusta toward Chicago Chicago – Cincinnati Beech Grove toward Cincinnati Brownsburg toward Peoria Peoria & Eastern Railway Terminus Terminus Indianapolis – Springfield Mt. Comfort toward Springfield Preceding station New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Following station Malott Park toward Michigan City Lake Erie and Western District Indianapolis Division Terminus Preceding station Pennsylvania Railroad Following station Lebanon toward Chicago Chicago – Louisville Southport toward Louisville Lebanon toward South Bend South Bend – Indianapolis Terminus Maywood toward Vincennes Vincennes – Indianapolis Bridgeport toward St. Louis St. Louis – Columbus Cumberland toward Columbus Preceding station Monon Railroad Following station Fairgrounds toward Monon Monon – Indianapolis Terminus
Indianapolis Union Railroad Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Indianapolis Show map of Indianapolis Location in Indianapolis Show map of Indianapolis Location in Indiana Show map of Indiana Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	39 Jackson Place, Indianapolis
Area	1.3 acres (0.5 ha)
Built	1886–1888 (head house); 1915–1922 (train shed)
Architect	Thomas Rodd
Architectural style	Richardsonian Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	74000032
Added to NRHP	July 19, 1974

The Indianapolis Union Station is a historic train station in the Wholesale District of Indianapolis, Indiana. It's a place where different train lines meet. Today, it serves as a stop for Amtrak's Cardinal train. This train travels through Indianapolis three times each week.

Indianapolis was the first city in the world to create a "union station" in 1848. A union station is a single building used by many different railroad companies. The first station building opened on September 20, 1853. It was run by the Indianapolis Union Railway.

Later, a much bigger station was built at the same spot. It was designed by architect Thomas Rodd. Construction started in 1886 and finished in 1888. The main part of this second station, called the head house, and its tall clock tower are still standing today.

Amtrak, which is the national passenger train service, still uses Union Station. Passengers wait in an area under the old train shed. Besides the Cardinal train, Union Station was also the end point for the Hoosier State train until it stopped running in 2019.

Station Design and Look

Thomas Rodd's design for Union Station was greatly inspired by another architect named Henry Hobson Richardson. Richardson was known for his unique style, called Richardsonian Romanesque. Historians believe Rodd studied Richardson's Allegheny County Courthouse before designing Union Station. The courthouse was considered Richardson's best work. Union Station is one of the oldest buildings still standing that shows Richardson's influence.

Building Materials and Features

The Union Station building has three stories. It is made from granite and brick. It also has special brownstone details. The building has a strong base and huge brick arches. These arches are a key part of the Romanesque style.

A very large rose window is a main feature of the station. It also has a slate roof and round towers called bartizans at its corners. A very tall clock tower stands 185-foot (56 m) high. The station built in 1888 also had a big iron train shed at street level.

A Look Back at History

The First Union Station

An 1865 illustration of the original Union Station depot

The first railroad arrived in Indianapolis in 1847. It was called the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad. Soon, other railroads connected Indianapolis to more places. But each railroad had its own station. This caused problems for people and goods trying to move around the city.

Indianapolis was the first city to solve this problem with a "union station." This meant all railroads would use one central station. In 1849, the Union Railway Company was created. It started building tracks to connect all the different railroads.

In 1853, the company built a large brick train shed. This was where all the train lines met. While Columbus, Ohio built a union station earlier in 1851, Indianapolis's station was special. It was a true joint effort where all railroads shared ownership. The Columbus station was more about one railroad renting space to another.

Growth and Expansion

As Indianapolis grew, so did its train traffic. The first station became too small. So, in 1886, Thomas Rodd was hired to design a new one. Rodd worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad but also did his own projects. The new station was finished in 1888.

By 1893, about 25,000 passengers used the station every day. About 120 passenger trains passed through daily. By 1900, over 200 trains were using the station each day! This busy traffic led to building a huge train shed on an elevated platform. This was done between 1915 and 1922. It helped trains avoid blocking street traffic below. Indianapolis Union Station was once the second busiest train hub in the Midwest, after Chicago's Union Station.

After World War II: Changes and Decline

After World War II, fewer people traveled by train in the United States. Many train stations across the country started to fall apart. Indianapolis Union Station almost faced the same fate. By the late 1970s, parts of the building were in bad shape.

Local leaders wanted to save Union Station. They hoped to make it an important part of the city again. In 1971, the city's mayor helped buy the building.

Saving the Station: A New Purpose

Interior of Union Station in 1988 following its conversion to a festival marketplace

The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. This helped protect it. Starting in 1984, the station was repaired and changed. It became a "festival marketplace." This meant it had restaurants, nightclubs, and shops. There was even a food court and a model train store.

Statues of people who might have been at the station long ago were placed inside. A Crowne Plaza Hotel also opened in the train shed area. Some of its rooms were even inside old Pullman cars!

However, the marketplace idea didn't last. In 1995, the Circle Centre Mall opened nearby. Most shoppers went there instead. The city of Indianapolis had to take over Union Station again. It started leasing out space for offices and other uses.

Union Station Today

Union Station (background) and Crowne Plaza Hotel (foreground) in 2015

In 2002, a school called the 21st Century Charter School opened inside the station. The hotel also grew bigger. Other businesses and groups started renting space there. For example, in 2006, it housed Bands of America and the Japan-America Society of Indiana. The main hall of Union Station is also rented for events like weddings.

In 2011, a new underground walkway opened. It connects the Indiana Convention Center to the Crowne Plaza hotel at Union Station. This makes it easy for people to walk between these buildings.

Amtrak train service has changed over the years. In 1971, Amtrak ran three trains through Indianapolis. But over time, most routes were stopped. In 1979, Indianapolis had no Amtrak service at all.

Train service returned in 1980 with the Hoosier State train. It ran daily to Chicago. In 1986, the Cardinal train also started stopping here. For many years, the Hoosier State ran on days the Cardinal didn't, offering daily service.

From 1999 to 2003, the Kentucky Cardinal train also served the station. It went to Louisville. Today, Indianapolis is served by only one train, the Cardinal.

Union Station is also a hub for buses. Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach buses connect to other cities. The city's Greyhound bus station is also located here. This makes it a place where you can switch between trains and buses.

Amtrak passengers use a waiting area in the southern part of the old train shed. The Greyhound ticket office is right across from the Amtrak office.

In 2013, about 99 passengers used the station daily. Even though it's not super busy, it's the busiest Amtrak stop in Indiana. The 1888 station building is mostly leased out for offices. This helps pay for the building's upkeep. The Crowne Plaza Hotel still operates in the train shed. It also rents out the Grand Hall for special events.

Images for kids

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  North front, 1970

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  Tower detail, 1970

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  South Illinois Street entrance

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  Train gates, 1970

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  Main hall

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  Waiting room

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  Platforms

• Amtrak – Stations – Indianapolis