Minneapolis station (Milwaukee Road) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Minneapolis
Former intercity passenger rail station
The Milwaukee Road Depot from the west, with train shed at rear
Location	201 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401
Services
Preceding station Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Following station Terminus Minneapolis – Houston St. Paul toward Dallas or Houston Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway St. Paul toward Burlington Preceding station Milwaukee Road Following station St. Louis Park towards Seattle or Tacoma Main Line St. Paul towards Chicago Terminus Minneapolis – Calmar St. Paul towards Calmar Preceding station Soo Line Following station Crystal toward Portal Main Line Cardigan toward Chicago
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Depot, Freight House and Train Shed
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Postcard showing the station's pinnacle.
Location	201 3rd Ave., S. Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Built	1899
Architect	Charles S. Frost
Architectural style	Renaissance Revival, Italianate
NRHP reference No.	78001542
Added to NRHP	November 28, 1978

The Milwaukee Road Depot, also known as The Depot, is an old and important train depot in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It used to be a very busy place, with up to 29 trains arriving and leaving each day! After many years, it stopped being a train station. Now, it has been changed into a hotel and other fun places.

History of the Depot

The Milwaukee Road train company started its work in the Minneapolis area in 1865. They built train lines connecting Minneapolis to nearby cities like Mendota and St. Paul. Eventually, these lines connected all the way to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Building Design and Style

An old passenger station with Italianate style

The first buildings for the depot were put up in 1879. They had an Italianate style, which is a type of architecture. This first depot was later taken down. A new, bigger station was built in 1899. This new building had a different look, called Renaissance Revival architecture.

The most famous part of the depot was its tall clock tower. It used to have a pointy top, like the Giralda tower in Seville, Spain. But strong winds in 1941 broke the pointy top. Since then, the tower has had a flat top.

How the Depot Operated

The Olympian Hiawatha train at the station in 1968

The depot was very important for moving goods by train. It handled a lot of freight, which are items shipped in large amounts. Many people also traveled through the station. In 1916, 15 passenger trains used the depot every day.

Later, famous trains like the Hiawathas also used this station. The busiest time was around 1920, when 29 trains came and went each day! Even into the 1960s, trains like the Twin Star Rocket would leave from here, heading to places like Houston.

Closing and New Uses

The Depot's clock tower today

Over time, fewer people traveled by train across the country. Because of this, the Minneapolis depot became less busy. The station officially closed in 1971. It stayed empty for many years, as different plans to use it again didn't work out.

In 1978, the depot and its freight house were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical buildings. In 1980, the train tracks leading to the depot were removed.

Finally, in 1998, a company started a big project to give the depot a new life. They turned it into a Renaissance Hotel and a Residence Inn by Marriott. They also added an indoor water park and an outdoor ice skating rink where the trainshed used to be. This new project was finished in 2001. The water park was later changed into more hotel rooms in 2015.

Other Train Stations in the Twin Cities

• Midway station (Minnesota) – This was the main Amtrak station for the Twin Cities for a while.
• Saint Paul Union Depot – This is another important train station in St. Paul, used in the past and again today.
• Minneapolis Great Northern Depot – This was another big station in Minneapolis for different train companies.

Images for kids

• 

  Postcard showing the station's pinnacle.