Kansas City Union Station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kansas City, MO
Location	30 West Pershing Road Kansas City, Missouri
Coordinates	39°05′05″N 94°35′07″W / 39.0848°N 94.5853°W / 39.0848; -94.5853
Owned by	Union Station Assistance Corporation
Line(s)	Kansas City Terminal Railway
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	4
Construction
Parking	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: KCY
History
Opened	October 30, 1914
Closed	1985
Rebuilt	November 10, 1999 (as home to Science City et al); 2002 (Amtrak service resumed)
Previous names	Union Depot (April 8, 1878–October 31, 1914), West Bottoms
Traffic
Passengers (FY2019)	153,527 (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Terminus Missouri River Runner Independence toward St. Louis Lawrence toward Los Angeles Southwest Chief La Plata toward Chicago
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Lawrence toward Dallas or Houston Lone Star Carrollton toward Chicago Terminus National Limited Warrensburg toward New York or Washington, D.C. Preceding station Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Following station Kansas City, Kansas toward Los Angeles Main Line Sheffield toward Chicago Preceding station Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Following station Terminus Kansas City – St. Louis South Lee toward St. Louis Preceding station Burlington Route Following station Terminus Kansas City – Galesburg North Kansas City toward Galesburg Parkville, MO toward Omaha Omaha – Kansas City Terminus Terminus Kansas City – St. Louis North Kansas City toward St. Louis Preceding station Missouri Pacific Railroad Following station Terminus Main Line Independence toward St. Louis Stillwell toward Pubelo Pueblo – Kansas City Terminus Preceding station Alton Railroad Following station Terminus Kansas City – St. Louis Independence toward St. Louis Preceding station Chicago Great Western Railway Following station Terminus Main Line Beverly toward Minneapolis Preceding station Milwaukee Road Following station Terminus Kansas City – Savanna Liberty towards Savanna Preceding station Wabash Railroad Following station Terminus Main Line North Kansas City toward Chicago Preceding station Union Pacific Railroad Following station Topeka toward Denver Kansas Pacific Railway Terminus
Union Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	Pershing Rd. and Main St., Kansas City, Missouri
Area	20.2 acres (8.2 ha)
Built	1901
Architect	Jarvis Hunt
Architectural style	Beaux-Arts
NRHP reference No.	72000719
Added to NRHP	February 1, 1972

Kansas City Union Station (station code: KCY) is a famous building in Kansas City, Missouri. It first opened in 1914 as a busy train station. It served Kansas City and the areas around it. Before this grand building, there was a smaller station called Union Depot, which opened in 1878.

Union Station was super busy during World War II. In 1945, over 670,000 passengers used it! But after the 1950s, fewer people traveled by train. So, the station closed its doors in 1985.

In 1996, people worked together to bring Union Station back to life. They spent $250 million to fix it up. Part of the money came from a special sales tax in the Kansas City area. By 1999, the station reopened as a place for museums and fun activities. In 2002, trains started coming back! Amtrak began offering passenger service again. Now, Union Station is the second busiest train station in Missouri. Today, you can find theaters, museum exhibits, and cool places like Science City at Union Station inside. It's also a stop on the KC Streetcar.

History of Union Station

Fountains sparkle in front of Union Station, 2012

The amazing Grand Hall of Union Station, 2011

The Grand Plaza, also known as Sprint Festival Plaza, inside Union Station, 2011

The First Station: Union Depot

The very first train station, Union Depot, opened on April 8, 1878. It was located in an area of Kansas City called West Bottoms. People thought it was huge for its time. It was only the second "union station" in the entire country. A union station is a train station used by many different railroad companies.

The architect, Asa Beebe Cross, designed it with cool towers and arched windows. It even had a 125-foot tall clock tower! By the early 1900s, Kansas City had grown a lot. Over 180 trains passed through the station every day. But the station was getting too small. Also, a big flood in 1903 caused problems. So, the city decided it was time for a brand new, bigger station.

Building the New Grand Station

The Kansas City Terminal Railway led the project to build the new station. This company was a group effort by many different railroad lines. They chose a new spot for the station away from the flood danger. This new location was south of the main city center.

The architect chosen for the new Union Station was Jarvis Hunt. He was part of a movement called "City Beautiful," which aimed to make cities more grand and organized. The station opened on October 30, 1914. It was the third largest train station in the United States!

The building is enormous, covering 850,000 square feet. The main hall, called the Grand Hall, has a ceiling 95 feet high. Three huge chandeliers, each weighing 3,500 pounds, hang from the ceiling. The clock in the Grand Hall has a face that is six feet wide! Kansas City was a central spot for trains, and the station's size showed how important it was.

A Time of Change and Decline

Union Station was in the news on June 17, 1933, because of a shootout. This event, known as the Kansas City Massacre, involved gang members trying to free a captured person. Several law enforcement officers lost their lives. This event showed how challenging law enforcement was at the time. It also led to FBI agents being allowed to carry weapons.

In 1945, the station was at its busiest, with over 678,000 passengers. But after the 1950s, fewer and fewer people traveled by train. By 1973, only about 32,000 passengers used the station. All passenger train service was then run by Amtrak. The big building started to fall apart. In 1985, Amtrak moved its operations to a smaller building next door. Union Station was mostly closed after that. For many years, the building continued to decay.

Bringing Union Station Back to Life

In 1996, something amazing happened. People in five counties around Kansas City voted for a special sales tax. This tax helped pay for almost half of the $250 million needed to fix up Union Station. The renovation started in 1997 and finished in 1999. The rest of the money came from donations and government funds. In 2002, Amtrak trains started using the main building again!

Today, Union Station doesn't get money from taxes. It pays for itself through ticket sales for its attractions, grants, donations, and renting out spaces. Union Station Kansas City, Inc. is a non-profit group that manages the station.

Union Station is now home to many cool places:

• Science City (opened in 1999): An interactive science center with over 50 hands-on exhibits. It's perfect for families!
• H&R Block City Stage Theater: A place for live shows for all ages.
• Regnier Extreme Screen: The biggest 3-D movie screen in the area, standing five and a half stories tall!
• Restaurants and Shops: You can find places to eat like Pierponts (a fancy steak and seafood restaurant) and Harvey's. There are also shops like Rocky Mountain Chocolate and The Science City Store.
• Gottlieb Planetarium: The largest planetarium in the area, where you can learn about stars and space.
• Temporary Exhibits: The station often hosts special museum exhibits from around the world. Past exhibits have included the Dead Sea Scrolls and Diana, A Celebration about Princess Diana.
• Irish Museum and Cultural Center: This center has been at the station since 2007.

The old power plant building next to Union Station has also been renovated. It is now the new home for the Kansas City Ballet. It's called the Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity. In 2015 and 2017, the TV show American Ninja Warrior was filmed at Union Station!

What You'll See Inside

The beautiful Beaux-Arts building has two main parts. There's the Grand Hall, with its three huge hanging chandeliers and fancy ceiling. Then there's the Grand Plaza, also called the North Waiting Room. A giant clock hangs from a central arch, dividing these two amazing sections of the building.

Trains Running Today

Union Station is currently served by six Amtrak trains each day:

• The Missouri River Runner travels to and from St. Louis twice a day.
• The Southwest Chief goes to Chicago in the evening and to Los Angeles in the morning.

Kansas City was the second busiest Amtrak station in Missouri in 2015. On average, about 421 passengers got on or off trains there every day.

Historical image gallery

See also

In Spanish: Kansas City Union Station para niños

• List of Amtrak stations
• Pencoyd Railroad Bridge (Kansas City, Missouri)