Union Station (Nashville) facts for kids

Nashville's Union Station is a historic building that used to be a busy train station. It was designed by Richard Montfort, a top engineer for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Built in 1900, it served passengers from eight different railroads in Nashville, Tennessee. Located just west of the city center, it was built near a natural cut where many train tracks ran. Even streetcars used to stop here until 1941.

The station stopped operating trains in 1979. It was empty for a few years before it reopened as a hotel in 1986. In 2012, Union Station became a Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel. It got a big makeover in 2016, updating all its guest rooms and public areas. Since 2015, it has been a proud member of Historic Hotels of America.

Interior of the hotel, now a hotel lobby.

Newly transformed guest rooms inside the hotel.

The hotel lobby with its beautiful chandeliers.

Quick facts for kids Nashville, TN
The former Union Station, converted to a hotel, seen in 2008
Location	1001 Broadway, Nashville, Tennessee United States
History
Closed	1979
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Decatur toward St. Petersburg or Miami Floridian Bowling Green toward Chicago Preceding station Louisville and Nashville Railroad Following station Harpeth toward New Orleans Main Line Montfort toward Cincinnati
Nashville Union Station and Trainshed
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Former U.S. National Historic Landmark
Architect	Richard Montfort
NRHP reference No.	69000178
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	December 30, 1969
Designated NHL	1975
Delisted NHL	July 31, 2003

A Look Back: Union Station's History

Union Station first opened its doors on October 9, 1900. It was originally a Louisville & Nashville Railroad station. It had a long and busy life before closing in October 1979.

How Union Station Helped During Wartime

In 1935, a new post office was built right next to Union Station. A special path connected the two buildings. This path was used for over 30 years to move mail to and from trains.

The station was busiest during World War II. It was a key place for sending thousands of U.S. troops off to war. It also had a USO canteen, which was a place where soldiers could relax and get food before their journeys.

The Decline of Train Travel

After the war, fewer people traveled by train. The station's use started to go down in the 1960s. By the end of that decade, the L&N was the only railroad still using the station. Only six trains stopped there each day, a big drop from 16 trains in the late 1940s.

The Last Train and What Happened Next

On May 1, 1971, Amtrak took over long-distance train services. For most of 1971, Nashville didn't have any national train service. Then, on November 14, 1971, Amtrak started running one route through Nashville called the Floridian. This train traveled between Chicago and Florida.

However, the Floridian had many delays. Its last trip was on October 9, 1979. This meant the very last train to stop at Union Station was a southbound Floridian. This ended over 120 years of train service in Nashville. After that, many parts of the station were closed off. Pigeons even started living in its beautiful architectural features.

After it closed, the station was taken care of by the government. They tried for years to find a new use for it. People in Nashville really wanted the main building to be saved and used again.

Bringing the Station Back to Life

The station building stayed empty until 1986. Then, a group of investors worked together to turn it into a fancy hotel. It had 125 luxury rooms and 12 suites. At first, the hotel struggled financially. But a new group of investors bought it and made it successful. They were able to run it without needing super high room prices or a huge number of guests.

There was also a huge trainshed next to the main building. It was once thought to be the biggest of its kind in the world. But it kept falling apart. People suggested many ideas for it, like turning it into a farmers' market. But none of these plans worked out. A fire damaged the trainshed in 1996. After several years of trying to save it, it was finally taken down in late 2000.

Since becoming a hotel in 1986, Union Station has been updated several times. In 2007, it had an $11 million renovation. In 2012, it got another $1.9 million in upgrades when it became a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel. In 2014, a company bought the hotel for $52.3 million. They then spent $15.5 million on more renovations.

A Special Historical Building

Union Station, along with its trainshed, was named a National Historic Landmark in 1976. But its landmark status was removed in 2003 because of the fire damage to the trainshed and its later demolition. However, Union Station is still on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added in 1969 because of its importance to Nashville and Tennessee.

Union Station's Architecture and Interior Design

The station is a great example of late-Victorian Romanesque Revival architecture. It has tall towers and turrets that make it look a bit like a castle. The main tower originally had a special mechanical digital clock. But during World War I, parts for it became hard to find. So, it was replaced with a regular analog clock.

On top of the tower, there was a bronze statue of the Roman god Mercury. A storm knocked it down in 1951. In the mid-1990s, a new, flat image of Mercury was painted in a special trompe-l'œil style to look like the original. This second Mercury was destroyed by a tornado in 1998, but it was also replaced.

Inside the hotel, you can see amazing decorations. There are three large crystal chandeliers, Italian marble floors, and beautiful wrought iron details. You'll also find oak-accented doors and three limestone fireplaces. The lobby has a huge 65-foot, barrel-vaulted ceiling made of stained glass. The walls are decorated with art, including many bas-relief sculptures. Two of these sculptures, called "Miss Nashville" and "Miss Louisville," are said to be images of the builder's daughters. Other sculptures show different old ways of transportation. Some of the station's original floor tiles can still be seen in the hotel's bar and restaurant area.