Union Station (Oklahoma City) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oklahoma City Union Depot
Location	300 SW 7th St, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Owned by	Central Oklahoma Transit and Parking Authority
History
Opened	1931-07-15
Closed	1967
Services
Former services     Preceding station   Rock Island Line   Following station El Reno toward Amarillo Choctaw Rocket Shawnee toward Memphis

Union Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Oklahoma City's Union Station as seen in 2012
Location in Oklahoma Show map of Oklahoma Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	300 SW 7th St, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Built	1930
NRHP reference No.	78002254
Added to NRHP	May 16, 1978

The Oklahoma City Union Depot is a historic building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was once a very busy "union station" where different train companies shared one building. This station was open from 1931 until 1967. It is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Today, the building is used as the main office for the Central Oklahoma Transportation & Parking Authority.

A Look Back: The Station's History

The Oklahoma City Union Station was built as part of a big plan. The city wanted to move the train tracks and passenger stations of the Rock Island and Frisco railroads out of the busy downtown area. This plan also included making sure the tracks of the Santa Fe railroad were separated from the streets.

The city government helped pay for this project. They sold special bonds to buy the land from the Frisco and Rock Island railroads. This cleared space for new city buildings where the old tracks used to be.

Before the Union Station

Before this new Union Station was built, the Rock Island railroad had its own station. It was located on North Broadway. The Frisco railroad also had its own passenger building a few blocks west.

The old stations were used for the last time on November 30, 1930. The very next day, passengers started using a temporary station. The Santa Fe Depot and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad station stayed open.

When the Station Closed

The Union Depot closed its doors to the public in 1967. This happened because the last passenger trains stopped running through Oklahoma City. The Frisco passenger train service ended in May 1967. The Rock Island passenger train service stopped in November 1967.

Building Style and Features

The main building of the Union Depot is quite large, with about 55,000 square feet on its main floor. It was designed in a beautiful style called California Spanish Mission Revival. This style often includes features like curved gables and red tile roofs.

The station had many elegant details. There were small courtyards and cozy spaces with fountains and gardens all around the building.

How Passengers Used the Station

Passengers would get to the trains through tunnels. They would go down a ramp from the station's waiting room. The station originally had 12 tracks. Mail and express packages were also moved under the station to the train platforms.

Streets like Hudson and Harvey met the trains at the same level. This made it easy for people and trucks to get to the trains. However, traffic on Robinson and Walker streets used special underpasses. These were built as part of the station complex. Large warehouses and areas for handling freight were located behind the passenger parts of the station.

Train Companies at Union Station

The Union Station was used by two main railroad companies:

• The Rock Island railroad: This company had an important route that went from Memphis to Tucumcari. They ran several passenger trains, including the Cherokee and the Choctaw Rocket.
• The Frisco railroad: This company operated famous trains like the Meteor, the Firefly, and the Will Rogers. Many of their trains went through Tulsa. Other trains traveled between Oklahoma City and Lawton.

Passenger train service on these lines ended in the 1960s. However, many parts of these old train lines were saved. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation now helps operate them using smaller, local train companies called short-line railroads.

Images for kids

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  Robinson Street underpass, Union Station Rail Yard

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  Robinson Street underpass, Union Station Rail Yard Rock Island Railroad Logo

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  Robinson Street underpass, Union Station Rail Yard Frisco Railroad Logo