The Fascinating History of Denver Union Station and The Crawford Hotel

The history of The Crawford Hotel begins with the opening of the transcontinental railroad. Completed in 1869, the 1,911-mile engineering marvel opened up the West to an unprecedented flow of goods and people. Seemingly overnight, the railway transformed Denver from a sleepy frontier settlement to a thriving boomtown — and the city suddenly found itself in need of a modern train station befitting its newfound status as a major transportation hub.

On June 1st, 1881, this vision was realized with the opening of the new Denver Union Depot. Spanning 500 feet, with a 180-foot clock tower at its center, the Depot stood as the tallest building in the West at the time. Three years later, its central block was damaged by an electrical fire, and though it was subsequently rebuilt, this replacement would also prove to be shortlived.

By the turn of the century, soaring demand for rail travel would see the city outgrow the modest Denver Union Depot. It was time for something grander.

The task of designing a larger replacement station fell to Denver architects Gove & Walsh, who envisioned a grand Beaux-Arts hall flanked by the surviving wings of the original Romanesque Revival building. Their original blueprints (called “linens”) can still be viewed today in the stairway connecting the third and fourth floors of the present-day Crawford Hotel.

Made from carved granite and adorned with motifs of Colorado’s state flower, the columbine, the newly christened Denver Union Station reopened in 1914. It would usher in the golden age of train travel to the Mile High City. Over the next three decades, more than 80 trains served the station daily, bringing with them a host of notable dignitaries, including Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft, and even visiting European royalty.

Denver Union Station was of particular significance during World War II, when it served as the setting for tearful farewells and joyous reunions between military service members and their families. However, in the decades after the war, demand for train travel began to decline with the advent of commercial airlines and the interstate highway system. Gradually, the Station’s place as a thriving Denver hub began to fade away — but the story doesn’t end there.

In 2001, the neglected building caught the eye of Dana Crawford, the visionary civic preservationist behind the redevelopment of historic Denver landmarks like Larimer Square and The Oxford Hotel. Crawford envisioned the Station reborn for a new era as a multi-modal transit hub and sought-after destination for shopping, dining, and cultural events.

It was no small undertaking. To do it, Crawford brought together a team of developers and community stakeholders to form the Union Station Alliance, and together they undertook a massive $54-million renovation. In 2014, the newly reimagined Denver Union Station reopened to the public, precisely one hundred years after the historic Great Hall first opened its doors. The derelict office spaces on the Station’s third and fourth floors were converted into a luxury hotel, named in honor of the woman whose bold vision had started it all; The Crawford Hotel was born.

A decade on, The Crawford Hotel continues to deliver iconic hospitality, a century in the making. Perched above the Station’s lively Great Hall, our design-forward urban retreat is filled with echoes of our storied past — if you know where to look.

Artifacts uncovered during the renovation, from newspapers to ticket stubs, now adorn the walls of hallways and common areas. One-of-a-kind guest rooms and suites feature arched doorways, reminiscent of the grand “Mizpah Arch” that once stood just outside the Station at Wynkoop and 17th Streets. Even small details like the pearl-shaped sconces flanking our custom-crafted scalloped headboards offer a subtle nod to Dana Crawford’s signature accessory.

And according to some, our storied past continues to resonate through more than just historic architecture and vintage-inspired design. Spine-tingling tales of the supernatural abound here in Denver Union Station! From the ghost of a passenger said to roam the rail platforms to a spectral figure who keeps watch over the Great Hall, you can learn all about the haunted lore of Denver Union Station and our wider LoDo neighborhood, on a ghost tour with Nightly Spirits — if you dare.

Immerse yourself in the elegance of a bygone age — without sacrificing modern conveniences and contemporary comforts — with a stay at The Crawford Hotel. Located in the heart of LoDo, the historic neighborhood where our city got its start, we’re the ideal place to connect with Denver’s past, present, and pioneering spirit. Explore special offers designed to help you make the most of your stay in the Mile High City, and get ready to experience the story of Denver through the ages at The Crawford Hotel.