When it first opened its doors in 1881, Union Depot was the tallest building in the West. Complete with electric lights and a 180-foot clock tower, the station consolidated Denver’s numerous railroad depots into one convenient, central location, simplifying travel to and from the Mile High City.

After an electrical fire consumed the Depot’s central hall and clock tower in 1894, a larger replacement structure was quickly built, integrating the surviving Romanesque-style wings of the original Union Depot which still stand to this day.

With the advent of the Interstate highway system, the popularity of rail travel gradually fell by the wayside, and by the close of the 20th century Denver Union Station had fallen into disrepair. In 2001, the Union Station Alliance — led by Dana Crawford, the pioneering preservationist who oversaw the revitalization of the Oxford Hotel and Larimer Square — began efforts to reimagine the iconic landmark for a new age.

The Station officially reopened to the public in 2014, one hundred years after the building’s original opening. This crown jewel of downtown Denver is home to world-class dining, shopping, and cultural events, along with the award-winning Crawford Hotel.