Cheyenne Depot Museum

The Cheyenne Depot Museum is a railroad museum in Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States. It is located inside the 1880s Union Pacific Railroad depot. A National Historic Landmark, the station was the railroad's largest west of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and a major western example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture.

Cheyenne, WY
The San Francisco Zephyr at Cheyenne in April 1976.
General information
Location121 West 15th Street, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001
Line(s)Union Pacific Railroad
History
ClosedOctober 28, 1979[1][2]
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Laramie
toward Oakland-16th Street
 San Francisco Zephyr
1972–1979
 Greeley
toward Chicago
City of San Francisco
1971–1972
Preceding station Union Pacific Railroad Following station
Borie
toward Ogden
 Overland Route Hillside
toward Council Bluffs Transfer
through to Ogden via Overland Route Cheyenne – Denver Speer
toward Denver
Union Pacific Railroad Depot
Union Pacific Roundhouse, Turntable and Machine Shop
Union Pacific Passenger Station
Location121 W. 15th St., Cheyenne, Wyoming
Coordinates41°7′54″N 104°48′51″W
Built1887 (1887)
ArchitectVan Brunt & Howe
Architectural styleRomanesque Revival, Richardsonian Romanesque
NRHP reference No.73001934 (depot);
92000930[3]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJanuary 29, 1973 (depot);
July 24, 1992
Designated NHLFebruary 15, 2006 (depot)[4]

The museum, founded in 1993, interprets Cheyenne's early history and that of the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad. It houses multiple exhibits and occasionally offers tours of other railroad facilities.

History

The station is built from blocks of sandstone quarried in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Depot was built directly down the street from and facing the Wyoming State Capitol building, signaling its significance to the city and state.

The building was lengthened and renovated in 1922 and redecorated in 1929. Further renovations were made from 2001 to 2006, including a $6.5 million improvement by the city of Cheyenne and a plaza built in front of the Depot. This plaza hosts a variety of music and events throughout the year.

Amtrak's San Francisco Zephyr ceased serving this station directly in 1979 in favor of a new station in Borie, nine miles to the west. This eliminated a time-consuming backup move in and out of the Cheyenne station.[5] Passengers were bused between Borie and Cheyenne. Passenger rail service ended altogether in Wyoming when Amtrak canceled its Pioneer in 1997.

As of 2022, a new train service is proposed to connect Cheyenne and Pueblo, Colorado.

The Old West Museum and Cheyenne Frontier Days made an agreement that established the Cheyenne Depot Museum, Inc., as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The organization leased the depot from the city of Cheyenne for 25 years.

  • 2011 photo of the depot
    2011 photo of the depot
  • The nearby roundhouse where the Union Pacific Railroad stores its historic steam locomotives and E9 diesel locomotives.
    The nearby roundhouse where the Union Pacific Railroad stores its historic steam locomotives and E9 diesel locomotives.
  • UP's nearby machine shop, where it services it's steam locomotives.
    UP's nearby machine shop, where it services it's steam locomotives.

See also

References
  1. "Amtrak Timetable - Effective October 1, 1979". timetables.org. Amtrak. October 1, 1979. p. 44. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  2. "Amtrak Timetable - Effective October 28, 1979". timetables.org. Amtrak. October 28, 1979. p. 44. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  4. "Union Pacific Railroad". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
  5. "Other Board Actions Tied to Route Restructuring". Amtrak NEWS. 6 (10): 5. September 1979.
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