In the 1920’s, St. Paul was a railroad town and the St. Paul Union Depot was its crown jewel. It’s a jewel that has been carefully preserved and now offers unparalleled opportunity for select clientele.

Designed in 1917 by renowned architect Charles S. Frost and completed in 1923, the St. Paul Union Depot’s neo-classical style rivaled New York’s Grand Central Station. The front of this landmark building welcomed travelers with its majestic sandstone columns and French doors. Inside, the huge foyer with inlaid ceilings and massive chandeliers provided a soaring sense of glamour for the residents of St. Paul and the visitors passing through town.

In it’s heyday, the Union Depot had 20,000 passengers pass through her doors and across the marble floors on their way to any of the 280 daily trains that connected St. Paul to the rest of the world. Read more...

Many Minnesotans hold deep in their hearts their own personal histories of the Union Depot. One, a young woman on her way to St. Catherine’s College, arrived in St. Paul from the family farm in Glendive, Montana. So impressed with the grandeur of the Union Depot, she had to just sit and take it all in. She knew at that moment her life would never be the same – and it wasn’t. The St. Paul Union Depot was a milestone on her journey from a small town to a dynamic college experience and beyond.

Another, a G.I., memorizes the face of his sweetheart as he kisses her goodbye under the clock in the Great Hall and boards a train taking him to battle in World War II. The clock remains today, just as it was in 1941. Each year since his safe return from the war, the G.I. and his sweetheart return to the Union Depot for an anniversary kiss.

The passengers and trains left the Union Depot in the 1970’s, but the building has been thoughtfully maintained and preserved. The St.Paul Union Depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The Great Hall represents a time capsule taking us back to an era of greatness and national pride.