The Head House Welcome to Union Depot. You’re listening to the first of five segments on a self-guided walking tour that takes you through a dynamic gathering place and transportation center. Feel free to pause at any time for a closer look at highlights along the way. Ready to begin? Your tour starts underneath the clock on the east end of the Head House looking across the Great Hall. You can see Fourth Street and the Green Line station through the doors on your right. Across the room you can see access to the St. Paul skyway system. On your left, a large passageway extends to the Concourse and Waiting Room. Right now you’re in the Head House, a familiar welcoming area for generations of travelers. Union Depot is one of America’s great rail stations from the early 20th century. Construction began in 1917 and was completed in 1926. At its peak, the station served as many as 20,000 travelers a day from everyday commuters to U.S. presidents, international royalty and movie stars. Calvin Coolidge, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, the King and Queen of Norway, Cary Grant and F. Scott Fitzgerald all passed through here. You can see the ticketing windows behind the restaurant area. The floor you’re standing on is Tennessee pink marble, 10,000 square feet in total. The marble is also used for the wainscoting and columns on the east and west ends of the Head House. The Head House — in addition to its use for ticketing — provided space for travelers to wait and housed railroad company offices, dining areas and even a drugstore. The architectural style is neo-classical, “classical” here referring to the source of inspiration — ancient Greece and Rome. Chicago-based Charles Sumner Frost was the architect. Many public buildings from the early 20th century were built in the neo-classical style. A few common characteristics are on display here — an extremely large physical scale, the use of tall columns and an elegant symmetry throughout. For instance, note the evenly spaced windows and patterns of repeated details. Outside, the front of the building offers similar examples — massive columns, granite stairs and symmetry of both the building and original front drive. The Lincoln Memorial, built at about the same time, includes many of the same characteristics. Union Depot’s Head House has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974, and in 2011 a complete renovation began that finished in 2012. The $243 million dollar project included property purchases, renovation, construction and track installation. 635,000 work hours went into fully restoring Union Depot to its original 1920s splendor down to the colors you see in the Head House, gold representing Minnesota’s agriculture and green its forests. The facility is owned by the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority, and from Union Depot you can get to just about anywhere. Your options include local and regional bus service, Amtrak, local Green Line light rail service which connects to the Blue Line in Minneapolis, taxis, car sharing, access to bike trails and walking connections. Majestic river boats dock a block away. More than a transportation hub, though, Union Depot is a destination too. All kinds of events take place here throughout the year, attracting tens of thousands of people to this part of St. Paul, the lively and rapidly growing Lowertown neighborhood. Union Depot offers inside and outside venues for public and private events and can accommodate groups from 25 to more than 3,000 people. The Union Depot website has all the details. Visit uniondepot.org for transportation and event information. And before you leave the Head House, take a look to the center of the front door area and vestibule. You’ll see stairs and an elevator going down. The stairs and elevator were installed during the renovation. This area was used as a telegraph station, and the counter remains along the vestibule wall. One of the 10 public art installations at Union Depot is in the vestibule. It’s the suspended glass sculpture hanging overhead. The stairs and elevator take you downstairs to the Carriageway, which provides a covered, fully accessible entry to Union Depot. Be sure to save some time and explore the area. There’s a 146-foot mural down there, the biggest of the public art installations at Union Depot. Pick up a public art brochure while you’re here to learn more about the unique commissioned artwork on display. You will also find an artist plaque near each installation. Thanks for beginning your tour of Union Depot. The next segment guides you through the Concourse, which is to your left.
