Denver Union Station is one of the city’s most iconic historic landmarks. Back to the 1860’s, following the discovery of gold and silver in the Rocky Mountains, railroad lines were pushed up canyons and over high passes, making them the lifeline of every mining camp in the state. There were dozens of railroads passing through Denver, and the city had four stations. This network was consolidated into one central location called Union Depot. In the early 1900s, Denver’s Union Station had become the center of town - the place where tourists and dreamers arrived looking to see the Rocky Mountains and maybe find a fortune. The Station was a beehive of activity, handling up to 200 trains per day. Today, it serves as a transportation center for light rail, a massive bus network, and electric buses.Designed in the Beaux Arts style by local architects Gove and Walsh, this building was completed in the early 20th century and completely restored in 2014. With ten chef-owned restaurants and bars, unique boutique shops and a 112-room hotel, the refurbished Union Station looks absolutely incredible. Please enter the station and head to the big open Great Hall. While walking, press off and then press on to go on listening.Look around you and observe carefully. Originally, the Great Hall was the waiting room. With its soaring arched windows, this grant room has become great again. There are benches, even couches and other seating in the middle. While the dark, wood benches are new, workers were able to save two of the original benches. They're on the north wall of Union Station. The original benches were known for being uncomfortable and it turns out they were unhealthy, too. They had asbestos inside! Crews were able to rescue two of them. They've been cleaned up. Over the years, items got left or lost under the benches and in various places. Some of those bus tickets, coins, notes and other items have been preserved. And not just preserved, the artifacts have been framed and are being used as artwork on the second floor of the hotel. All of the art in the hotel was created by Colorado artists. You can even see the blueprints for the 1910’s remodel of Union Station. They're framed and hung on the walls of a staircase between the third and fourth floors.Look at the chandeliers. They may look familiar because they were crafted from photos of the original chandeliers inside Union Station. However, the new chandeliers are twice as large and have external light bulbs to provide more lighting. Now observe the walls: the gold sconces on the walls are original, but they have LED light bulbs now. Did you notice the rosettes in the design around the sconces? Those rosettes are Columbines, the Colorado state flower. There are 2,300 of them on the walls. If you visited years ago, you may not have noticed the detail work because the Columbines were painted dark brown. During refurbishment, the Columbines were painted white so they were easier to see.As you wander around, look for the old ticket window - it's been incorporated into the windows of the Terminal Bar. That is the original ticket window. Workers found it under a layer of drywall. It was cleaned up, fixed up and incorporated into the Great Hall's design.In the wings of the Great Hall, is the elegant Crawford Hotel. You may notice two floors above the grand room - that's part of the Hotel. It was named after local developer and preservationist Dana Crawford. There are three styles of rooms called The "Pullman" rooms. They are supposed to evoke train travel with a subtle art deco nod. Being rectangle-shaped, not square, they are more like a sleeping car room on a train.Photo Denver Union Station by Matthew Black is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
