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Cheyenne Depot Museum - Wikipedia

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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 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
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 / 41.13167°N 104.81417°W
Built1887
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]

Location

Map

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.

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.

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 its steam locomotives.

    UP's nearby machine shop, where it services its steam locomotives.

  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. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
  5. ^ "Other Board Actions Tied to Route Restructuring". Amtrak News. 6 (10): 5. September 1979.