Union Station

Los Angeles Union Station, at 800 North Alameda Street in Downtown Los Angeles, California, opened in May 1939 and is often described as the last of the great American railway stations. It was built to consolidate the Southern Pacific, Union Pacific and Santa Fe railroads into one terminal, after a long political fight over the site that displaced the original Chinatown. The design was the work of John and Donald Parkinson, with Herbert J. Powell and architect Mary Colter contributing to the interiors, and it blends Spanish Colonial Revival, Mission Revival and Streamline Moderne Art Deco styles. A 135-foot clock tower rises over the main entrance, and the station facade is clad in stucco with red-tile roofs. Inside, the high-ceilinged waiting room features oversized leather armchairs, a marble floor with geometric patterns, and ornate wooden ceiling beams. Landscaped patios and courtyard gardens, planted with olive and fig trees, extend beside the waiting room, and the former Harvey House restaurant space has been reused. The station was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It served the heyday of passenger rail in the 1940s and was used for countless films, including Blade Runner and Bugsy. Passenger numbers dropped after the 1950s, but the station was revived by Amtrak, Metrolink commuter rail and the Metro subway and light-rail lines. Preservation efforts culminated in a major master plan for restoration and improvements, with the station sold to Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 2011. Today the station remains a working transport hub rather than a museum, with historic features visible to anyone passing through. Self-guided exploration is common, and the Los Angeles Conservancy has offered occasional tours. The historical interpretation is largely architectural, so visitors learn by walking the concourse, ticket hall and gardens. Visitors can also see the restored ticket lobby and the historic Fred Harvey restaurant spaces from outside.