The historic Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Station is located on the southern side of Downtown Salt Lake City. It opened in 1910 with characteristics of the Beaux Arts and Renaissance Revival architectural styles designed by Henry J. Schlachs to serve both the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad and the Western Pacific Railroad. In 1977 the station was sold to the state of Utah for $1 and beginning in December 1980 the Utah State Historical Society began occupying the building (Plaque outside for the Utah Historic Site and the National Register of Historic Places). The station continued to receive passenger rail continuously service until April 1983 from the Rio Grande Zephyr that the D&RGW continued to run the triweekly day train to Denver when it decided not to join Amtrak. All passenger service than began servicing at the UP depot. In 1986 Amtrak moved back and into this depot, the Rio Grande Depot again when UP wanted more space in its depot. Passenger rail service left for good in August 1999 when service moved to the still used 'temporary' station one block west and the railroad tracks around the Depot were removed to create an new extension of downtown.
Today the depot is still open to the public during regular business hours since it is home to the Utah State Historical Society. The former streetside of the depot is along Rio Grande Street at the end of Broadway (W 300 S), the central hall with second wings of the building (used for offices) on either side. The walls have the standard detailed granite pillars found on many historical stations. There are red bricks in between On the red roof is the yellow Rio Grande logo, still lit up at night. Entering the central great hall is allowed. It is currently used as an exhibit galley with high, tall windows letting lots of light inside. A balcony (that I was allowed to go up to, open to the public, full of furniture being stored) provides the best place to view the rooms grander as it wraps around the main central area with now sealed windows for the offices beneath. The upper walls are painted red with white pillars holding them up. Stepping out of the opposite doors where trains used to be boarded the former wide steel canopy to shield passengers boarding trains still it exists. It now simply covers the sidewalk of wide S 500 W a boulevard with a median with a modern plaza opposite opposite the depot. This street was built over the former train tracks that once served the station's trains.
All Photos taken on 7 February, 2012
