Tour of St Louis Union Station April 24, 2026

On Friday, April 24, 17 St. Louis Chapter members and friends received a private tour of St. Louis Union Station. This tour was led by docent Darlene Menietti, a long-time Union Station employee and Historian. As our group was most interested in rail-related history, Darlene geared the tour toward that, and took us to some areas of the station not seen on most tours.

St. Louis Union Station’s primary architect was Theodore C. Link. The Station was opened on September 1, 1894, at a cost of $6.5 million. The train shed was designed by George Pegram, a Washington University student. The structure is 606 feet wide and 75 feet tall at its highest. The shed was originally 700 feet long; it was extended to 810 feet in 1901. When built the Train Shed held 32 tracks; an additional 10 tracks were added in 1929.

Unlike other train stations at the time, trains backed into Union Station to allow passengers to get off close to the Headhouse. Union Station was considered a TERMINAL station, with no through trains. Both long-distance and commuter trains used the station.

The heyday of trains in St. Louis was World War II when the station handled over 300 trains per day. By 1970, the Station had only six trains per day, and the last Amtrak train pulled out October 31, 1978.

St Louis Union Station
1820 Market Street
St Louis MO 63103
314 231-1234