The remaining concourse functions are now largely located underground. The building dates from 1923. Find out how this building plays a role in Chicagos current hot real estate market of the West Loop. [27], In the 1990s, Lucien Lagrange Associates made some patchwork renovations, including to the Great Hall and its skylight, which had been blacked-out since World War II. The south tracks are used for all other Amtrak services, as well as by Metra for the BNSF, Heritage Corridor and SouthWest Services. Between the north and south sides of the station is a passenger concourse. The statue Night holds an owl, while Day holds a rooster. [13], In 1984, Amtrak bought out the shares of Chicago Union Station Company held by Burlington Northern (successor to the Burlington Route) and the Milwaukee Road, becoming sole owner of the station. So what happened? Experience the color and wonder of a stunning 3D light show when you stay at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton. The Chicago and North Western Railway, not part of the original agreement, considered switching to the new station from its Wells Street Station but deferred instead. 225 S Canal St, Chicago, IL 60606-5702. Union Station was proposed as part of that plan and designed by the firm of Graham Anderson Probst and White. Original plans called for many more floors of offices, forming a skyscraper above the Great Hall. The station is Amtrak's flagship station in the Midwest. The plans followed an unrealized 2007 plan for a tower addition above Union Station. All images are each office/photographer mentioned. The Polar Express journey begins with a visit to the Founders Room to collect our Golden Tickets. A Tribune report from 1946 puts a "normal" day's ridership at 51,753. Not to be confused with, Interactive map highlighting Chicago Union Station, Concourse building (foreground) and headhouse (background), 1924, Construction over the station's train shed, Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad, Chicago and North Western Passenger Terminal, List of busiest railway stations in North America, "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2021: State of Illinois", "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2017, State of Illinois", "Chicago Union Station Master Plan Study Completed", "A history of Union Station architecture", "Union Station transit center work to impact West Loop traffic", "Lane closures start Friday for new Union Station Transit Center", "A look inside Chicago Union Station's beautifully restored Burlington Room", "Amtrak moving forward with Union Station food hall, new Clinton Street entrance", "A Look at Amtrak's New Metropolitan Lounge at Union Station", Iconic South Loop power station, facing wrecking ball, should be saved instead, preservationists say, Preservationists push to save and repurpose iconic Union Station power house, The 7 most endangered Chicago buildings in 2017, Chicago 7 Most Endangered Buildings 2020, Preservation Chicago Adds Tennis Club, Roseland Commercial District to 'Most Endangered' List, "Crowd-sourced: Norman Rockwell's Christmas at Chicago Union Station", "Major Makeover Coming for Union Station", "Metra Riders Subjected to High Amounts of Diesel Soot", "Metra convenes task force to improve air quality", "Massive redevelopment plan for Chicago's Union Station breaks cover", "Union Station's Great Hall is bright for holidays, after skylight repair", "Developers unveil plan to build hotel, apartments above Union Station", "Developers drop unpopular addition from Union Station, unveil office tower next door", "Union Station garage closes, clearing path for 50-story tower", "Battle over control of Union Station goes nuclear", "Mapping Chicago's Most Recognizable Filming Locations", "Filming Locations for Man Of Steel (2013), in Chicago, Illinois, and British Columbia", "Union Station exhibit takes a ride through movie history", "Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count SUMMARY RESULTS Fall 2018", "Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count SUMMARY RESULTS Fall 2016", "Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count SUMMARY RESULTS Spring 2014", Chicago Union Station Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chicago_Union_Station&oldid=1151403867, 24 (14 South Concourse, 10 North Concourse), Cumulative weekday Metra ridership at Union Station, Cumulative weekday Metra ridership at Union Station by time of day, Union Station Transit Center: 1, 28, 121, 124, 128, 151, 156, West side of Clinton, north side of block: 125, 130, 192, West side of Clinton, south side of block: 7, 60, 157, Southwest corner of Clinton/Jackson: 126, 754, 755 (, This page was last edited on 23 April 2023, at 21:00. Metra's other three downtown terminals the Ogilvie Transportation Center, LaSalle Street Station and Millennium Station are all within walking distance of Union Station. The head house used to have other smaller spaces that no longer exist or have a new use, including a small jail for prisoners being transported, a womens lounge from the Victorian Era, a nursery and a first aid station. Architect Daniel Burnham envisioned the station as a major element in the development of the West Loop in his 1909 Plan of Chicago. I often travel into Chicago to visit my son and daughter-in-law. [41], In March 2020, U.S. Representative for Illinois Dan Lipinski filed a bill to shift operational control of the terminal from Amtrak to Metra. Plus there's a bar and light food. The name Ann Rutledge was used by Amtrak as a Chicago-St. Louis-Kansas City route until a name and service consolidation in 2009. [CDATA[// >Chicago, IL - Union Station (CHI) | Amtrak All rights reserved. Its Grand Hall, which cost around $6.5 million and was about 75 by 125 feet large, was considered to be one of the most beautiful public lobbies. Each night, watch as flowers sway, fireworks burst and other images dance around the 65 foot ceiling of the Grand Hall lobby in a state of the art show designed specifically for this St. Louis hotel. Construction stalled during World War I, and resumed in 1919. Named a Chicago landmark in 2002 and designated one of Americas Great Places in 2012 by the American Planning Association, Chicagos Union Station is a staple among the citys iconic architecture. Chicago Union Station Wins Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award, GP's Chicago Union Station Restoration Wins the Crombie Taylor Award, Goettsch Partners Wins Two AIA Chicago Design Awards, GP Completes Restoration of Chicagos Historic Union Station Great Hall, The Burlington Room at Chicago Union Station Wins AIA Chicago Interior Architecture Award, LondonHouse Chicago and Union Station Highlighted in Chicago Tribune Yearend Roundup, Graham, Anderson, Probst & White circa 1925, 2021 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Restoration Landmarks Illinois, 2021 Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence, Chicago Union Station/500 West Jackson Boulevard City of Chicago Commission on Chicago Landmarks, 2021 Divine Detail Award, Chicago Union Station Great Hall Skylight American Institute of Architects, Chicago Chapter, 2021 Best Renovation/Retrofit, Chicago Union Station Clinton Street Improvements Structural Engineers Association of Illinois, 2020 Crombie Taylor Award for Preservation and Restoration, Chicago Union Station Great Hall Restoration American Institute of Architects, Illinois Chapter, 2020 Acanthus Award of Arete Institute of Classical Architecture & Art Chicago-Midwest Chapter (ICAA Chicago-Midwest), 2020 Winner, Interior Architectural Illumination, Chicago Union Station Great Hall Restoration LIT Lighting Design Awards, 2019 Interior Architecture Award American Institute of Architects, Chicago Chapter, 2019 Overall Transformation of the Year, Chicago Union Station Great Hall Restoration GlobeSt Real Estate Forum Magazine, 2019 Silver Reconstruction Award, Chicago Union Station Great Hall Restoration Building Design & Construction Magazine, 2019 Best Project, Government/Public Building, Chicago Union Station Great Hall Restoration ENR Midwest Magazine, 2019 Best Renovation/Retrofit Project, Chicago Union Station Great Hall Restoration Structural Engineers Association of Illinois, 2019 Metamorphosis Award, Whole Building, Chicago Union Station Great Hall Restoration Retrofit Magazine, 2019 Finalist, Merit Award for Renovation & Adaptive Reuse Over $10 Million, Chicago Union Station Great Hall Restoration Chicago Building Congress, 2017 Interior Architecture Award, The Burlington Room American Institute of Architects, Chicago Chapter. Soon after, in 1932, the new Chicago Main Post Office opened. The large amount of land above the tracks and platforms has tempted property owners and developers. The remaining four original companies used the station when it opened in 1881. The post office, opened four years before Union Station, utilized the rail system, funneling mail to and from the trains below. It then suffered years of neglect and water damage, and was eventually closed off. About 3 million Amtrak passengers use the station annually and an estimated 130,000 Metra commuters pass through the station each day. CHICAGO UNION STATION - 702 Photos & 400 Reviews - Yelp Note the below calendar to see Grand Hall closure dates and events. Also making a welcome reappearance in the Metropolitan Lounge after an absence of four decades: showers for long-distance travelers. The staircase was also reconfigured to minimize tripping by squaring off the rounded bull nose edges of each step and the banister was extended from the bottom step to the landing. Union Station originally included a concourse building on the east side of Canal Street, which was demolished in 1969 and the air rights sold. The two golden goddess figures, which are between 12 and 14 feet tall, and their animal companions that overlook Union Stations Great Hall symbolize the round-the-clock nature of the railroads that used Union Station when it was completed in 1925. They were there to make sure security guards were doing their jobs! outstanding achievement in railroad facility planning. Union Station has a counter operated by the Greyhound intercity bus company. }); Santa gave each of us an impressive silver bell as a keepsake and encouraged us all to Believe! Its available as an event space. A glimpse into Chicago Union Station's past, our current chapter, and whats in store for the future. Text description provided by the architects. The design of that concourse featured arch trusses and chandeliers. Its architectural style contrasts with modern glass-faced buildings around it.