Omaha – Durham Museum

The former entrance to Union Station in Omaha, once one of the largest railway stations in the country. Work started on this building, on the site of the previous station, in 1929 and it opened in January 1931.

During its busiest period this railway station saw 10,000 passengers go through its doors every day, with 64 passenger trains. It remained in use until 1971 when Amtrak just couldn’t justify keeping it given the falling passenger numbers. The building was nearly demolished, but fortunately it was kept and turned into a museum.

The interior of the main railway hall. There was much more to this museum than I had anticipated, which I’ll post about separately as the collections were quite extensive. The staff member at the ticket desk was helpful and welcoming, offering a really comprehensive introduction to the museum. There were a large number of school children as part of a science festival, although they were kept to certain parts of the building and didn’t get in the way of visitors.

It’s a shame that this railway station still isn’t use, especially as the facilities in the replacement Amtrak building are much more limited, but at least it is still standing and can be accessed by the public.