| Cheyenne, WY | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Style: | Amtrak | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Style2: | Amtrak old | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Address: | 121 West 15th Street, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Line: | Union Pacific Railroad | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed: | October 28, 1979[1] [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Services Header: | Former services | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Mapframe: | yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
The Cheyenne Depot Museum is a railroad museum in Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States. It is located inside the 1880s Union Pacific Railroad depot. A National Historic Landmark, the station was the railroad's largest west of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and a major western example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture.
The museum, founded in 1993, interprets Cheyenne's early history and that of the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad. It houses multiple exhibits and occasionally offers tours of other railroad facilities.
The station is built from blocks of sandstone quarried in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Depot was built directly down the street from and facing the Wyoming State Capitol building, signaling its significance to the city and state.
The building was lengthened and renovated in 1922 and redecorated in 1929. Further renovations were made from 2001 to 2006, including a $6.5 million improvement by the city of Cheyenne and a plaza built in front of the Depot. This plaza hosts a variety of music and events throughout the year.
Amtrak's San Francisco Zephyr ceased serving this station directly in 1979 in favor of a new station in Borie, nine miles to the west. This eliminated a time-consuming backup move in and out of the Cheyenne station.[4] Passengers were bused between Borie and Cheyenne. Passenger rail service ended altogether in Wyoming when Amtrak canceled its Pioneer in 1997.
As of 2022, a new train service is proposed to connect Cheyenne and Pueblo, Colorado.
The Old West Museum and Cheyenne Frontier Days made an agreement that established the Cheyenne Depot Museum, Inc., as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The organization leased the depot from the city of Cheyenne for 25 years.