About Durand Union Station
Getting Here
Durand Union Station is centrally located in
Michigan, near I-69, I-75, I-96, and US-23.
Access to the Depot is via Russell and Ann Arbor St.
The History of
Durand Union Station
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The village of Vernon Center (now Durand) was built up around the railroads in the late 1850’s. After the rapid expansion of the railroad in the 1870s, the village incorporated itself as Durand in 1887. Durand Union Station was designed by Spier and Rohms and originally built in 1903. Eighteen months afterward, it was almost completely destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1905.
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This was a very busy station as the Grand Trunk Western and Ann Arbor Railroads crossed at grade there. During the early 1900’s when the railroad industry was at its peak, 42 passenger trains, 22 mail trains, and 78 freight trains passed through Durand daily. Durand Union Station handled approximately 3,000 passengers per day, making it a prospering hub of the industry.
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America came into maturity riding the rails. The railroad helped build, shape, and define the America we live in today. Railroads helped open the frontiers to settlement, and soon after, to industrialization.
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The decline of rail traffic started at the end of World War I and culminated in 1974 when Grand Trunk determined it could no longer justify the cost of maintaining the station. Abandoned, the old depot’s destruction appeared imminent, but the community rallied to save it and in 1979 the City purchased it for $1.00. Since then, it has become the State Railroad History Museum.
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Durand Union Station itself reminds us of the golden years of railroading. The Depot captures the rich essence of railroading during its reign of glory. The building contained a formal dining room as well as a snack counter complete with swivel stools and a rack of comic books selling for a nickel each, you could also buy a daily paper from a nearby newsboy. A large postal box collected the mail, which was sent by rail to its destination.
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The second floor of the building held railroad offices and a sleeping area for train crews. The lower level of the massive depot, once the second busiest train station in Michigan, has been renovated to its original grandeur.
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Terrazzo floors gleam, beautiful oak trimmed windows provide views of the surrounding tracks, and the restored ticket cage is reminiscent of the turn of the century. Because of its unusual Chateau Romanesque architecture, the Durand Depot has gained prominence as one of the most photographed train stations in America.
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Durand Union Station
Today
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The depot is the State Railroad History Museum, an educational and entertaining source of Michigan’s rich railroad history. The museum gallery features new exhibits several times per year to pay tribute to the colorful heritage of the railroader, and to the contribution of Michigan’s railroads to lumbering, mining, agriculture, and industry. The Museum Information Center and Archives contains a wealth of railroad information for rail enthusiasts, researchers, and genealogists. Included in the collection are photographs, ledgers, technical railroad information, union materials, and a variety of other documents pertaining to railroading in Michigan.
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For a first-hand look at railroading of yesterday and today, Durand Union Station is an interesting and exciting place to visit.
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Passengers still walk the corridors of the depot to board their train. The Amtrak Blue Water eastbound to Port Huron and westbound to Chicago make daily stops at the Durand Union Station. Thirty or more freight trains pass the station daily providing for excitement and photo opportunities for rail fans on a regular basis.
All the activity proves that while waiting on the depot platform, people can still experience the sights and sounds of railroading and imagine what it was like decades ago.
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The 'Queen of the Rails'
Durand's famous Depot was so busy in the 1910s that over 3,000 people walked through its lobby, restaurant, freight, and baggage rooms each day!
