LA 2017

Los Angeles Union Station

Built in 1939, LA Union Station is the largest railroad passenger terminal in the Western United States and is widely regarded as “the last of the great train stations.” The station’s signature Mission Moderne style makes it one of L.A.’s architectural gems.

You can explore and view the station on Sunday morning. When we arrive Friday night we could take the Metro subway two stops to Pershing Square station using the Red or Purple lines. That's right across the street from the Biltmore. The Metro station is the Red marker in the map below. And it's on the West side of the train platforms. Union Station is way to the right on the East side.

This photo is from an exciting day in 1948. The Santa Fe Railroad's Super Chief lost its brakes coming into the station, smashed through a steel bumper and concrete wall, and stopped with one third of the front of the locomotive dangling over Aliso Street. No one was killed or injured, but the engineer lost his job. You can still see the marks in the concrete.

Here is the Fred Harvey informal diner. At the right are a couple of booths in the more formal diner.

LA Union Station's original ticket lobby. The feature at the far end is reminiscent of a Mosque's Prayer niche and contained a drinking fountain.