A Bit of History
The Michigan Central Depot was opened in 1913 for the Michigan Central Railroad. It was Detroit’s passenger rail depot until the last Amtrak train pulled away on January 6, 1988. At the time of construction, it was the tallest rail station in the world.
The building is located in the Corktown district of Detroit near Tiger Stadium and the Ambassador Bridge and is about two miles southwest of downtown Detroit.
On September 17, 1974, the Depot was added to the Michigan Historical Register. On April 16, 1975, the Depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The architecture is that of the Beaux-Arts Classical style. It was designed by Warren & Wetmore and Reed and Stem, who also designed the Grand Central Terminal in New York. Cost of construction in 1913 was $15,000,000. The Depot is approximately 500,000 sq ft in size. Many of the upper floors were never used or even finished.
