Union Station

Union Station is the original transit hub for Washington, and still remains the busiest station in town. The station is the terminating (or beginning) stop for commuters from Maryland and Virginia riding the local Maryland Rail Commuter Services (MARC) and Virginia Railway Express (VRE), Amtrak travelers along the Eastern Corridor of the United States, and a major Metro stop on the red line for tourists and Capitol Hill workers alike.  During rush hour, one might say it’s like Grand Central Station inside, but in its own Washingtonian way.

Union Station opened in 1907 to the public. It features white granite walls and 70 pounds of 22-karat gold leaf on the 96-foot barrel-vaulted, coffered ceilings. Out front, a tribute to Christopher Columbus by a fountain greets passengers. Its architecture became a Washington standard, as seen in Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, as well as the Supreme Court building. In the 1960’s, Union Station began to decline as air travel took away rail customers. In 1981, after much disrepair, the station was closed. In 1981, Congress enacted the Union Station Redevelopment Act of 1981 to save the station and revitalize this piece of history. In 1988, it re-opened in its present-day grandeur.

130 shops line the halls, including Barnes & Noble, L’Occitane, Swarovski Crystal, Ann Taylor, and a number of unique boutiques and souvenir shops. Seven restaurants, a food court, casual dining options and a central café are available for meals and people-watching. At America, the restaurant provides a range of America’s comfort cuisine as well as a view of the Capitol from some seats.

Union Station serves at the headquarters for Amtrak, and has all travel amenities of a fully-functioning hub: currency exchange, lockers and luggage storage, car rentals, tourist sightseeing buses, and covered bike parking. If you have time to kill before your train, Union Station also offers architectural tours of its historic building.

 

- by Rin-rin Yu, Washington Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Rin-rin Yu

Rin-rin is an award-winning writer and journalist based in the Baltimore-Washington area. Her work has appeared in China Daily, DAYSPA magazine, Luxury Home Design, Aquatics International, Not For Tourists and other publications. Rin-rin has also worked for ABC News, WHDH-TV (NBC) in Boston and Hanley Wood Business Media. She has a master's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She is an avid world traveler and maintains a travel blog, www.mytravelhats.com.