History

Omaha’s importance as a railroad city dates to the 1860s, when it served as the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad in the first transcontinental rail connection. By the early twentieth century the city was a major hub with multiple competing stations, and plans to consolidate them into a single terminal had been discussed for decades before construction finally began in 1929. The station opened on schedule in January 1931.

Gilbert Stanley Underwood was chosen for his established relationship with the Union Pacific Railroad — he had designed several of the railroad’s lodges at national parks, bringing to those commissions the same interest in using regional character to animate modern architectural language. For Omaha he turned to Art Deco ornament and terra cotta craftsmanship. The Great Hall was designed to handle thousands of passengers at peak hours, and during World War II it fulfilled that capacity every day as Omaha became a major staging point for troop movements across the continent.

Rail travel declined sharply in the postwar decades as automobiles and airlines displaced long-distance trains. The last passenger service departed Omaha Union Station in 1971. Rather than demolish the building, civic advocates rallied to convert it to a museum purpose. The Western Heritage Museum opened in 1975 and was later renamed the Durham Museum in honour of a major donor family. The Art Deco interiors have been maintained to a high standard, and the Great Hall hosts events and exhibitions year-round while the original soda fountain continues to serve visitors.