LOS ANGELES UNION STATION history
On May 3, 1939, after years of controversy, the three primary railroads that served Southern California - the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe, the Southern Pacific, and the Union Pacific - opened the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (LAUPT). This combined all passenger services in one location, 800 N. Alameda Street, that had formerly been at different locations in the downtown area.
The iconic station is considered to be the last great railway station built in North America, and one of the most beautiful. Its soaring clock tower, great halls, colonnades and tropical gardens are a triumph of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture with Art Deco accents. Following the nationalization of rail passenger services in 1971 under the Amtrak banner, the station was ultimately sold to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), and its name was shortened to Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS). Today, the station, which has been restored to its original magnificence, is protected as a national registered historical landmark and now serves more passengers than 100,000 passengers each week day. |
History of the railroad and L.A. Union Station by Metrolink. Published on April 25, 2014.
|
Only Known Footage of Union Station Opening, Shot by Ward Kimball. Published on April 21, 2014 by OSCARS.
In honor of Union Station's 75th Anniversary, Metro and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in cooperation with the family of Ward Kimball, have restored the only known footage of the historic opening. Documented in the home movie, the parade drew half a million spectators to downtown Los Angeles. |
|
Union Station as a Filming Location via International Movie Database at IMDb.com.
|
Los Angeles Union Station by Backlot LA (Episode #3).
Published on April 5, 2016.
Published on April 5, 2016.
Resources about Los Angeles Union Station
Books
Bradley, Bill. 2000. The Last of the Great Stations : 50 Years of the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal. 2nd rev. ed. Glendale CA: Interurban Press.
Gee, S. 2013. Iconic Vision : John Parkinson Architect of Los Angeles. Santa Monica Calif: Angel City Press.
Musicant, M., Deverell, W. and M. Roth. 2014. Los Angeles Union Station. Los Angeles, CA: Getty Research Institute.
The book accompanies the exhibition No Further West, on view at the Los Angeles Public Library from May 2 through August 10, 2014.
Libraries and Archives
Los Angeles Union Station. Tessa: Digital Collections at the Los Angeles Public Library.
Los Angeles Union Station Collection, 1913-1969 (bulk 1930s). USC Libraries Special Collections Repository.
Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, Tracks & Shed, 800 North Alameda Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA Photos from Survey HABS CA-2158-A. Library of Congress.
Web Sources
Kane, Holly and Society of Architectural Historians. Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (Los Angeles Union Station). Society of Architectural Historians Archipedia.
Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal Application for National Register of Historic Places. 1979. LA Metro’s Dorothy Peyton Gray Transportation Library and Archive. Application PDF.
Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal Nomination Form for National Register of Historic Places [November 13, 1980, ID: 80000811]. National Park Service (NPS), NP Gallery Digital Assets Management System. Accessed on December 19, 2022.
Los Angeles Union Station [Photos]. LA Metro’s Dorothy Peyton Gray Transportation Library and Archive via Flickr.
Bradley, Bill. 2000. The Last of the Great Stations : 50 Years of the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal. 2nd rev. ed. Glendale CA: Interurban Press.
Gee, S. 2013. Iconic Vision : John Parkinson Architect of Los Angeles. Santa Monica Calif: Angel City Press.
Musicant, M., Deverell, W. and M. Roth. 2014. Los Angeles Union Station. Los Angeles, CA: Getty Research Institute.
The book accompanies the exhibition No Further West, on view at the Los Angeles Public Library from May 2 through August 10, 2014.
Libraries and Archives
Los Angeles Union Station. Tessa: Digital Collections at the Los Angeles Public Library.
Los Angeles Union Station Collection, 1913-1969 (bulk 1930s). USC Libraries Special Collections Repository.
Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, Tracks & Shed, 800 North Alameda Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA Photos from Survey HABS CA-2158-A. Library of Congress.
Web Sources
Kane, Holly and Society of Architectural Historians. Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (Los Angeles Union Station). Society of Architectural Historians Archipedia.
Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal Application for National Register of Historic Places. 1979. LA Metro’s Dorothy Peyton Gray Transportation Library and Archive. Application PDF.
Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal Nomination Form for National Register of Historic Places [November 13, 1980, ID: 80000811]. National Park Service (NPS), NP Gallery Digital Assets Management System. Accessed on December 19, 2022.
Los Angeles Union Station [Photos]. LA Metro’s Dorothy Peyton Gray Transportation Library and Archive via Flickr.