Cincinnati Union Terminal

1301 Western Avenue

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati Union Terminal is an intercity Art Deco train station and museum center in the Queensgate neighborhood of Cincinnati.  The terminal is served by Amtrak's Cardinal line, passing through Cincinnati three times weekly.  It originally had 8 side platforms though now only 1 with 2 tracks though originally 16 tracks. 

After a limited architectural competition, the firm of Fellheimer & Wagner was commissioned to design the terminal in June 1928, shortly after completing their work on the Buffalo Central Terminal.  The firm first released plans for the terminal in June 1929. The sketches showed a conservative design, utilizing large Gothic arches, vaulted ceilings and conventional benches in long rows.  The originally proposed shape of the rotunda and concourse were the same as the finished product, though the details of the design more closely resembled the Buffalo Central Terminal. The building was then estimated to cost $8 million with the total project costing $40.6 million. 

The Cincinnati Union Terminal was built from 1928-1933 opening March 19, 1933 and closed October 29, 1972.  A two-year, $228 million renovation was completed in 2018.  

It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places October 31, 1972.

Its Art Deco design incorporates several works of art including a set of sixteen mosaic murals depicting Cincinnati industry commissioned for the terminal in 1931.  The main space in the facility, the Rotunda, has two enormous mosaic murals designed by German-born American artist and graphic designer, Winold Reiss.  Taxi and bus driveways leading to and from the Rotunda are now used as museum space.  The now-demolished train concourse held all 16 of Reiss' industrial murals along with other art and Art Deco design features.