Michigan Central Depot through the years
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The impressive Michigan Central railroad station, with a two-story entrance and 16-story office building, was dedicated on Jan. 4, 1914. It was already nearly completed when the previous station, closer to downtown, was destroyed by fire on December 26, 1913. Its main waiting room was 230 feet long by 95 feet wide with an arched ceiling roughly five stories high.
The Detroit News archives
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A father drafted into World War I kisses his child goodbye at the train station in Detroit.
The Detroit News archives
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A World War I solider tries to steal one last kiss as the train leaves the depot.
The Detroit News archives
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Men head off to World War I as family members watch.
The Detroit News archives
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A mother cries at the train shed gates as she and others watch men head off to the first World War.
The Detroit News archives
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A stationmaster checks a passenger's ticket at Michigan Central Depot in an undated photo.
The Detroit News Archive
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Gates lead from the concourse to the tracks at Michigan Central Depot. The 16-by-5-foot picture of the Detroit skyline was given to Michigan Central by The Detroit News on Feb. 23, 1930.
The Detroit News Archive
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Artist Diego Rivera, right, arrives at Michigan Central Station on April 21, 1932. The 45-year-old artist was at the height of his fame when he was commissioned to create the "Detroit Industry" murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
The Detroit News archives
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Young men drafted into the armed services arrive at Michigan Central station on November 30, 1940.
The Detroit News archives
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An aerial view of Michigan Central Depot, Aug. 13, 1937.
The Detroit News Archive
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Michigan Central Depot, May 1, 1935.
The Detroit News Archive
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A cheese sandwich costs 30 cents in the Terminal Soda Bar on May 3, 1966.
The Detroit News Archive
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The station's barber shop iis seen in 1966.
Eric Styrlander, The Detroit News)
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The Twilight Limited headed for Chicago left at 5:15 p.m. on Track 3 on May 3, 1966.
The Detroit News Archive
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The two-story entrance to the Michigan Central Depot is seen May 3, 1966.
The Detroit News Archive
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The waiting room at the station is seen May 3, 1966.
The Detroit News Archive
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The Michigan Central Depot tracks, June 23, 1973.
The Detroit News Archive
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Customers stand at a ticket booth March 11, 1981.
The Detroit News Archive
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Passengers line up for an Amtrak train on August 2, 1980.
The Detroit News archives
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By 1981, train passenger use was in decline.
The Detroit News Archive
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Michigan Central Depot, Feb. 8, 1986.
The Detroit News Archive
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The 11:40 to Chicago is the last train to leave Michigan Central Depot on Jan. 5, 1988.
David Coates / The Detroit News
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This is a passenger's view of Michigan Central Depot from the last train that left the station, Jan 5, 1987.
David Coates / The Detroit News
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While closed, the station is still intact in October 1989.
The Detroit News Archive
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The abandoned train station became a popular location for fashion shoots, like this one on the roof in 1998.
Donna Terek, The Detroit News
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The Michigan Central Depot two-story entrance is seen from inside the depot on April 6, 2008.
Elizabeth Conley/The Detroit News
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By April 6, 2008, all the windows in Michigan Central Depot, now owned by Ambassador Bridge proprieter Matty Moroun, were gone.
Elizabeth Conley/The Detroit News
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Michigan Central Depot, April 6, 2008.
Elizabeth Conley/The Detroit News
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The once-grand arcade is covered with graffiti April 6, 2008.
Elizabeth Conley/The Detroit News
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The once-grand arcade is covered with graffiti April 6, 2008.
Elizabeth Conley/The Detroit News
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Barbed wire and razor wire keep squatters out of Detroit's abandoned Central Train Depot. October 22, 2008.
John T. Greilick, The Detroit News
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This is a view of the grand mezzanine inside the Michigan Central Depot, which was built for $15 million and designed by the same architects who designed Grand Central Station in New York City.
John T. Greilick, The Detroit News
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A worker prepares the metal framework for replacement windows inside the mezzanine of the train depot in 2011.
John T. Greilick, The Detroit News
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Broken windows are a common sight at the old train station in 2011.
John T. Greilick, The Detroit News
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Graffiti covers the stairwells inside the station in 2011.
John T. Greilick, The Detroit News
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The mezzanine roof, littered with debris, and Roosevelt Park beyond are visible from the top of the 230-foot tower above the Michigan Central Depot in 2011.
John T. Greilick, The Detroit News
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The main floor inside the station is seen in 2011.
John T. Greilick, The Detroit News
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Weeds grow among the debris covering the top floor inside the Michigan Central Depot in 2011. The building's upper floors were never fully occupied.
John T. Greilick, The Detroit News
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Sunlight streams through gaping holes in the station's roof in 2011.
John T. Greilick, The Detroit News
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The Motor City Casino and Hotel is visible from the roof of the Michigan Central Depot, 18 stories (230 feet) above ground level.
John T. Greilick, The Detroit News
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This is a view from just inside the main entrance to the abandoned, but recently cleaned up Michigan Central Train Depot in Detroit. (2011)
John T. Greilick, The Detroit News
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The now illuminated Michigan Central Depot station is seen in October 2012.
David Guralnick, The Detroit News
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A detail from the train station's ornate exterior, photographed in 2015.
Brandy Baker, The Detroit News
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Dozens of new windows began to be installed in October 2015.
Robin Buckson, The Detroit News
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In September 2017, the first major civic event in decades was held at the old train station when about 400 former Detroiters and local business and civic leaders shared a meal for the fourth annual Detroit Homecoming program.
Daniel Mears, The Detroit News
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Detroit Homecoming IV guests explored the ground floor of the building in September 2017.
Daniel Mears, The Detroit News
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The American flag is seen through the front entrance during the Detroit Homecoming event in September 2017.
Daniel Mears, The Detroit News
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A highlight of the Detroit Homecoming event was a light show of changing colors from the windows.
Daniel Mears, The Detroit News
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Detroit Homecoming Ceremony at Michigan Central Depot in Detroit, Michigan on September 13, 2017. (Image by Daniel Mears / The Detroit News).
Daniel Mears, The Detroit News
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Wendy Hilliard and Ilyse Kaplan look over the view from the 13th floor of the Michigan Central Depot facing south, on September 13, 2017.
Daniel Mears, The Detroit News
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This aerial view of the former train station was shot from an airplane in October 2017.
Todd McInturf, The Detroit News
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March 19, 2018: Word gets out that Ford Motor Co. is exploring ways to become a major presence in Corktown, including possibly acquiring the Michigan Central Depot.
Daniel Mears, The Detroit News
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The impressive Michigan Central railroad station, with a two-story entrance and 16-story office building, was dedicated on Jan. 4, 1914. It was already nearly completed when the previous station, closer to downtown, was destroyed by fire on December 26, 1913. Its main waiting room was 230 feet long by 95 feet wide with an arched ceiling roughly five stories high.
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