Union Station was officially opened on October 27, 1907. Built to replace the smaller terminals of the B&P Station, which stood where the National Gallery of Art stands today, and the B&O Station, which stood where the new Union Station was constructed, the new station was heralded as one of the finest railroad stations in the world. It has been the site of several inaugural balls (Carter's in 1977, and Bush's in 1989), and the site for the funeral trains of fallen leaders (Franklin Roosevelt's on April 14, 1945, and Robert Kennedy's on June 8, 1968).
The station has also been filled with crowds cheering the return of various heroes. On June 18, 1945, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and General Dwight D. Eisenhower were met which much fanfare. Various sports teams, the Washington Senators and Washington Redskins, have also arrived to an equally raucous welcome. During World War II, Union Station was used by an average of 32,000 passengers, many of them soldiers.
On January 15, 1953, disaster struck the station. The Pennsylvania Railroad's 16-car Federal Express from Boston crashed into the concourse after a brake failed. The concourse floor caved in, causing the engine and two cars to fall through. Miraculously, no one was killed and there were no severe injuries. However, the crash caused a million dollars in damages.
The station went on a decline in the 50s and 60s, as the nation's entire rail system began to falter. An attempt was made to bring the place back up, by making Union Station the National Visitors' Center, which opened on July 4, 1976. The center featured an information pit, known as the Primary Audio-Visual Experience (PAVE) in which 10-minute slides were shown. However, the site seemed to attract more derelicts and thieves than it did tourists. The center was closed in 1978.
The building continued to decline in the early 80s. The roof caved in and toadstools began growing inside. There was talk of tearing the entire station down, but through private donations, enough money was raised to restore the station instead. The main building was sealed in 1981 and the redevelopment began.
After its $160 million restoration, Union Station reopened in September 1988. The new station featured more than 120 restaurants and shops, a nine-screen movie cinema, and other facilities for the station's many passengers. It quickly became one of the city's favorite sites again.
