Nostalgia & History > If You Are Ever Near Worcester, Mass., Visit the Station

1. and 2. Inside the MBTA/Amtrak Worcester Depot on August 1, 2012

3. The station layout.

4. Inside the Worcester Depot in 1996.  Source: Worcester Union Station The Monument and the Memories, by Idamay Michaud Aesenault.

Enjoy,
Marty Bernard

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Amazing restoration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

Agreed, a remarkable transformation from what it had degenerated into. Boston's South Station is another  building brought back from near-death.  I used to attend
Boston Street Railway Assn, (BSRA) meetings at the Railroad YMCA in an upper floor of South Station in the 60's... that was not a place you wanted to go to after
dark.  The Station now IS A DESTINATION...always crowded, events taking place all the time, rermarkable!
Frank30

I was in the station several times in the 1990's, at the height of its derelict era. I used to say it looked like Dredsen (Germany) after the 8th Air Force (WWII) got through with it. The waiting room, ticket area and offices (upstairs) were all thoroughtly trashed.

There was a decorative ceiling over the maing waiting room that hung about 5'-10' below the roof. Much of this plaster had fallen, making walking in the waiting area treturious. By contrast, a space I belived to be the baggage area just had a fine layer of dust. No plaster to dust. It was one of the best urbex (urban exploration) sites in MA at the time ... being a railfan, it's nice it was saved.

Post restoration, I looked in from track level to see a wedding of a newly minted Marine and his bride. Seeing the woman, and the bridal party and guests (there were about 75 or so attending) in the finest evening attire ... the dream of those championiong the restoration had been realized.

* JB *

from the 1960s

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I have some nice exterior shots of CR freights passing by the hulk back in 1989. I tried to get some interior pix but the homeless population was such that you didn't want to go there if you were carrying a decent camera.  Seriously, that visit is in my memory on the top ten list of " let's get the F out of here, NOW". 

Nice to to see what's been done with the place. 

Great pix, thanks for the post. 

Thanks for the post and all who shared photos from the station of my original home town.

Thanks Marty for sharing a super series.  The architecture is incredible!  The stained glass is incredible!  WOW......, what a transformation.

Kent in CArmel Valley

BRAVO ZULU Worcester!!

The station restoration is evidence of genuine civic pride and forward thinking by everyon concerned. Would that there were mor such spirit and a lot less -- "Not my job, man!!" 

Fritz in HSV, AL  

The Google satellite image shows a passenger train on the P&W side of the depot. What is it?

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

it is a gem... I remember the dark days when the ceiling was caving in.     After renovation they even had a blues club in there.. Union Blues that my band used to play at....