Upcoming Events
No ticketed events are currently listed for Cincinnati Union Terminal. Many heritage operators publish schedules seasonally or run on regular open hours instead of dated events.
Check the operator’s website for current hours and special runs, or subscribe to event alerts and we’ll email you when something is scheduled.
About Cincinnati Union Terminal
At Cincinnati Union Terminal, the Amtrak Cardinal arrives three times weekly, threading the Art Deco rotunda before departing toward Chicago or New York. The station sits in the Queensgate neighborhood, its half‑dome and mosaic murals framing the platform. Beyond the tracks, the Cincinnati Museum Center occupies the building, offering history, natural science, a children’s museum, an Omnimax theater, and a library, all accessible while waiting for the next late‑night train.
History
The Cincinnati Union Terminal Company is created in 1927 to consolidate five local stations used by seven railroads into a single union station. Construction proceeds from 1928 through 1933, and the terminal opens in 1933 with six railroads as joint owners while the Baltimore and Ohio operates through services. Train service ends in 1972, Amtrak relocates to a smaller nearby station, and the terminal remains largely dormant from 1972 to 1980, during which its platforms and train concourse are demolished. A “Land of Oz” shopping mall occupies the building from 1980 until 1985; in the late 1980s two Cincinnati museums merge, renovate the structure, and the complex reopens in 1990 as the Cincinnati Museum Center. Amtrak resumes service in 1991, and a two‑year, $228 million renovation is completed in 2018. The City of Cincinnati owns the facility while CSX Transportation owns the tracks and platforms, and Amtrak operates the passenger service today.
Nearby
Cincinnati Union Terminal sits about 5 mi from the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati, with EnterTRAINment Junction roughly 19 mi out for a fuller Ohio rail day.
Where to Stay
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