The Historic Union Pacific Depot

Explore Marysville's Railroad History

Address: 400 Hedrix Street
Phone: (785) 562-2317
(Marysville Advocate)

For our latest news, please visit our Facebook page Marysville U.P. Depot Preservation

Located in Marysville, Kansas, a city designated by the Union Pacific Railroad as a "Traintown USA", the Historic Depot is a great place for friends and families to gather and learn about the history of the railroad and how it shaped the future of Marysville.

About Us


Who Are We?

We are the Marysville Union Pacific Depot Preservation Society. Our Mission is the following:

  • Preserve and maintain the historic U.P. Depot in Marysville, Kansas, designed by renowned architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood.
  • Develop educational programs that give the public an understanding and appreciation of the historical and national significance of the Union Pacific Railroad in Marysville, KS.
  • Create programming that utilizes the Historic Depot as a gathering place for the Community.

Our History

The First Rail Laid in the Kansas Territory was part of the Elwood and Marysville Railroad… this and many more “railroad facts” can be found in our permanent wall exhibits in the Historic Depot’s Archives Room. In addition, we have exhibits located in the Freight Room, where the Society has preserved the original interior construction. On display is an outstanding collection of model railroad locomotives and train cars that give visitors an educational overview of the merger of railroad companies and the “family tree of the Union Pacific Railroad”.

Gilbert Stanley Underwood chosen as the Architect for the Marysville Passenger Depot…

You may have seen his work but not known his name. In the late 1920's and early 1930's the Union Pacific was focused on bringing passengers out west to the National Parks. They decided to partner with the National Park System to build lodges at Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion Canyons, Yosemite and Sun Valley. The architect they chose to design these lodges was Gilbert Stanley Underwood from Southern California. Underwood was known for “bringing rustic elegance to the west”. The Union Pacific also had him design eight train depots. Three of those beautiful structures are in Kansas….Abilene, Marysville and Topeka. He also designed the Union Station in Omaha, home of the Union Pacific. The impressive structure was used as a passenger depot until 1955.

Saving the Historic Depot…

The Historic Depot was literally hours away from being destroyed when it was acquired by the MUPDPS in 2015. One of only eight depots designed by world renowned architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood it was the “crown jewel” of Marysville when it opened as a passenger depot in 1929. After passenger train travel was stopped in 1955 it served as offices for the Trainmaster, Station Agent, Telegraph Operators and Dispatchers. As communications advanced and purposes for the Depot changed it became the yard office in the 1970s. The interior was rearranged to allow for more offices, the beautiful windows were shuttered and carpet was installed on the historic slate floors. As the Union Pacific prepared to sell it to the city it was obligated to remove all the asbestos and lead paint from the structure. Upon transfer it had no lights, heat or air conditioning. It was insured as an abandoned warehouse, however, thanks to the incredible work of a handfull of dedicated volunteers the Historic Depot has been transformed back to its original beauty. The team of volunteers has spent endless hours scraping paint, plastering and painting the 25’ ceilings, cleaning the glue off the magnificent slate floors and replacing the signature windows. It now awaits your visit.


What Our Visitors Are Saying...

Melody Pittman (Wherever I May Roam Blog)
“Marysville is a major player in the railroad industry. The Stories are plentiful but the bottom line is that the UP has been here for decades. The Marysville Historic UP Depot is a Kansas Gem”

"Amazing work in progress!" - Bill & Lin, Ohio

"Beautiful work!" - Amy, Reno, Nevada

"What a gem... WOW!" - Julie & Jerry, Kansas

"Great job of restoration" - Jack & Jean, Colorado

"So happy to see this historic building go to good use and saved for years to come. HISTORY IS IN THIS BUILDING" - Sandy, Kansas

"Great job of restoring history in Marysville. Let the Depot grow!" - Susie & Pete, Kansas

"This building is much improved from my working days when it was a Yard Office. Such nice work to make this an event space." - Mike & Cindy, Kansas