Dearborn Station

Dearborn Station is a former railway terminal in the Romanesque Revival style in South Loop, Chicago, United States. The building rises three stories and displays a twelve-story clock tower made with pink granite and red pressed brick on its exterior.

Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz designed the terminal in 1885, which operated as one of six major intercity stations in downtown Chicago until 1971. The Fred Harvey Company ran restaurants inside and provided dining services to passengers during the height of railway travel.

The name recalls the original purpose of serving as a terminal where trains from across the nation ended their journeys. Visitors today can walk through the former station halls and see where waiting rooms once stood and travelers prepared to board their trains.

The building now houses offices and retail spaces on the ground floor, so visitors can view the exterior facade and the lower entrance areas up close. The location in South Loop is within walking distance from nearby Dearborn Park or downtown in just a few minutes.

The platforms were once covered by a large train shed, which workers removed in 1976 during the transformation of the area into Dearborn Park. Today the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and protected, though the original railway tracks have long since disappeared.

Location: Chicago

Inception: 1885

Architects: Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz

Official opening: May 8, 1885

Architectural style: Romanesque Revival architecture

GPS coordinates: 41.87216,-87.62830

Latest update: December 13, 2025 18:19