Joplin Union Depot: Awaiting Restoration

The Joplin Union Depot, located at 205 N Main St Rd, Joplin, MO, is a historic train station with a rich past. Constructed in 1911 by the Kansas City Southern Railway, the depot showcases a progressive Academic Eclectic design, featuring early curtain wall construction and bold, geometric details. The station quickly became a vital center for activity and commerce, housing a waiting room, dining area, ticket offices, a newsstand, and a barber shop. The depot served several railroads, including the Kansas City Southern Railway and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. For 58 years, it facilitated constant service until its closure in 1969. After its closure, the building transitioned to private investors but suffered neglect and deterioration. In the late 1990s, the State of Missouri acquired the property and is now working with the Downtown Joplin Alliance to find a preservation-minded developer to revitalize this landmark. Today, the Joplin Union Depot awaits its rescuer, with ongoing efforts to secure its preservation and adaptive reuse. While the building is currently closed to the public and surrounded by a chain-link fence , its architectural brilliance can still be admired from the outside.