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The building that houses the Durham Western Heritage Museum used to be known as Union Station. Built by the Union Pacific Railroad as a showpiece in the city of their headquarters, the station was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood in the classic art deco style. Underwood had free reign in designing the building, so his style is reflected in everything from the ceiling to the door handles. In its heyday, 64 trains and 10,000 passengers passed through Union Station daily. When passenger travel stopped in 1972, the Union Pacific donated the building to the City of Omaha. The Western Heritage Museum opened in 1975 and in 1997 underwent a name change in honor of the Durhams, who were instrumental in the comeback of the building. Click for more information on history on the historic Union Station: Union Station Exterior Architecture Union Station Historical Timeline |
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| 1929 | In a joint statement on March 31, 1929, plans were announced by both Union Station and Burlington officials detailing the construction of a new Union Station and for the remodeling of the Burlington Depot. The purpose of the collaboration between the two railroads was to provide "...Omaha railroad passengers, terminal facilities equal to those of any city of its size in the country." Construction began on Union Station in May of 1929. It was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood and Company in the Art Deco style of architecture. Mr. Underwood designed every detail of the building, including the light fixtures, filing cabinets, and doorplates. Each component contains Art Deco details. The new Union Station, measuring approximately 124,000 square feet, was constructed on the same site as the first Union Station, taking twenty months to build at a cost of $3,500,000. Today, the building would cost at least ten times that amount to build. The focal point of Union Station was the beautiful Main Waiting Room. It measures 160 feet long, 72 feet wide and has a 65-foot ceiling. The area contains ten cathedral-like plate glass window, a patterned terrazzo floor, columnettes of blue Belgian marble, and a wainscoting of black Belgian marble. Six immense chandeliers light the Main Waiting Area. Each chandelier is 13 feet in length and is suspended 20 feet from the ceiling. The station originally had 13 sets of tracks that carried passengers to and from Omaha. The tracks were located to the south of the building. As planned, increase trackage allowed for Union Station to accommodate Union Pacific, Rock Island, Missouri Pacific, Milwaukee, Wabash, Great Western, Illinois Central and North Western Railroads. Combining efforts with Burlington Depot made Omaha the fourth largest railroad center in the United States. Facilities within Union Station provided for the convenience of passengers included a taxi stand, baggage check, restaurant, dining room, gift shop, soda fountain, telegraph and telephone room, barber shop, hospital and nurse's station, and a USO Club with letter-writing facilities, dormitory and shower/bath facilities. |
1931 |
Union Station was completed and opened as a passenger train station. The dedication ceremony was held on January 15th, 1931. |
1971 |
Union Station closed in 1971 after Congress passed an act creating the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, now Amtrak, which would handle all passenger travel. |
1975 |
The building re-opened as the Western Heritage Museum. The Museum displayed small regional history exhibits and private collections during its early years. |
1995 |
Restoration of Union Station began and required the Museum to be closed for six months. The $22-million renovation project included a new parking deck, a new roof, new mechanical and electrical systems, new office spaces, classrooms, gift shop, and new permanent exhibits. The Main Waiting Room was repainted and restored. Interactive sculptures were added to the Main Waiting Room, and a 22,000-square-foot addition was built over Track #1 next to Union Station. |
1996 |
The renovation project was completed and the Western Heritage Museum re-opened to the public. |
1997 |
The Western Heritage Museum is re-named as the Durham Western Heritage Museum in honor of Charles and Margre Durham, major contributors and supporters of the Museum. |
2002 |
Nearly one million people have visited the Museum since the re-opening. In October, the Durham Western Heritage Museum is named as an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. This partnership allows the Museum to have access to Smithsonian artifacts on a long term load basis and to showcase them to the Midwest. |
2003 |
Construction began on the Velde Gallery of American History, a 12,500-square-foot addition to house temporary exhibitions and items on long-term loan. |
2004 |
In August, the Durham Western Heritage Museum opens American Originals: Collections from the Smithsonian, an original exhibition on loan from the Smithsonian Institution. The construction of the Velde Gallery of American History is completed. In October, Churchill and the Great Republic from the Library of Congress opens as the first major exhibition in this gallery. |
2005 |
In March, the Museum opens Bound for Glory: America in Color, a Library of Congress exhibition. In July, First Ladies: Political Role & Public Image from the Smithsonian Institution opens. In November, the Library of Congress' With an Even Hand: Brown v. Board at Fifty opens at the Museum. In December, the Museum opens The Burgess Shale: Evolution's Big Bang from the Smithsonian Institution. |
| 2006 | In February, the Durham presents Latin Jazz: la combinacion perfecta from the Smithsonian Institution. In May, the Museum opens Engineer It! from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and Tools of the Ancients and Midlands Engineering Marvels, both created by the Durham Western Heritage Museum. In August, an exclusive offering of Gems and Minerals from the Smithsonian Collection opens at the Durham. In October, two exhibits from the Library of Congress open at the Museum: From the Home Front and the Front Lines and Reflections: Russian Photographs 1992-2002 |
