Washington Union Station — Local services in Washington

The Building itself,...is magnificient... almost European standards... Union Station is a major train station on the East Coast, a huge transportation hub, and leisure destination in Washington, D.C. It was opened in 1907, and it is Amtrak's headquarters. It is the railroad's second-busiest station with annual ridership of just under 5 million passengers. The station also serves for local trains MARC and VRE which are commuter rail services, the Washington Metro, and buses. I often take a Megabus from NYC to DC and the combination of Indoor busstation and trains makes it so much easier and a lot cheaper... Some times u get get tickets for 10 Dollar r/t.. so look out for them. The Building and its Architecture The architects included classical elements such as the "Arch of Constantine" (exterior, main façade) and the great vaulted spaces of the "Baths of Diocletian". The prominent siting at the intersection of two of major avenues, with an orientation facing the United States Capitol just five blocks away; a massive scale, including a façade stretching more than 600 ft (180 m) and a waiting room ceiling 96 ft (29 m) above the floor; stone inscriptions and sculpture in the Beaux-Arts style; expensive materials such as marble, gold leaf, and white granite from a previously unused quarry. In the Attic block, above the main cornice of the central block, stand six colossal statues. They all have some meaning coming from greek mythology. All in All it is a very nice place to hang and wait for one of the few trains a day... Where as Europe has a well functioning boarderless railsystem, with highspeed trains connecting european capitals is the american train system stuck in...

Union Station is major transportation hub in DC. Built in 1907, this is one of the busiest rail stations in the States.

For those interested in architecture and historic buildings, Union Station features an attractive Beaux-Arts interior with a high arched ceiling. This gives the station a classical and colossal feel that we often associate with grand old rail stations.

The exterior of the building offers a similar classical feel with its long facade and columns, not too dissimilar to many of the buildings you will see in DC around the mall. The Columbus Memorial fountain just outside the front of the station is worth a quick look as well if you intend to visit.

Functionally, Union Station has quite a few eateries, convenient shops and services for arriving and departing passengers. The Union Station Metro is connected directly to the rail station, convenient for those seeking onward public transportation to various locations around the city. Further, there are many inbound/outbound rail service options found at Union Station, connecting visitors to almost everywhere in this part of the country.

In the end, Union Station is a convenient and useful transportation hub and it is ok as a tourist attraction as well. However, considering the wealth of excellent museums and other very good attractions in the capital, it is difficult to prioritise Union Station very highly and we probably wouldn't recommend it to visitors unless they are staying in the city for longer stays and have already seen the major...

Don’t be too startled by many of the reviews here, the situation is definitely not always bad. I travelled with my mom as a woman and did not feel unsafe.

I took an Acela and had an hour to kill at the station. I had read many reviews prior to my trip about the sheer number of tents and homeless people around and inside the station, but perhaps I went on an off day. There were 0 tents in Columbus Circle, and I only had one encounter. The guy wasn’t bothersome by any means; he was sitting by a table next to mine at Au Bon Pain and asked if I had an extra dollar (I did not). When I told him this, he politely thanked me and we went on with our days. Of course, this happened mid-afternoon. I also did not visit the food court downstairs. Perhaps both factors meant that I would have a differing experience.

The bathroom situation wasn’t a total nightmare contrary to the descriptions of many. It’s just a plain bathroom, no funky smell or anything, not pristine like a hotel’s would be. It’s comparable to an airport’s. Though, yes, the faucets are very low and close to the sinks, which makes it nearly impossible to put your hand under.

The station itself is beautiful, but I did notice many empty stores and just not many options overall, which is fine by me because I don’t see why I would need to spend much time here. L’Occitaine, the Body Shop, Shake Shack, Auntie Anne’s and MAC cosmetics are some retailers on the...