Union Terminal

Year Listed: 2014
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Threat: Deterioration

Significance

Union Terminal, an iconic symbol of Cincinnati and one of the most significant Art Deco structures in the country, was designed by the firm of Alfred Fellheimer and Steward Wagner, with Paul Cret, in 1933. Union Terminal is a National Historic Landmark and one of the country’s last remaining grand-scale Art Deco railroad terminals.  The massive 180 foot wide and 106 foot tall rotunda, today the second largest half dome in the world, features glass mosaic murals by Winold Reiss depicting the history of Cincinnati and the United States. Today, Union Terminal is suffering from deterioration and water damage. The building is facing a critical point in its existence, and is in need of extensive repairs. 

Union Terminal is owned by the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.  As the Cincinnati Museum Center, the largest cultural institution in the city, Union Terminal receives more than 1.4 million visitors a year and houses the Cincinnati History Museum, Cincinnati History Library and Archives, Duke Energy Children’s Museum, Museum of Natural History and Science, and the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX Theater.