Great Central Station

Great Central Station
Illustration of the rail house train shed which appeared in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper in 1856, shortly after the station opened.
General information
Location	South Water Street and Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates	41°53′10″N 87°37′24″W / 41.88611°N 87.62333°W / 41.88611; -87.62333
Owned by	Illinois Central Railroad
Construction
Architect	Otto H. Matz
Other information
Status	Demolished
History
Opened	June 1, 1856
Closed	April 17, 1893
Services
Preceding station Illinois Central Railroad Following station 16th Street toward New Orleans Main Line Terminus Preceding station Michigan Central Railroad Following station 22nd Street toward Buffalo–Exchange Street Main Line Terminus Preceding station Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway Following station 22nd Street toward Cincinnati Chicago – Cincinnati Terminus Preceding station Burlington Route Following station Indiana Avenue Closed 1880s toward Denver Main Line Terminus
Location

Great Central Station, also known as Great Central Depot,^{[nb 1]} was an intercity train station in Chicago, Illinois, owned by the Illinois Central Railroad (IC). It opened in 1856 and for a time was the largest building in downtown Chicago. Its passenger depot building was located on Water Street. The IC had its headquarters in offices above the depot, while beyond the depot was the large rail house where eight track lines ran. It was damaged in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 but remained in operation.

The station proved inadequate to handle growing traffic and its original building was demolished in 1893 in favor of the new Central Station at the southern end of Grant Park. Although it continued to receive some traffic, over time it increasingly became a commuter rail depot. Millennium Station, formerly Randolph Street Terminal, sits on the location.
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