One of the pillars upon which Seattle built its early fortunes, the old Great Northern Railroad depot has suffered a lot of neglect since the 1960s – although the tide is now turning. The western terminus of the famous Empire Builder train that still runs cross-country between Seattle and Chicago, this jewel of a train station was designed to imitate St Mark's bell tower in Venice.
It was originally constructed in 1906 by Reed & Stem, who also designed New York City’s Grand Central Station, and is notable for many features, not least a fabulous Italianate plasterwork ceiling in the waiting room that is rich in period detail. The waiting room was covered up by a horrible suspended ceiling in the 1960s but, as part of a recent $26-million revamp, the entire interior and exterior of the station has been returned to its gilded age high watermark.
