1914 - 2014

On October 30, 2014, Kansas City will celebrate the 100th anniversary of one of its most historic landmarks. It will be a special time to honor and celebrate this beautiful

building that has been an icon of Kansas City for 100 years. As we prepare for this special anniversary, Union Station

has assembled a Centennial Celebration Civic Committee. The chairs of this committee are: Donald J. Hall, Jr. Michael R. Haverty and Thomas A. McDonnell. This committee includes community leaders who led the efforts to save, restore, re-open and revive the Station in November 1999. These individuals will be recognized and honored during the Centennial Celebrations.

REMEMBERING A SPECIAL TIME AT THE STATIONLongtime Union Station member Marcy Nelson took only

one train ride as a child with her grandmother but remembers that Union Station experience fondly. Now, she is a grandmother who volunteers at the station with her granddaughter. Together, they have made many more memories at a place she calls “magnificent.”

“I love that my granddaughter wanted to volunteer with me. I also love the memories of taking my grandson to Science City and watching him play and learn,” she said.

As a volunteer, mainly helping at the entrance to Science City, Nelson enjoys talking with visitors and answering their questions. Nelson became a Union Station Member during the bi-state campaign to revive the Station and is excited for the upcoming centennial.

“It is such an amazing building and I am thrilled it is thriving,” she said.

Below: Crowds enter the Station when she opened her doors in 1914.

CentennialUnion Station’s

2 • Union Station On Track

CelebrationPreview

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JOIN THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONYou can join in our special celebration by becoming a Union Station

Member, or become one of our Centennial Members. By making a $100 donation, we invite people also to become a Centennial Supporter. For more details about these options, visit unionstation.org/membership. Your support and the support of all Union Station Members is what ensures the Station will thrive for years to come.

TELL US YOUR STORY! You can also contribute to the Celebration by sharing your favorite

memories of Union Station. Visit unionstation.org/100years and click on the link to share your story by August 31, 2014.

Above: Workers building the station in 1914. Come see the full construction exhibit, “Building a Monument,” inside the walkway to Crown Center at Union Station.

4 • Union Station On Track

March 6, 2014

By Matt Campbell, The Kansas City Star, Posted: March 4, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo — Union Station ended a fourth year in a row with a seven-digit cash surplus in 2013. The continued turnaround after a decade of deficits comes as station officials are making plans to mark the centennial of the depot’s construction later this year. Year-end numbers approved Tuesday by the station’s board of directors showed a $1.8 million surplus before depreciation. That was attributed in part to the “Real Pirates” exhibit, the success of first-run movies on the digital 3-D Extreme Screen and a 17 percent jump in revenue from Science City. Attendance at Science City was up 7 percent last year, and the science center accounted for 40 percent of tickets sold at Union Station. Planetarium attendance and revenue also were up almost 25 percent from the previous year. Officials hope to open two new exhibits at Science City by the end of this year based on winning school entries in the second round of Battle of the Brains. “Science City is our core, our mission,” said Jerry Baber, the station’s financial officer. The Extreme Screen had more than 36,000 people in attendance and took in more than $300,000 in revenue with screenings of “Oz the Great and Powerful” and other films. The station continues to grapple with capital costs, however, including more than $600,000 this year to replace the long escalators to the main floor. They have to be custom built and then reassembled inside the building. The station is looking for sponsors to raise nearly $1.5 million for centennial observances. A gala dinner Oct. 30 will be followed by a two-day public open house with free entertainment the weekend of Nov. 1-2. Tentative plans for a kickoff weekend Sept. 5-7 call for a choreographed program of historical images projected onto the station’s facade, accompanied by fireworks. Station officials also are working with a design firm to develop a permanent exhibit of the depot’s history to include historical objects, interpretive displays and a smartphone app to trigger content at various points throughout the station. They hope to have that completed in time for the centennial.

April 11, 2014

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By Matt Campbell, The Kansas City Star, Posted: November 1, 2013

KANSAS CITY, Mo — Union Station kicks off its centennial celebration Wednesday morning with the first of several unique exhibits. A series of black-and-white photographs detailing the construction of Union Station from 1911-1914 are on display inside the Link, a hallway connecting Union Station to Crown Center. “We have in our own archives a wonderful scrapbook made by someone who was on the construction,” said Denise Morrison, Director of Collections at Union Station.

“It is from Day One of construction until we opened, and so these photos make up quite a bit – about half of this photo essay.” Construction on Union Station began in 1911 and when completed, it was the third largest train station in the country, a building President Woodrow Wilson called “the gateway to the West.”

“It was probably the biggest construction up to that point in Kansas City. It employed over 500 people, it took three years to do, and it had a huge opening – two days of opening activities.”

Besides digging into the Union Station archives to find photos and artifacts, Morrison also gathered some historical pictures from the KU Edwards Campus. It’s so crisp and so beautiful, and the photographs speak to a time, not so distant, but yet some of them look so old-fashioned that you really do get a sense of magic,” Morrison said. She hopes people from Kansas City and visitors from across the country enjoy this historical retrospective of a building that has dominated the Kansas City skyline for 99 years. “To see it from birth to opening is really spectacular,” Morrison said. “The photos are beautiful, and just to put it all together was really fun to do.” Union Station officials are currently planning a series of celebratory events commemorating its 100th anniversary on October 30, 2014, including a Grand Centennial Gala and re-dedication ceremony in 2014.

HistoryExhibit

UnionStation.org/100Years

Attend The Celebration Events Listed On Page 11.

Share Your Story

We know Union Station Kansas City holds very special memories for many people. We invite you to get involved in this celebration by telling us your story – your personal memories – of Union Station. Or, share a story of a friend or family member who had a special memory of Union Station.

As part of our 100th Anniversary celebrations, we will share these stories. If you would like to share your story, photo or video, please send us an email to sharemystory@unionstation.org.

Sponsorship

Be part of an elite group to help support this once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Your partnership will support all of the Centennial events and help underwrite the permanent new exhibition as well as preserve Kansas City’s historic monument. Details available at unionstation.org/100years or call 816-460-2016.

There are many ways to get involved and we invite you to join with us in this celebration!

Centennial MembershipBecome a Centennial Member and enjoy all of the benefits of a regular membership, along with exclusive special invitations to certain Centennial events. See page 9 for Membership details.

Centennial SupporterUnion Station depends on the generous support of donors to keep the Station operating at its best.See page 10 for details.

Centennial VolunteerBecome part of this historic event! For more information on volunteering for Centennial Celebrations please visit our website at unionstation.org/volunteers.

Ways To Get Involved In The

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#USKC100Follow Us

Free & Special Event Benefits• Free admission to Science City year-round• Free admission to Planetarium shows year-round • Free admission to Quixotic School of Performing Arts

workshops on first Sunday of each month in Science City • One bag of FREE popcorn per membership for movies in the

Extreme Screen Theatre ($5 value) • Exclusive member events, exhibit previews and member

discounts for special events• Subscription to the Union Station On Track

quarterly magazine• Subscription to weekly email newsletter and members-only

special offers• Free or discounted admission to nearly 300 museums in the

U.S. and around the world • Holiday benefits: free mini train rides for small children, free

admission to Polar Express PJ party; schedule your time to visit Holiday Express train and Santa; discounted pancake breakfast price

Discounts• A discount of 30% or more to world-class traveling exhibitions• A discount of 50% on tickets to the annual Maker Faire:

Kansas City Festival in June• Discounts of 10% or more at Union Station retail stores

and restaurants• Discounts on Science City Summer Camp registration

For a small, extra donation to Union Station, your Centennial Membership entitles you to all of the benefits of a regular membership, along with the following special benefits during the 2014 year, including:

• Recognition as a Centennial Member on Union Station’s 100th Anniversary website

• Recognition in the Union Station On Track magazine 100th Anniversary commemorative edition (fall 2014)

• Invitations to Centennial Member Previews to the 100th Anniversary exhibits that will be featured in 2014

• Invitation to attend a Union Station History tour, offered at various times during 2014

• Commemorative Centennial Member card (limited number available)

• 100% Fully Tax Deductible Donation

Show Your Support of Union Station Today!The benefits of membership are huge! Sign up today and don’t miss a thing.

Your membership price is fully tax-deductible!

Centennial Membership Prices

$100 Single, 2, or 3-4 person Membership$150 5-8 person Membership

Centennial Membership

Photo (left) from left to right: George Guastello, Peggy Dunn, Bob Regnier, and David Gentile celebrating the 99th Anniversary with the opening of this “Building a Monument” exhibit.

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As we lead up to Union Station’s 100th Anniversary on October 30, 2014, we invite you to upgrade to a Centennial Membership.

• Commemorative Centennial Supporter Certificate

• Historic image of Union Station suitable for framing

• Recognition as a Centennial Supporter on Union Station’s 100th Anniversary website

• Recognition in the Union Station On Track magazine 100th Anniversary commemorative edition (Fall 2014)

• Invitations to Centennial Supporter Previews to the special 100th Anniversary history exhibits that will be featured in 2014

• Invitation to attend a Union Station History tour, offered at various times throughout 2014

• 100% Tax-Deductible Donation

Become a Donor to Union Station as a

Send a check for $100 made out to Union Station Kansas City to:Centennial Supporter FundUnion Station Kansas City30 W. Pershing Road, Suite 400Kansas City, MO 64108

For a $100 fully tax-deductible donation, you will receive:

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Union Station relies on the generous support of donors to keep the Station operating at its best. During this Centennial Year, we offer a special opportunity for individuals and families

to become a Centennial Supporter.

Calendar Of

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November 1-2: Open House and Celebration

Join us for building and history tours, sneak peek visits at Union Station attractions, entertainment from the past and present, and special train displays.

Presented by Bank of America

June 28 – 29: Maker Faire Kansas City

This family-friendly event brings together Makers, Crafters, Inventors, Hackers, Scientists and Artists for a faire full of fun and inspiration.

May 25: Celebration at the Station with the Kansas City Symphony

Bank of America Celebration at the Station is the largest free Memorial Day Weekend event in the Midwest.

September 5: Centennial Celebration Kickoff

Kansas City Celebrates the Station will be a free event open to the public, kicking off the Centennial events and ending with a spectacular outdoor digital show and fireworks.Presented by Ivy Funds, Waddell & Reed, Inc. and National World War I Museum

October 31: New 100-Year Exhibit Opening

A new permanent exhibition will be unveiled documenting the 100–year history of Union Station and its importance to our community and the nation.

November 1: Re-Dedication Ceremony

Honor and celebrate all who built and restored Union Station.

October 30: Centennial Gala Celebration

A one-time exclusive dinner event, celebrating the Station’s history in grand style.

Union StationToday

Union Station Kansas City, Inc.30 W. Pershing Rd. Suite 400, Kansas City, MO 64108 | p: 816.460.2000 | f: 816.460.2260 | unionstation.org

Where KC Connects, Creates, Discovers & Celebrates

Photo By Roy Inman©