Historic Union Depot Visitor Center

Before you explore Hot Springs, start here — in a building that's been welcoming visitors since the town's earliest days. Built in 1891, the Historic Union Depot closed as a railroad station in 1938 when the Chamber of Commerce moved in — making it one of the first adaptive reuses of a railroad station in the country. In its heyday, four trains a day arrived greeted by a band, as a red carpet was rolled out from the Evans Hotel to welcome visitors who came seeking Hot Springs' famous healing waters. Built from locally quarried pink sandstone, the original waiting room, ticket window, floor, and woodwork are still intact. Today it serves as the seasonal visitor center for Hot Springs and the southern Black Hills. Next door, a vintage caboose and the 1888 historic jail are on display, and the Freedom Trail trailhead sits just outside along the Fall River. Free Wi-Fi and public restrooms available.