Amtrak Station, Greensboro

The Greensboro Amtrak Station, located in the heart of downtown Greensboro, is a historic transport hub with a story as layered as its grand Beaux-Arts façade. Originally opened in 1927 as the Greensboro Southern Railway Depot, the building was designed by Alfred Fellheimer & Steward Wagner, the same New York architectural firm behind several iconic rail stations of the era. Its dignified exterior-complete with Ionic columns, a three-story arched entry, and a full entablature-makes it one of the city’s architectural gems.

This 1927 structure replaced an earlier 1899 depot and served as a key Southern Railway station until the decline of passenger rail service. In 1978, a year before Southern Railway ceased its passenger operations, the depot was donated to the city. However, it sat dormant for decades-despite sporadic efforts to revive it-until it finally reopened to the public on October 1, 2005, following a significant renovation effort that began in 2001. Upon reopening, it was named in honor of longtime civic leader Doug Galyon, who championed public transportation in North Carolina.

Today, the lower level of the station is operated by Amtrak, serving three major routes: the Crescent, Carolinian, and Piedmont. It includes a 24-hour ticket office, baggage service, passenger assistance, and waiting areas. At its peak in 2010, Greensboro ranked as the third-busiest Amtrak station in North Carolina, handling nearly 290 passengers daily.

The upper level of the station doubles as a transit center, accommodating both Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA) and Greyhound Lines. The terminal includes 22 bus bays, connecting passengers not only across the city but also regionally via services like PART and Sunway Charters.

Inside, visitors can still admire the original mural map of the Southern Railway system from the 1920s, a visual tribute to Greensboro’s legacy as a key rail junction. From its origins as a grand gateway for early 20th-century travelers to its modern role as a multimodal hub, the Greensboro Amtrak Station is where past and present converge-on time and track.