Michigan Central Station

Detroit, United States

No longer standing

Demolished or destroyed.

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Michigan Central Station is the historic former main intercity passenger rail station in Detroit, located in the Corktown district near the Ambassador Bridge. Designed by the architectural firm Reed and Stem—whose principals had previously worked on Grand Central Terminal in New York City—the station exemplified Beaux-Arts style upon its completion in 1914. Forced into early service after a fire destroyed the original downtown depot on December 26, 1913, the formally dedicated station featured a distinctive 230-foot office tower with thirteen stories above two mezzanine levels, making it the world's tallest rail station at the time of construction. The building operated continuously until January 6, 1988, when Amtrak service relocated. Long a symbol of Detroit's urban decline through its deteriorated state, the building was purchased by Ford Motor Company in May 2018 for $90 million and underwent extensive restoration exceeding $900 million before reopening on June 6, 2024. The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.