By Alexandra Charitan, Roadtrippers; June 21, 2019
At 2 p.m. on June 22, 1929, a crowd of 2,200 people watched as the eastbound Empire State Express became the first train to depart from Buffalo’s grand new train station. This grand opening gala was the largest event in the city at the time; the 2 o’clock train was ceremonial, but regularly scheduled service began the next day—and continued until the very last train left the Buffalo Central Terminal in the early morning hours of October 28, 1979.
As a result of the negligence of several previous owners and due to its popularity with urban explorers, the 17-story, art deco-style station was in bad shape when it was acquired by the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation (CTRC) in 1997. The CTRC has been slowly repairing, stabilizing, and restoring the historic structure, and in 2003 the building was re-opened for public tours.