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Home > The Drives > Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park Loop > Key Landmarks & Attractions > Great Northern Railway Depot
Great Northern Railway Depot
Folks say there wasn’t much here when the first train rolled into present-day Whitefish, Montana, on October 4, 1904. But that day brought more than just the train. Within a year, the city of Whitefish was incorporated, huddled beneath a bold rise of mountains that captured a small, forested lake. By 1906, the Cadillac Hotel was built block away from the train depot to accommodate those who had begun to arrive. Making room for a growing population, the thick timber around town was felled, resulting in the nickname “Stumptown.” In 1927, Great Northern Railway hired architect Thomas D'Arcy McMahon to design this timber-framed, Tudor-revival depot. The building matches the Swiss appearance that had proved popular at Glacier National Park’s chalets. In the 1950s, Great Northern introduced the “Bruck”, a combination bus/truck, to disperse rail passengers around the Flathead Valley. Now restored to its former appearance, the vehicle sits beside the Whitefish depot, as if waiting for the next train. The railroad theme continues to dominate Whitefish. The former location of the Cadillac Hotel is home of the Great Northern Brewery, a favorite watering hole for natives and non-natives alike. Across the street and down the block, the Great Northern Bar and Grill is another popular establishment. To the west of the depot, a trail system follows the tracks past the old locomotive roundhouse to City Beach on scenic Whitefish Lake.
Whitefish MT , 59937
Phone: 406-862-0067
