From cutting-edge modern architecture to stunning Beaux-Arts designs, the US is dotted with incredible train stations. But which is the prettiest of them all? Spanning everything from historic transport hubs dating from the golden age of rail travel to newly renovated buildings guaranteed to stop you in your tracks, here we’ve selected America’s most beautiful railway stations.

The Cincinnati Union Terminal is often considered an Art Deco masterpiece, with a dramatic half-dome and mosaics representing local businesses from soap to steel manufacturing. Completed in 1933, the station combines the latest engineering with the romance of travel and Cincinnati’s long tradition in the arts. Its funnel-like shape was designed to move passengers to and from trains quickly and efficiently. Following a decline in train travel, the station was restored to its former glory in 2018 and is now home to several museums.

With an arched entrance flanked by swaying palm trees, the Santa Fe Depot is a shining symbol of California’s Spanish heritage. The Mission-Revival-style station was originally built to welcome travellers to the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in downtown San Diego. Defined by its white towers and colourful tiled domes, the Santa Fe Depot is now one of the busiest Amtrak stations in the country.

With its magnificent stained-glass ceiling and marble floor, it’s easy to see why Union Station in Worcester is often regarded as one of the most beautiful structures in Massachusetts. First opened in 1911, the French-Renaissance-style station served 140 trains a day during its heyday. By the late 20th century the building had deteriorated and was boarded up in 1972. Renovated with modern touches, the station reopened in 2000 and now looks as good as new.

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King Street Station was Seattle’s first large, modern transport hub when it opened its doors in the early 20th century. Characterised by its deep-red brick façade and high ceilings, its architecture was inspired by classic stations like London’s St Pancras and Paddington in the UK. Following several renovations, King Street Station remains one of the most impressive structures in Seattle.

Operating since 1896, Portland’s Union Station is the oldest major passenger terminal on the West Coast. Embellished with ornate terracotta designs and moulded brick, the building is considered a masterpiece of Romanesque and Queen Anne architecture. Its most notable features include the 150-foot-high (46m) clock tower, which crowns the building, and the spectacular waiting room with its floral-patterned ceiling, marble walls and polished floors.

Stepping into this grand building, also known as Greensboro Station, feels like going back in time. Built by the Southern Railway in 1927, the Beaux-Arts-style building features three-storey-high columns and an elegant arched glass entrance. Inside, the soaring waiting room houses an impressive mural of the 1920s Southern Railway network. After nearly 30 years out of service, the J. Douglas Galyon Depot was restored in 2005 and still retains its original charm.

First opened in 1901, Main Street Station has always been one of Richmond’s most recognisable landmarks. Once a bustling transport hub, the station closed in 1975 due to a decline in rail passengers. Following years of renovation, the historic station reopened in 2003, marking the return of train services to the city’s downtown area. Today, Main Street Station is considered one of the most important buildings in Richmond.

Covering 32,695 square feet (3,037sqm), the original Denver Union Depot was the largest building in the West when it first opened in 1881. Following a fire and a boom in train travel, it was demolished and rebuilt as a Beaux-Arts and Renaissance-Revival building made from carved granite and terracotta, and was renamed Denver Union Station. After a drop in passengers led to its decline, the station reopened in 2014 and is now Denver’s main cultural hub, home to restaurants, shops and bars.

This pretty station is often regarded as one of the finest buildings in Kansas City. First opened in 1914, Union Station was an important transport hub for allied passengers and America’s armed forces during the First and Second World Wars. Following its closure in 1983, the Beaux-Arts station was redeveloped and reopened in 1999. Today, Union Station is home to shops, world-class travelling exhibits, a theatre and Science City, an interactive science centre.

Inspired by airship hangars and lavish transit halls like New York’s Grand Central Station, Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) is a modern masterpiece. Its magnificent 120-foot-high (37m) glass entrance opens to a sprawling lobby dotted with waiting areas and ticket booths. The station is particularly pretty at night when it's illuminated by colourful lights, giving it a gorgeous glow.

A landmark of Boston’s Financial District, South Station was one of the busiest stations in America for years. The Neoclassical-Revival-style building opened in 1899 and wows with its elegant entrance, marked by a monumental clock topped with an eagle statue. At its peak in 1913, the station served around 38 million passengers. Considered one of the most magnificent stations in the US, it's a splendid monument to the country’s so-called golden age of railway travel, from the early 20th century to the 1940s.

Read our full guide to Boston here

With its colourful tiles, pretty fountains and towering palm trees, Los Angeles’ Union Station epitomises Southern California glamour. Completed in 1939, the building is a unique blend of Spanish-Colonial, Mission-Revival and Art Deco architecture. Striking features inside include chandeliers, marble floors and hand-painted tiles. Today, Los Angeles’ Union Station is the largest railroad passenger terminal in the western US and is regarded as the last of the great train stations.

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A historic gem, Baltimore’s Penn Station (as it’s usually known) has served as the city’s main transport hub for more than a hundred years. Designed by prominent architect Kenneth Mackenzie Murchison, the building blends functionality with classic Beaux-Arts architecture. Following its deterioration due to the Second World War, the station was given a makeover in the 1980s to restore its mosaic floors, stained-glass windows and glazed tiles, which continue to impress passengers today.

New York Penn Station, as it’s better known, was first built in the early 1900s and was so large that it occupied two whole city blocks. The building was demolished in the 1960s and rebuilt a few years later. The Moynihan Train Hall (pictured) was built as part of the station’s expansion in 2012 and is considered a triumph. Inspired by Penn Station’s original grandeur, its sweeping main hall and skylight ceiling are stunning examples of modern engineering.

With its soaring concourse, imposing porticoes and stunning works of art, Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station is as elegant as they come. Finished in the 1930s, the sprawling eight-storey Neoclassical building features Corinthian columns at its entrance and Art Deco chandeliers and cathedral-style windows inside. The station, designated a National Historic Place in 1978, is set to undergo a huge restoration project that's expected to be completed by 2025.

Another stunning example of Beaux-Arts architecture, Utica’s Union Station is equally impressive on the inside. Built in the early 20th century, the three-storey granite building is best known for its cathedral-like waiting room, whose barrel-vaulted ceiling, columns, arches and marble floors exude elegance.

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The third-busiest rail terminal in the country, Chicago’s Union Station is a much-loved feature of the city’s historic architecture. Constructed in the 1920s, it was built to meet the increasing demand for rail travel to and from Chicago. The Grand Hall, with its barrel-vaulted skylight, soaring archways and statues, is its most impressive feature. The station has been undergoing restoration since 2012 to modernise and make use of undeveloped spaces.

Union (or Penn) Station’s beautiful Beaux-Arts building has served as a gateway to Pittsburgh for more than a hundred years. The only 20th-century station in Pittsburgh still in use, it's best known for its dreamy ground level rotunda, constructed in brown terracotta with arched entryways and a magnificent domed ceiling. The station’s striking façade serves as a reminder of America’s glory days of train travel.

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In the heart of Manhattan, Grand Central Station has been welcoming passengers to New York City for more than a hundred years. Designed by Reed Stern Warren in 1913, the station’s lofty arches and marble interior are part of a clever design of cutting-edge engineering that blends efficiency with style. The station helped Midtown Manhattan quickly become one of the country’s biggest cultural, financial and entertainment hubs. Today, Grand Central Station certainly lives up to its name and is one of the city’s best-known landmarks.

Read our full guide to New York City

Originally one of the first great union railroad terminals, Union Station was serving up to 42,000 passengers daily at its peak. Sadly, the station suffered greatly during the Second World War and fell into decline. By the 1980s it was considered an “embarrassment” by the federal government. It reopened after renovations in 1988 and has been transformed into a dining hub – and one of the most impressive stations in the country.

Now check out these beautiful images of the world’s train stations