The Huntsville Depot is a museum in Alabama housed in a historic train depot building built in 1860. It is part of the EarlyWorks Museums and features exhibits on railroad history, graffiti left by Confederate soldiers, and a section for children. The EarlyWorks Foundation also operates two other museums, Constitution Village and the Children’s Museum. The Huntsville Depot is closed in January and February and on Sundays and Mondays.
The Huntsville Depot, also called the Huntsville Historic Depot, is a museum in Huntsville, Alabama. The museum occupies a historic train depot building, built in 1860. It is part of a group of museums called the EarlyWorks Museums.
The three-story Huntsville Depot opened in 1860 as the headquarters of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. As it was a divisional headquarters for the railroad, the depot was built in a more decorative style than other railroad buildings. It remained open as a train depot until 1968 and is one of the oldest train depot buildings in the United States. During the Civil War, Union forces occupied Huntsville and used the Huntsville Depot building as a barracks, hospital, and prison. The repository entered the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
This historic site now serves as a museum, part of a complex of museums operated by the EarlyWorks Foundation. Exhibits in the Huntsville Depot museum span the entirety of the building’s history and include exhibits on railroad history and graffiti left by Confederate soldiers imprisoned in the depot since occupation by Union forces. Other exhibits include historic automobiles and Aunt Eunice’s Country Kitchen, a restaurant that was located on the grounds of the depot and has been preserved in its original state. Little Toot’s Imagination Station is a section of the museum designed specifically for young children. It features activities for children based on a railway theme.
The EarlyWorks Foundation is a non-profit organization that operates two museums in addition to the Huntsville Depot. Constitution Village recreates life in 1819, the year Alabama became a state. The constitution that brought Alabama into the United States was drafted and signed in Huntsville, which became the state’s first capital. Actors take on the roles of historic Alabamasans and bring this period of state history to life with exhibits of historic crafts and daily life. The Foundation also operates the Children’s Museum, which features exhibits on local history and related topics aimed specifically at younger museum-goers.
The Huntsville Depot is only open part of the year, closing its doors in January and February, with limited opening hours in May when the WhistleStop Weekend festival takes over the building. This celebration, which includes food, music and other activities, raises money for EarlyWorks museums. The depot is also closed on Sundays and Mondays. Visitors planning to visit the museum should confirm opening hours when planning their visit.
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