Accessible from downtown Philadelphia only by bridge, 30th Street Station is simultaneously an island unto its own and the city's primary connection to the outside world. Bound by Center City and University City, the station is one of the busiest in the country. Every day 20,000 commuters pass through the doors of 30th Street Station, where they can hitch an Amtrak or NJ Transit train to travel across the country or hop on a SEPTA bus to just travel across the city.
30th Street Station is one of the country's few remaining grand railroad stations, a fact it owes to a five-year construction period between 1929 and 1934. The architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst, and White designed the station in Neoclassical style. A Karl Bitter bas relief and dignified columns usher visitors into the sweeping main terminal, with its ornate 90-foot ceiling and art-deco décor. Cool chandelier lighting subtly illuminates the terminal's pale bronze walls and casts reverence over the pew-like benches. The grandiose station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
For many visitors to the area, the station's grand terminal featuring an imposing bronze statue is the first sights of Philadelphia they witness. The statue of the archangel Michael cradling the body of a dead soldier is the Pennsylvania Railroad War Memorial, paying tribute to Pennsylvania Railroad workers killed in World War II. This statue is prominently featured in the movie Witness and other areas of the station have been featured in the movies Blow Out, Unbreakable, and Trading Places. Even if your travels don't bring you directly to the station's gates, 30th Street Station is architecturally alluring to any passer-through.
Attraction Information
- Contact:
- Location: 30th and Market Streets, Philadelphia, PA
- Phone: 215-349-3196
- Ticket Information: www.amtrak.com
