Santa Fe Depot in Dodge City, Kansas
Historic Building
The old Santa Fe Depot in Dodge City, Kansas, now serves as an Amtrak Station and also houses the Depot Theater Company.
The Santa Fe Depot was originally built in 1898, and it also housed a Fred Harvey Hotel and a dining room. Can you imagine staying in the hotel in this building, and then walking out on the platform to board a train pulled by a steam locomotive? It almost sounds like something out of a movie now, but that kind of thing happened all the time back in the early part of the 20th century.
Fortunately, the building still stands today, and it is a great reminder of those long-ago days. Plus, you can still catch a train there, too. And you can see a theater production by the Depot Theater Company. Or, you can just stand outside and think about what it was like back in those old days, which is what we did.
I have read that the Dodge City Santa Fe Depot is the largest remaining depot in Kansas. With its interesting architectural styles and history, I am glad that it is still there.
Our Visit to the Depot
As you may recall, we took a trip to Dodge City way back over Easter weekend. I posted a few things about our trip, but then I got sidetracked by our 2022 Disney Cruise. But Dodge City was on my mind recently, and so I looked back through my photos to see what I had not posted.
I had not posted any photos of the Santa Fe Depot yet, so here you go! I actually took several photos of the depot, which should surprise no one. But this one best captures the feel of being right there.
I had read that the depot is open Monday through Friday. But wouldn’t you know it, we were there on Saturday. We did peek in the windows where we could, and it looked as fascinating on the inside as it does on the outside.
They just don’t make buildings like they used to. Of course, in some ways, they make buildings better than they used to. But the buildings of today just do not have quite the same interesting looks to them that these old buildings had.
It does make me wonder if somewhere out in the future someone will be nostalgic for the way our modern buildings look now. I can just imagine 100 years from now, someone will look back at our 2022 buildings and say, “They just don’t make them like they used to.” I don’t know what might be different about the future buildings, but I am pretty sure that there will be someone who likes the old way. Which right now is the current way.
I recall the old days. I meditate on all you have done; I reflect on your accomplishments. - Psalm 143:5
About the Photo
This photo uses the same color vs black and white technique that I have used a few other times recently. I think it works well here to draw your eye immediately to the depot building. Plus, the black and white portion helps you to realize that this is an old, historic building, while the color portion shows you how it looks now. For my purposes, I don’t think either all color or all black and white would have been as effective as this is.
Photo: Each photo is a single Raw exposure, processed in GIMP and Raw Therapee. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Rokinon 35mm f/1.8
Date: Apriil 16, 2022
Location: Dodge City, Kansas
