Livingston Depot Center, Montana

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Livingston, Montana · Updated October 19, 2026 · 12 min read

Depot museumMuseum open May to September; events year round

Built in 1902 as the Northern Pacific Railroad's launching point for travel to Yellowstone National Park, the Livingston Depot was saved by local citizens and reopened in 1987 as a seasonal museum and community center in the heart of downtown Livingston.

  • Northern Pacific depot built in 1902
  • Designed by Reed and Stem
  • Original gateway to Yellowstone
  • Museum open May to September
  • Reopened in 1987 after restoration
  • Festival of the Arts each July

Livingston Depot Center at a glance

Hours
Museum: Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm, May to September. Office: weekdays 10 am to 4 pm.
Admission
Not posted on the depot's website; call (406) 222-2300
Seasonal events
Festival of the Arts, Railroad Swap Meet, Wine & Beer Tasting, Light Up Livingston, Winter Makers Market, Trivia Night, Big Bend Fine Art Auction
Plan for
About 1 to 2 hours, more with lunch at the Beanery
Best for
Architecture and rail history fans on the way to Yellowstone
Best ages
Ages 6 and up
Parking
The depot has its own lot along Depot Rotary Park

Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Livingston Depot Center? Bring Rally along.

In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Livingston.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

The Northern Pacific's front door to Yellowstone

Livingston exists because the Northern Pacific Railroad planned it as the gateway for travel to Yellowstone National Park, a role the town held almost alone for about a quarter century. Service to the park through Livingston began in 1883. The first depot, built in 1882, was wooden and burned; a larger brick station followed in 1888, but the stream of Yellowstone-bound passengers soon outgrew it.

For the third station, the Northern Pacific hired Reed and Stem, the Minnesota firm that first designed New York's Grand Central Terminal. The result, dedicated in the summer of 1902, is an Italianate building of red and yellow brick trimmed in terra cotta, from lions' heads to floral figures to the railroad's yin-yang emblem. A main building, a baggage building and a restaurant known as the beanery are joined by a sweeping colonnade around a courtyard facing the tracks. The depot also served as headquarters of the Northern Pacific's Rocky Mountain division, with telegraph wires carrying train orders up and down the line, and it saw the North Coast Limited pass through.

Rail travel to the park faded around World War II as families switched to cars. The Northern Pacific became part of the Burlington Northern in 1970, and passenger trains ended for good when Amtrak dropped the North Coast Hiawatha in 1979. Burlington Northern used the building for offices, then donated it to the City of Livingston in 1985.

Local citizens had lobbied for that gift and formed the Livingston Depot Foundation, a member-based nonprofit, to restore and run it. After two years of work, the Livingston Depot Center opened in the summer of 1987. The foundation has cared for it since, including a roof restoration and stabilization project in the mid-2000s.

Colonnade, courtyard and a summer museum

The building itself is the first exhibit. Walk the colonnade that links the three buildings, look up at the terra cotta detailing, and look down at the inlaid terrazzo and tile floors, where the Northern Pacific emblem appears again. The depot stands along the tracks on the north side of Park Street, beside the shaded Depot Rotary Park.

From May to September the depot houses a museum of railroad artifacts, photographs and art tied to Livingston and the Yellowstone region, with a featured exhibit that changes each year. Recent years have brought railroad photography by Warren McGee, The Railroads of Ron Nixon, A Railroad Runs Through It, Edd Enders: Trains of Livingston, and exhibits on Yellowstone wildlife and the landscapes of Highway 89. The Northern Pacific Beanery, a gourmet shop and a beer and wine spot share the complex, so lunch can be part of the visit.

Don’t miss

  1. The colonnade and courtyardThe sweeping covered walkway that ties the main depot to the baggage building and the beanery is the heart of the Reed and Stem design.
  2. Northern Pacific yin-yang emblemsThe railroad's trademark appears in the terra cotta outside and in the terrazzo and tile inside; counting them is a good game for kids.
  3. The featured summer exhibitEach season brings a new main exhibit, from railroad photography to Yellowstone's animal migrations, so repeat visitors see something different.
  4. The Northern Pacific BeaneryThe depot's old restaurant building still serves food today, a direct line back to the meals once served to passengers here.
  5. Depot Rotary ParkThe shaded park beside the depot runs parallel to the tracks and hosts the Festival of the Arts each Fourth of July weekend.

Spotting details on a grand old station

The depot is more of a looking museum than a climbing one, so it suits kids who like to hunt for details. Send them looking for the lions' heads and the Northern Pacific yin-yang emblem in the brick and tile, then step outside to Depot Rotary Park, which runs alongside the railroad tracks, for a break in the shade.

Summer is the time to come with children, since the museum is open May to September. Larger family-friendly events such as the Festival of the Arts and the Railroad Swap Meet are posted on the depot's events page.

Plan your visit: tips for Livingston Depot Center

  • Take any Livingston exit off I-90 and follow Park Street; the depot faces the Murray at Second Street.
  • Plan a summer visit: museum exhibits come down after September.
  • The museum is closed Sundays.
  • Check the events page in July for the Festival of the Arts dates.

Once the museum closes for the season, the depot turns into Livingston's gathering place. The Wine & Beer Tasting returns for its 21st year on November 13, 2026, and the holiday season brings Light Up Livingston and the Winter Makers Market, with local artists selling under the depot's roof. The Railroad Swap Meet is a favorite with collectors, and the Festival of the Arts fills Depot Rotary Park each Fourth of July weekend.

A foundation that grew out of a town's lobbying

The Livingston Depot Foundation, the member-based nonprofit that residents created in the 1980s to save the building, still runs the depot. You can support it through membership, volunteering, business sponsorship or a direct donation, and renting the depot for a wedding or party also helps pay for its upkeep. Volunteer questions go to getinvolved@livingstondepot.org.

Rail history within a drive of Livingston

Head southwest about 72 miles to Virginia City for the Montana Heritage Commission railroad exhibits and the Alder Gulch Short Line Railroad, which runs between Virginia City and Nevada City. The Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway collection is about 98 miles west. For the full list, see our guide to Montana train museums.

Every train museum in Montana

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of Rally the corgi dreaming about his toy turtle, green bone and yellow ball
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

I love that this depot has its own baggage building. Picture all those trunks headed for Yellowstone, packed with whatever each family couldn't leave behind. Rally's suitcase in our book holds his turtle toy, his green bone and his yellow ball, which is about all a corgi needs for a trip to see his grand-paw-rents. My mom would have liked thinking about what was in those old trunks too.

Free for train families

Print the Rally coloring pages before you go

Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.

Get the free coloring pages
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

More for train families

Work or volunteer at Livingston Depot Center?

We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.

Sources

Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.

Livingston Depot Center: 20 common questions answered

What is the Livingston Depot Center?

The Livingston Depot Center is the restored 1902 Northern Pacific Railroad station in downtown Livingston, Montana. It runs a seasonal museum from May to September and serves as a community and event center the rest of the year. The Livingston Depot Foundation, a member-based nonprofit, has operated it since it reopened in 1987.

Where is the Livingston Depot Center in Livingston, MT?

The depot is at 200 West Park Street in Livingston, Montana 59047. Take any Livingston exit off I-90 and head into town. It is the large brick building on the north side of Park Street along the tracks, just east of Depot Rotary Park and across from the Murray at Second Street.

What are the Livingston Depot Center museum hours?

As of October 2026, the depot lists museum hours of 10 am to 5 pm, Monday through Saturday, from May through September. The office is open 10 am to 4 pm on weekdays. The museum exhibits are not up in the off season, so plan a summer visit and call (406) 222-2300 to confirm.

How much is admission to the Livingston Depot Center museum?

The depot does not post an admission price on its website. Montana travel listings have described a modest admission charge for the summer museum. Call the office at (406) 222-2300 on a weekday between 10 am and 4 pm to ask about current prices before you go.

Where can I see photos of the Livingston Depot Center?

The depot shares photos of the building, its exhibits and its events on its Facebook and Instagram pages, and its website shows the colonnade, courtyard and park. Wikimedia Commons also holds pictures of the station. In person, look for the terra cotta lions' heads and the Northern Pacific emblem in the floors.

When is the Livingston Depot Center Festival of the Arts?

The Festival of the Arts takes place over the Fourth of July weekend in Depot Rotary Park, the shaded park that runs beside the depot and the railroad tracks. The depot posts an artist and vendor directory for each year's festival on its website, so check there for the current year's dates and participants.

When was the Livingston depot built?

The Northern Pacific dedicated the current depot in the summer of 1902. It was the third station on the site: an 1882 wooden depot burned, and an 1888 brick depot became too small for the growing crowds of travelers bound for Yellowstone. The 1902 building has anchored downtown Livingston ever since.

Who designed the Livingston Depot?

The depot was designed by Reed and Stem, the Minnesota firm that were the original architects of New York City's Grand Central Terminal. They gave Livingston an Italianate station in red and yellow brick with ornate terra cotta, inlaid terrazzo floors, and a colonnade that wraps around a courtyard facing the tracks.

Why was Livingston the gateway to Yellowstone?

The Northern Pacific Railroad planned Livingston as its launching point for travel to Yellowstone National Park and began park service through the town in 1883. The depot handled both the main line and the Yellowstone Park branch, and for about a quarter century most park visitors arrived this way, until cars took over around World War II.

Do trains still stop at the Livingston Depot?

No. Passenger service at Livingston ended in October 1979, when Amtrak discontinued the North Coast Hiawatha. The depot still stands along the tracks, but today it is a museum and community center rather than a working station. Burlington Northern donated the building to the City of Livingston in 1985.

Is the Livingston Depot Center good for kids?

It is a good short stop for kids who like old buildings and trains. They can hunt for lions' heads and the Northern Pacific yin-yang emblem in the brick and tile, then play in Depot Rotary Park beside the tracks. There is no ride or play area, so the summer museum suits ages 6 and up best.

Is there parking at the Livingston Depot Center?

Yes. The depot has its own parking lot along Depot Rotary Park, on the north side of Park Street. Downtown Livingston is compact, so once you park you can walk from the depot to nearby shops and restaurants. Big festival days fill up quickly, so arrive early.

Can you have a wedding at the Livingston Depot Center?

Yes. The depot hosts weddings, receptions, holiday parties and other private events, and it is booking for 2027 and beyond. It offers packages for couples that bundle what is needed to host a wedding there. Call (406) 222-2300 or visit the Host Your Event page on the depot's website to ask about dates.

What events happen at the Livingston Depot Center?

Beyond the summer museum, the depot hosts the Festival of the Arts, a Railroad Swap Meet, Trivia Night, a Wine & Beer Tasting, Light Up Livingston, the Winter Makers Market and the Big Bend Fine Art Auction, part of ArtWeek Park County. Its events page lists current dates for each one.

When is the Livingston Depot Wine & Beer Tasting?

As of October 2026, the Wine & Beer Tasting is set for November 13, 2026, and it is returning for its 21st year. The event supports the Livingston Depot Foundation, which preserves and runs the depot. Tickets and details are on the depot's website, or call (406) 222-2300.

Is there a model railroad at the Livingston Depot Center?

A model railroad club meets in the depot's basement, and the depot lists the Model Railroad Club among the groups based there. The depot does not post public viewing hours for the layout, so call (406) 222-2300 to ask whether visitors can see it during your trip.

Where can you eat at the Livingston Depot Center?

The Northern Pacific Beanery is in the depot's original restaurant building, connected to the main station by the colonnade. The complex also includes the Gourmet Cellar and Trackside Beer & Wine. Check each business's own hours, since they can differ from the museum's summer schedule.

Who runs the Livingston Depot Center?

The Livingston Depot Foundation runs it. Local citizens created the nonprofit in the 1980s, lobbied for Burlington Northern to donate the depot to the city, and then led a two-year restoration before reopening it in 1987. The foundation also oversaw a roof restoration and stabilization project in the mid-2000s.

How can I volunteer or become a member at the Livingston Depot Center?

The depot welcomes members, volunteers and business sponsors, with details on the Support section of its website. Email getinvolved@livingstondepot.org with volunteer questions, or call (406) 222-2300. You can also donate directly to the Livingston Depot Foundation online to help preserve the building.

What train museums are near the Livingston Depot Center?

Virginia City, about 72 miles away, has the Montana Heritage Commission railroad exhibits and the Alder Gulch Short Line Railroad. The Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway historic collection is about 98 miles west, and the Charlie Russell Chew Choo near Lewistown is about 111 miles north.

Keep exploring

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Kelsey Cecil
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