finest railroad station, and in 1908, the Chicago Record wrote, 'The handsomest railway station ever seen is the Burlington Station at Omaha. It is an artistic gem and looks like a Grecian Temple.' Although great attention was lavished on the classic proportions and styling of the station, functional considerations were also important to the design. Since the two-story depot was built next to the 10th Street viaduct, the main entrance to the station was from the viaduct to the second floor. This portico featured twenty-eight massive Colorado granite columns. The walls of the depot were built of light gray brick and buff Indiana limestone; the roof was covered in red glazed tile. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, in discussing the Omaha station in 1889 said, 'Through an inspiration worthy of general imitation, it (The Burlington Railroad) has erected at Omaha a most imposing, most original, and most architectural of passenger stations.' 1929-1953 The station was extensively remodeled from 1929 to 1930 to compete with a new Union Station (now the Durham Museum), that was to open in 1931. The remodeling was completed on September 4, 1930, and a grand public ceremony was held. Among the changes celebrated that day was a new restaurant that was to stay open for the next thirty years. The remodeling in 1930 changed the building to conform to the elements of the Neo-Classical Revival, which simplified the exterior, removing the granite columns, and much of the external detail. Twenty-four of the original columns were moved intact to Lincoln, where today they stand between Memorial Stadium and the Coliseum. The remodeling also included raising the roof-line over the main waiting room. The walls were decorated in a new motif including a border of gold medallions. Four large lanterns were installed, each weighing more than a ton. The central spiral staircase was totally removed 1954-2013 Remodeled again in 1954, the station saw a major parking plaza erected with lights and canopy, and a circular drive that enabled people to drop passengers at the station. During the late 1960s train travel was greatly reduced and several areas of the station fell into disrepair. Finally, in 1971, passenger service was turned over to Amtrak, which operated the Burlington Station until February 1, 1974, moving to a more spartan station about directly to the east in 1983 after a period of time with a temporary station. Also in 1974 the station was