Great Central Station , also known as Great Central Depot , was an intercity train station in Chicago , Illinois owned by the Illinois Central Railroad ( IC ) . It opened in 1856 and for a time was the largest building in downtown Chicago . Its passenger depot building was located on Water Street . In offices above the depot the IC had its headquarters , while beyond the depot was the large rail house where eight track lines ran . It was damaged in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 but remained in operation . The station proved inadequate to handle growing traffic and was demolished in 1893 in favor of Central Station . Millennium Station , formerly Randolph Street Terminal , sits on the location
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Great Central Station