Wayzata’s Scene Takes A Permanent Change
This week, we’re taking a rare look at a location that you can still visit today. This is the Wayzata Depot. Built in 1906 by James J. Hill, president of the Great Northern Railway, the Wayzata station was hailed as one of the company’s finest depots outside of the major metropolitan hubs.
Upon its opening, throngs of visitors eagerly toured the building and marveled at its advanced amenities. These included steam powered radiator heating and two indoor bathrooms with running water & sewer. This new depot also featured other niceties rarely seen outside major metro stations such as terrazzo & marble beam flooring and electric lighting, which was added a few years after the station’s opening.
The Depot building housed two separate sections; one dedicated to passenger service and one for freight service. On opening day, James J. Hill spent the afternoon on site giving away trinkets to visitors. He also had his attendants bring his personal desk to the station as a gift to the station and its workers. That desk still remains in the depot today and can be found in the purser’s office.
It was out of the Wayzata Depot that boatbuilder Royal C. Moore loaded his boats to be sent off to his customers. Most famously, Moore constructed the parts for Minnehaha and her sisters, loaded them onto the train in Wayzata, and sent them to Minneapolis to be assembled by the Twin City Rapid Transit Company.
By 1971, the depot was shuttered and passenger service in Wayzata was no more. Yet, despite the sad ending, this is where the depot’s story strays from the norm. . . Typically, after closing a station, the rail company would strip their depots of any fixtures, furniture, equipment, etc. In Wayzata, precisely the opposite happened. The doors were locked and the building was left as though standard operation would resume the next day. Some parts were taken by the station operators, but many parts like the original 1906 waiting benches, desks, communications equipment, and more were all left in place. The building was given to the City of Wayzata in 1972 and, in 1981, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
By the early 2000’s, the depot was reopened by the Wayzata Historical Society (now LMHS) as a functional museum. A key player in this transformation was local resident Terry Middlekauf. It was his determined advocacy that helped shape the depot into an icon of Wayzata’s Lake Street scene. Middlekauf continued to play a strong role in the depot’s function until his death on May 7, 2024.
Today, the Wayzata Depot remains a wonderful place to visit for anyone who is interested in Minnetonka or railway history. It’s also a wonderful place to bring children, as the museum encourages learning through interacting with the exhibits. Whistles, telegraphs, bells, phones, model trains, and more can entertain and fascinate young and old alike. This one of a kind museum offers something of interest to just about anyone who visits. Whether you're interested in the lake, trains, important figures, or whatever else, it's likely to get a mention in this museum.
I'd strongly recommend visiting the Wayzata Depot to experience our community's shared history!