In addition to the Great Northern Railroad line from the south that ended in Park Rapids, the Great Northern Railroad also built a line from Park Rapids east to Akeley, Walker and Cass Lake. Today this east-west railroad line is the route for the Heartland State Trail, one of the first rail-to-trail projects in the country.

Before the railroad extended to Park Rapids, getting here was hard. A visitor to town would have to take a train to a neighboring city, then take a stagecoach up to fifty miles through the woods. The arrival of the railroad in 1891 changed the course of Park Rapids' history.

The railroad, carrying freight and passengers back and forth, made the depot central to life in Park Rapids. The depot was constructed in two sections. The freight section was completed in 1891. The passenger section was completed much later in 1901. By the mid-1890s, trains brought many new people to the area. Some came to live and new residents more than doubled the population between 1890 and 1895.

More people arrived at the depot as tourists, hoping to enjoy the cool, clean air, hunting and fishing, and the woods and water. Regular rail service meant that tourists could leave the Twin Cities in the morning and arrive in Park Rapids in time for dinner. Resort hotels were built to cater to this new wave of tourists. The city had both a Great Northern Hotel and a Great Northern Brick Company, both named to honor the railroad company that brought so much to Park Rapids.

As more and more visitors to Park Rapids came by automobile, the depot became less central to the daily life of the community. Great Northern passenger service ended in 1952. In 1984, the final train departed the Park Rapids depot.

210 3rd Street East
Park Rapids, MN 56470

Open Site Location on Google Maps
46.9201417031294, -95.0557184193525