Minneapolis ยท Riverfront
Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, The Depot
Charles Frost's 1899 Milwaukee Road depot, used by 29 trains a day at its 1920 peak; book one of its 23 historic suites, the only rooms in the depot.
- Built
- 1899Milwaukee Road passenger depot completed 1899 (the city landmark list gives 1897-99) beside an 1879 freight house; converted 1998-2001 into the Renaissance and a Residence Inn.
- Style
- Renaissance Revival
- Architect
- Charles S. Frost
- Type
- Boutique hotel
- Area
- Riverfront
- Credentials
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Local landmark
The story
Charles Frost designed the Renaissance Revival depot for the Milwaukee Road; it opened in 1899, and its clock tower, modeled on the Giralda in Seville, lost its pinnacle to high winds in 1941. At the 1920 peak, 29 trains a day used the station; the last train left in 1971. The depot and freight house were listed on the National Register in 1978, and CSM Corporation converted the complex in 1998-2001 into the Renaissance hotel and a Residence Inn, with the long-span train shed used as a skating rink. The 2001 conversion created 23 historic suites in the original depot building.
The ghost story
American Ghost Walks, whose Minneapolis tour tells of a mysterious man in a fedora at The Depot, recounts a 2007 business traveler who saw a tall man in a fedora and long coat in his room at what is now the Renaissance Hotel, felt something push his shoulder, and woke in the night to find the figure at the foot of his bed.
Source: www.americanghostwalks.com
Good to know
- Address: 225 3rd Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55401
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Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.