Train Depot
Charlevoix’s beautiful historic train depot is available to Charlevoix Historical Society Annual Patron level members for weddings, meetings, and special events. The wonderful venue and perfect location at Depot Beach, complete with lovingly maintained gardens, can make your special event one to remember forever.
Please click on our usage policy for more information. To request a booking, please fill out the Depot Request Form and return it via email to info@chxhistory.com, or by hard copy to PO Box 525, Charlevoix, MI, 49720. For questions, or if you would like to see the depot, please call us at 231-547-0373. We look forward to hosting you in Charlevoix the Beautiful!
Depot Schedule of Fees – Private Patron Member Event
Depot Schedule of Fees – Non-profit Meeting or Event
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Pew donated the Charlevoix Train Depot to the Society in June 1992 on the 100th anniversary of the first train arriving in Charlevoix on June 26, 1892. The Depot was completed and opened in July of 1892.
The Depot has been restored and preserved with the help of funds raised through fundraisers and generous donations from local community and summer residents, and the Embrace.Preserve.Cherish. capital campaign which was started in 2017. It is a venue for Historical Society events and programs, and is available to patron level members for private events (see Policy above), as well as non-profits for a nominal fee.
Major exterior renovations and paint restoration were completed at the Charlevoix Train Depot during 2018. The cost for this project was over $100,000. Renovations include new cedar shakes, carpentry and masonry repairs, and window glazing. Architectural details and original paint colors from 1892 were restored with this work. A historic paint analysis was performed to identify the historic colors: dark green shakes, light green clapboard siding and light yellow trim and corbels. Painting was completed in October of 2018.
The last major project to complete the renovations was replacement of the roof, which was completed in June 2024. To preserve the historic look, the contractor was able to blend modern technology, construction requirements and materials with refurbished original design elements from the decorative edges on the peak of the roofline. This combined with the restoration of copper valleys resulted in a beautiful finished roof. The project cost $85,000 and was funded with gifts to the campaign over recent years and grants awarded in 2023.
To make a donation for on-going preservation of the Depot, select the Donate button from the home page or visit Charlevoix County Community Foundation at http://www.c3f.org and click the ‘Giving’ tab and choose the Charlevoix Historical Society Preservation Fund.
In 2023, much work was done on the Depot Heritage Gardens, thanks to an anonymous donor, to improve the appearance, irrigation and drainage in the garden. In 2024, the pergola was also repaired and repainted. Please visit when you have the chance. The Society thanks the Charlevoix Area Garden Club for the many, many hours their team of volunteers puts in each year to keep the gardens looking so beautiful!
The Depot is listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places and is designated a Charlevoix Historic District.
On May 8, 2025, the Charlevoix Historical Society was a recipient of the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office Governor’s Award for Preservation for Long-term Stewardship of Charlevoix Historic Sites: Museum at Harsha House, South Pier Lighthouse and Train Depot. For the full story, click on this link https://www.miplace.org/historic-preservation/programs-and-services/governors-awards-for-historic-preservation/charlevoix-historic-sites/
