A.J. Graham October 13, 2026
On Sept. 15, KMOV's First Alert 4 reported that Kirkwood's historic train station had "officially reopened." At the same ceremony, the Webster-Kirkwood Times heard officials say at least a month of interior work remained before the building could serve passengers. Both reports are accurate. The 1893 depot at Kirkwood Road and Argonne is reopening in stages. The exterior is done and the interior is still being finished. The train schedule is ready right now.
As of today, Oct. 12, 2026, you can leave Kirkwood in the morning, spend a fall day in Hermann, Washington, or Jefferson City, and be back by 9:13 p.m. You don't have to wait for the waiting room to be finished to do it.
The ceremony took place on the station's newly completed outdoor patio. The Webster-Kirkwood Times lists what the restoration includes:
Two outlets reported the cost differently. First Alert 4 called it a $4.7 million overhaul. The Webster-Kirkwood Times reported more than $4.2 million in grants plus another $1 million in local donations, which made the project fully funded without any other money. The city bought the depot from Union Pacific in 2003, and its last renovations were in 1941 and 1985.
Speaking to the Webster-Kirkwood Times, Missouri Transportation Commission Chair Warren Erdman gave the credit to "a strong and engaged citizenry." That fits a station that runs on volunteers. The paper counts about 46 of them, staffing the stop whenever a passenger train arrives. The city's volunteer page is accepting applicants. It says volunteers clean and polish the station, decorate for the seasons, and plant the window boxes.
The station is opening in three stages, and each has its own timeline.
Plans for after construction go beyond a ticket counter. Art McDonnell, president of the Historic Kirkwood Train Station Foundation, told the Webster-Kirkwood Times the station will become a community hub for private and civic events once the work is done. The city's project goals also include monthly "Art at the Station" exhibits, which the Kirkwood Arts Commission has sponsored since 2015, and the station's role as a trailhead for cyclists heading to the Katy Trail and the future Rock Island Trail. No fall 2026 exhibit or rental policy had been posted as of this writing.
The trains have kept running through the construction. In the Webster-Kirkwood Times story, Mayor Liz Gibbons says ridership on the Missouri River Runner dropped by more than half in a single year after Missouri cut funding in 2020. She then spent two years lobbying Jefferson City to restore it. With two daily trains back, Kirkwood became the line's second-busiest stop, even while passengers were using a temporary building. The state's FY2027 budget keeps $17.5 million in core general revenue for the River Runner, plus $573,927 more in an expansion line.
The ridership numbers depend on which count you use. MoDOT estimates 13,921 Kirkwood riders on the River Runner in calendar 2024. It got that number by dividing ridership for the whole route among stations according to each station's overall share of Amtrak riders. Amtrak's Great American Stations page lists 60,213 riders for the station in fiscal 2025. The two figures cover different time periods and use different methods, so treat them as separate measurements rather than one trend line.
For a day trip, two trains matter. These times come from Amtrak's Missouri River Runner timetable dated Oct. 12, 2026:
Stop | Train 311 westbound, morning | Train 316 eastbound, evening |
|---|---|---|
Kirkwood | Departs 8:39 a.m. | Arrives 9:13 p.m. |
Washington | Arrives 9:16 a.m. | Departs 8:24 p.m. |
Hermann | Arrives 9:45 a.m. | Departs 7:57 p.m. |
Jefferson City | Arrives 10:35 a.m. | Departs 7:12 p.m. |
Both trains run daily. That gives you roughly ten hours in Hermann and more than eight in Jefferson City before the train home. Timetables change, so check Amtrak again before you book.
Visit Hermann runs Oktoberfest every weekend in October. The remaining schedule weeks are Oct. 12–18, Oct. 19–25, and Oct. 26–Nov. 1. Weekend programming includes live music and food at Hermannhof Winery. Saturdays add events at Stone Hill Winery, Adam Puchta Winery, and Copper Mule Distillery, plus a lederhosen and dirndl contest at Willie's Philly's. The Week 3 schedule lists Witches & Wine on Thursday, Oct. 15, and horse-drawn carriage rides downtown on Friday, Oct. 16. Carriage rides return Friday, Oct. 23.
Amtrak's Hermann station is at 301 Wharf Street, and Amtrak describes the downtown as walkable. Hermannhof is at 330 E. 1st Street. Visit Hermann also names Tin Mill Brewery, Black Shire Distillery, Fernweh Distilling, Dierberg Star Lane, and UnColor Wine Bar & Gallery among the tasting stops in the Historic District. Once Oktoberfest ends, the town's calendar moves to the holidays. That includes a Christmas open house Nov. 6–8, the Holiday Fare Wine Trail Nov. 21–22, and a downtown tree lighting and lantern walk Nov. 28.
Washington is 37 minutes from Kirkwood on the morning train. Amtrak lists the depot at 301 West Front Street, where the building also holds the visitor center and the Mid-Missouri Fine Arts Gallery. Downtown Washington Inc. lists the Holiday Parade of Lights on Friday, Nov. 27, from 6 to 7 p.m., with a tree lighting at Main and Elm. Small Business Saturday follows downtown on Nov. 28. The parade ends before the 8:24 p.m. train back to Kirkwood leaves.
Amtrak's Jefferson City station is at 101 Jefferson Street, inside the Jefferson Landing historic site between the statehouse and the Governor's Mansion. Mayor Gibbons has pointed to the train as an easy way to reach the Capitol. According to Missouri State Parks, Capitol tours are free but must be reserved at least 24 hours ahead. Weekend tours start at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and both fit inside the gap between the 10:35 a.m. arrival and the 7:12 p.m. departure. On Saturday, Oct. 17, a free backyard showing of "The Fly" runs from 7 to 9 p.m. on the Lohman Building lawn at Jefferson Landing. It runs past the evening train, so it only works if you're staying the night.
Amtrak requires reservations for bicycles on the Missouri River Runner and doesn't offer checked-bike service. Carry-on bikes can weigh up to 50 pounds, with tires no wider than 2 inches. Visit Jefferson City notes that the Sedalia, Hermann, and Washington depots all sit close to the Katy Trail, so a one-way ride with the train home is an option.
Downtown Kirkwood held its Fall Fest in the parking lot on the west side of the renovated station, so the grounds were hosting events even before the waiting room was finished. More events in the blocks around the depot are coming up this fall:
The Oct. 29 closures run right past the station. If you're driving through downtown that evening, plan to go around the core. If you're coming home on the 9:13 p.m. train, the streets should have reopened by the time you arrive.
With a background in construction management, I follow projects like this one through each stage, from the slate roof to the last mural. If you're curious how Kirkwood's station work and other downtown changes like it affect the blocks around them, A. J. Graham is glad to talk it through. Let's Connect.
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