King Street Station, Seattle

One of the last remaining old-style big city depots, King Street Station may not be as grand as New York's Grand Central but is nevertheless good looking for U.S. standards and can even give some train stations in Europe a run for their money. Well over a century old now, it was fully restored to its current glory in 2013. Always clean, bright, and mostly efficiently run, it is the departure point for the fabulous 3½-hour journey to Vancouver, BC, where the train hugs the coastline most of the way.

Architecture enthusiasts and other observant visitors will spot the clock tower's resemblance to Saint Mark's Campanile in Venice, after which it was modeled. This style is sometimes denoted as "Railroad Italianate" due to the definite Italian inspirations, though the structure also shows influences of Beaux-Arts. Inside, at the base of the clock tower, is the entry hall, known as the Compass Room – so it's pretty much like going to a museum rather than a rail station. The interior mosaic is a work of art!

As for the terrain around the station, much of it is, interestingly enough, reclaimed land from what was once the bay. As much as 60 million cubic feet (1.7 million cubic meters) of earth was used for landfill and to raise the level of the city.

Tip:
To get a much better view of this station, take the time to go up to the second level.