Myrtle Beach’s train depot is a treasure trove of memories. What do you remember?

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Myrtle Beach’s train depot isn’t only a nationally recognized landmark, but a trove of memories for dozens of families, functionaries and friends that over the decades have gathered under its eaves to break bread.

Since opening in 1937 at 851 Broadway, the station spent decades as a major transportation artery, with visitors pouring off the Atlantic Coastline Railroad car and onto the city’s beaches and colorful attractions.

“Myrtle Beach is a modern, rapidly growing sea-side resort with several miles of paved streets, modernly equipped hotels, with practically all the advantages of the city, yet close enough to Nature to make a visit there refreshing, and luring one back again and again,” that summer’s edition of Atlantic Coastline Railroad’s newsletter proclaimed.

By 1955, trains pulling into the depot were just three left in the nation that had mixed routes as civilians traveled with servicemen from the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base.

As passenger rail travel began to wane, Atlantic Coastline sold the depot in 1967 to a beverage distributor that erected offices and warehouses on the site — blocking the depot from view.

On Oct. 23, 1986 the final passenger train departed from the depot en route to Conway for a political rally.

City officials would take possession of the depot at the turn of the 21st century, with a public-private campaign raising more than $1 million to purchase and then later restore the site.

Since then, it’s been used for baby showers, class reunions, birthday parties and family banquets.

In 2017, the Myrtle Beach Police Department honored retiring K-9 officer Alli with a function at the depot. And the follwing year, the depot hosted 201 events.

The city hosted its inaugural Juneteenth Celebration in 2022 with a parade that stepped off from the depot.

Legendary Myrtle Beach photographer Jack Thomson, who has spent his career capturing iconic city scenes - including thousands of the depot - stepped in front of bulldozers to halt its demolition.

This story was originally published October 24, 2023 at 9:55 AM.