Russellville's Depot Park is an outdoor community square and event space that regularly hosts various local gatherings filled with live music, food, and activities for all ages. Main Street Russellville (a local nonprofit community development organization) hosts the local farmer's market and various community events in the park, averaging around 100 events each year. In April 2024, Main Street Russellville hosted its award-winning three-day Moon Over Main eclipse festival, and the Depot Park stage was the center of the event. The event included 13 live music acts, presentations by NASA, and a glow-in-the-dark dance party, which has become an annual event. Main Street Russellville also hosts a public safety and health expo, a concert series, and movies in the park. Community members and organizations can also rent the stage and park area.
Main street russellville hosted an outdoor movie for ATU students and a Moon Over Main festival
Before Depot Park opened in 2016, the City of Russellville lacked a central gathering place adequate for hosting events. The nearby Union Pacific railroad station offered limited space for small farmers’ markets or luncheons, but city personnel recognized a need for space to host community events to build camaraderie in Russellville. Because of this, Main Street Russellville wanted to develop the downtown area. Their overall goal was to revitalize Russellville to become a business and governmental center as well as a cultural center for the River Valley.
Depot Park was designed by Crafton Tull and is located in Russellville's historic district. The style of the park is cohesive with the style of nearby Union Pacific Railroad Depot. Main Street Russellville is based out of the building, which serves as the centerpiece for the city's downtown revitalization project. The rehabilitated train station building was built in 1916 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was restored by Crafton Tull prior to designing Depot Park. The restoration was carried out over three phases and was funded through various historic preservation grants and the Arkansas Department of Transportation TAP grants. The work included the restoration of the interior of the depot, keeping the finishes and trim work as close to the original as possible. Exterior modifications included the installation of a new roof using materials that mimicked the original look. Sidewalks and parking were also improved, and a new wrought iron fence between the building and the railroad was added. The design team ensured that historic preservation remained a priority while redeveloping and enhancing the area.
the style of the historic Union Pacific depot railroad station influenced the design of DEPOT park
“Historically, the Union Pacific Depot was an important part of the economic growth of the City. The restoration of the building and the addition of the amenities of the park have kept this area of downtown relevant to the vitality of Russellville. Crafton Tull is proud to have partnered with the City and Main Street Russellville over several years to bring about the facilities that we enjoy on a regular basis.”
Gregg Long, LEED
Vice President
Crafton Tull
Depot Park is a roughly 1-acre venue that includes a large, covered stage, a central lawn, and storage and restroom spaces. The pavilion was designed to complement the aesthetics of the historic Union Pacific Depot station located across the street. Also contributing to the depot station theme is the outdoor lighting, which is a reproduction of the historic, early 1900's lighting used in the railroad district.
“The park area was in desperate need of an update, and Russellville's downtown could not keep up with the demands of the variety of events our growing community enjoyed. Depot Park's stage was fashioned out of a historic train caboose that fits well with the historic train depot.”
Danielle J. Housenick, PCED
Executive Director
Main Street Russellville
Depot Park has been an integral part of developing the downtown Russellville community and has served as a gathering place for residents and visitors alike for the past decade. The downtown Russellville area is in its final phase of a streetscape and infrastructure overhaul, and once it's complete, further expansion at Depot Park is being considered by Main Street Russellville.
STORY BY MAGGIE BUTLER - MARKETING SPECIALIST
