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All the United States Michigan South Lyon Witch's Hat Depot

Witch's Hat Depot

This early 20th-century former train station’s unusual roof shape earned it a rather witchy name.

South Lyon, Michigan

Added By
Sam Bishop
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Witch’s Hat Depot.   Sam Bishop / Atlas Obscura User
Witch’s Hat Depot.   Sam Bishop / Atlas Obscura User
Witch’s Hat Depot.   Sam Bishop / Atlas Obscura User
Witch’s Hat Depot.   Sam Bishop / Atlas Obscura User
Witch’s Hat Depot.   Sam Bishop / Atlas Obscura User
Witch’s Hat Depot.   Sam Bishop / Atlas Obscura User
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About

A year after the Pere Marquette Depot was destroyed by fire in 1908, South Lyon, Michigan, unveiled a new train station with an unusual quirk. The building was designed with a distinct conical shaped roof, which gave it a look similar to that of a witch's hat. 

For more than 45 years, the Witch's Hat Depot (then-named Queen Anne Depot) brought cargo and passengers along two intersecting rail lines, serving as a waypoint between the towns of Pontiac and Jackson before it was closed in 1955. 

The Witch's Hat Depot was vacant for the next two decades before it was bought by the township in 1975. The city had the building restored and moved to a local park as part of the town's bicentennial project.

In 1981, the station was turned into a museum and today serves as the meeting place for the South Lyon Historical Society, as well as a thriving community center. Its carefully preserved inside shows what an early 20th-century train depot would have looked like.

Related Tags

Witches Architecture Architectural Oddities Novelty Architecture Transportation Hats Museums

Know Before You Go

The Depot and surrounding historical village are open for tours on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Community Contributors

Added By

Sam Bishop

Edited By

Martin, amygoan

  • Martin
  • amygoan

Published

September 12, 2018

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Sources
  • http://www.southlyonmi.org/residents/community/witch_s_hat_depot.php
  • http://www.americanheritage.com/content/south-lyon-historical-commission-witch%E2%80%99s-hat-depot-museum
  • https://www.michmarkers.com/default?page=L0943
Witch's Hat Depot
300 Dorothy St
South Lyon, Michigan
United States
42.454786, -83.653524
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Michigan War Dog Memorial

South Lyon, Michigan

miles away

United Memorial Gardens

Plymouth, Michigan

miles away

Food Gatherers' Giant Carrots

Ann Arbor, Michigan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of South Lyon

South Lyon

Michigan

Places 2

Nearby Places

Michigan War Dog Memorial

South Lyon, Michigan

miles away

United Memorial Gardens

Plymouth, Michigan

miles away

Food Gatherers' Giant Carrots

Ann Arbor, Michigan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of South Lyon

South Lyon

Michigan

Places 2

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