National Visitor Center

[1] As American railroad travel declined in the years after World War II, Union Station fell into financial and physical disrepair, losing much of its former glory[2] as "one of Washington's grandest public spaces"[3] and leading to discussion of alternative uses for the building.

[2] President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the act into law to create a "central clearinghouse where a visitor can gather information about our many monuments, museums, and Government buildings".

[5] The original 1967 agreement provided that Union Station's owners would pay $16 million for the Visitor Center renovation and construction of the parking garage.

[2] Reconstruction of the station included outfitting the famous Main Hall, with its 90-foot ceilings, with a recessed pit to display "Welcome to Washington", an expensive slide show presentation.

[7] This was officially the PAVE - the Primary Audio-Visual Experience,[8] produced by the joint output of 100 Kodak Carousel slide projectors behind 100 screens,[8] but was sarcastically referred to as "the Pit".

[9] The center also featured two 175-seat movie theaters, multilingual information desks, an exhibit on first ladies, a Hall of States, a new parking garage, and a bookstore.

[1] Financial considerations caused the National Park Service to close the theaters, end the slideshow presentation in "the Pit", and lay off almost three-quarters of the center's staff on October 28, 1978.

[2] Parts of the roof collapsed and rain damage ensued, toadstools grew inside the main hall, and the whole station was sealed shut in 1981.

[1][12] In retrospect, the National Visitor Center was viewed as a classic case of "federal tinkering" gone bad,[3] "one of Washington's major embarrassments"[7] and an idea that "failed miserably ... [and] closed in disgrace".