Depot Theatre History

The Depot Theatre, the North Country’s leading professional, non-profit theatre, was founded, and still operates in, the historic and distinctive Delaware and Hudson train station, located in Westport, New York on the shore of Lake Champlain.  Built in 1876, the station was for decades a busy stop on the line connecting Albany and Montreal.  Eventually, both tourism and train service to the area declined, and in 1974 the station was sold to the Town of Westport for one dollar, with a long-term lease on the land from the Delaware and Hudson Company.

During 1976 the Westport Historical Society initiated a major restoration project of the train station.  In 1979, The Depot Theatre was founded and took up residence as the primary tenant of the building.  To help finance the professionally staffed, community-oriented theatre project, the Westport Historical Society, which had stewardship of the building, turned to a unique solution:  Wednesday Night Bingo.  Indeed, without the Historical Society and the proceeds from weekly bingo, The Depot Theatre would be just an idea.

The artistic vision of the company was always to enhance the cultural climate of the North Country and Lake Champlain Valley through the presentation of professional productions which challenge the audience to participate in the creative energy and immediacy of live theatre.  That dream of establishing a professional, non-profit theatre company in the Champlain Valley continued to be nurtured and was finally realized in 1988, when The Depot Theatre entered into an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the union for professional actors and stage managers.

In addition to main stage productions, The Depot Theatre also supports Apprentice and Intern Programs for regional youth, Arts-in-Education activities and a Gallery Program featuring artists and craftspeople from the Adirondacks, North Country and Lake Champlain areas.  The theatre company is also committed to preserving the National Historic Register-eligible train station in which it resides, and has, over the years, continued to provide for the ongoing restoration and maintenance of the facility.

Today the Amtrak train (the "Adirondack") from New York City to Montreal runs through Westport daily, affording a comfortable, convenient and beautifully scenic journey.  Canadian Pacific railroad still runs freight on this line as well.  Sometimes you will hear the rumble of a train as you are enjoying a Depot Theatre production (if the production is a musical you might even hear train songs played on the piano by the musical director).

For the best live theater on Lake Champlain - don't miss the Depot!