Students visiting the Historic Kingsburg Depot are transported back in time to a specific day in 1923. People who would have been working in the Depot or using its services are in their places during student visits. This includes reenactors entering to send telegrams, order freight service, or drop off packages for the Railway Express Agency. Here we see three students observing actions in the Depot office from the customer counter. The cashiers desk is at right, the telegrapher is at the desk in the foreground, and the ticket agent is seated near the ticket window. The black box behind the telegrapher is the connection point for telegraph and telephone lines. Telegraph equipment for both Southern Pacific and Western Union is clacking away on the counter in the cupola, and the scissors and candlestick phones often ring.
There are two waiting rooms in the Kingsburg Depot, one in which smoking is permitted, and this main waiting room for non-smoking passengers. In this room student visitors may encounter any number of well-dressed passengers waiting for their train. These passengers always have interesting stories to tell about their home towns, their destinations, and their reasons for travel. They are also a good source of information about life in the 1920's including fashions, politics, popular slang and movie stars. These passengers even open their luggage to show students what they are taking on their trip! The Ticket Window at left is where students obtain train tickets necessary to continue their journey through the Depot. The door at the rear is access to the trains. The bench on which the two ladies are sitting is more that 120 years old and original to the Kingsburg Depot waiting rooms.