by LCR 
Old train station in Lake Chapala
This 2020 was consumed by the COVID-19 pandemic and some other tragic events that marked this year as one of the worst in decades in the history of mankind, not all its events were bad news, because in Chapala we are celebrating because one of the most important and full of history buildings in our community celebrates 100 years of its inauguration the Antigua Estación del Ferrocarril (Old train station in Lake Chapala).
As its name indicates, this building was a notorious and ostentatious railroad station back in 1920 that connected the Chapala riverbank with Guadalajara and reached the station of La Capilla, located on the highway to Mexico City and was so important at the time that the former president of Mexico himself, Porfirio Diaz, continually visited our station.
Its boom did not last long, since in 1926 Lake Chapala raised the water level, flooding the building’s facilities, forcing it to be put out of service, abandoning it shortly after.
Today the building is restored and maintained, but it ceased to be a railroad station to become the house of culture of Chapala and is open to the public since within its facilities art exhibitions are held. It is open to the public and holds art exhibitions, bonsai, among other artistic and cultural events.
It also has a museum-like section that displays some archaeological pieces that have been found on the shores of Lake Chapala, such as spearheads and obsidian arrows, bowls with necklaces and even offerings to Tlaloc himself (God of rain and lightning of the Mexica pantheon).
Undoubtedly, the building is an important landmark of the municipality, if you come to Chapala I highly recommend you visit the place, its beautiful architecture along with the nature of the site make the station a perfect setting for a photograph and take a good memory of the wonderful destinations of the Chapala Riviera.
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