FOND DU LAC (WLUK) — Vacant for the better part of 50 years, a 19th-century train depot in Fond du Lac has hit a new note as a music venue.
On Thursday, the crowd at The Passenger Lounge enjoyed jazz music and the nostalgia of the space.
Vacant for the better part of 50 years, a 19th-century train depot in Fond du Lac has hit a new note as a music venue. (WLUK)
“My father would bring us down here and put us on the train by ourselves at seven or eight years old,” said Fond du Lac resident Mary Wehmer, recalling the days the building was a train depot. “It has the same kind of vibe that it’s always had.”
Before opening this spring, The Passenger Lounge co-owners Mike Peterson and Melissa Hill spent the past six years restoring the building.
“It took a lot of work to get it to where it is today. A lot of restoration. There’s still more restoration to go,” said Peterson. “But the vision was to meet that middle ground between the club and bar scene for music and the large amphitheaters.”
The building has been largely vacant since the last train left town in 1971. Back when trains still ran through the depot, the south end was used for freight and the north end for the passengers traveling between Chicago and Green Bay. With the stage being on the passenger end of the building, Peterson and Hill decided to name the venue The Passenger Lounge.
The Passenger Lounge music venue opened in the restored 19th-century Fond du Lac train depot. May 21, 2026. (Courtesy: Melissa Hill)
Even now, it maintains its old-school feel.
“You’ll notice we don’t have any TVs. You’re not distracted by that,” said Peterson.
The infamous “witch’s hat” still tops the building and the bar has a rail embedded. The brick facade remains, as do some of its original passengers.
“It was so cool, because we’d even just come down here to watch the trains come in and go out again,” said Peggy Vogds, a Fond du Lac resident who also remembers visiting the train depot. “And you could just feel the rumble of the trains coming in.”
Who would have thought that six decades later, she’d be creating new memories?
“I just like the ambience of the place, the nostalgia,” said Vogds. “I’m so glad they brought it back.”
The Passenger Lounge also hosts small weddings and private events. The owners plan to convert the south end into space for businesses. You can visit their website to see a full schedule.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source fox11online.com ’
