Built in 1923, the Cedar City Railroad Depot was directly associated with the railroad and its impact on Cedar City. In addition to stimulating the local iron ore and livestock industries, the railroad connection greatly contributed to the expansion of the tourism industry in southern Utah. As roads to scenic areas were developed, Cedar City became a strategic center for travel to national parks and monuments. The first official train arrived at the new depot on June 27, 1923, carrying numerous dignitaries, including President and Mrs. Warren G. Harding. The Union Pacific Railroad also became fully involved in the tourist industry by purchasing hotels and buses and building lodges. Tourist travel increased dramatically after completion of the railroad and depot, with visitors to Zion National Park rising from 3,692 in 1920 to 55,297 in 1930. Automobile traffic gradually superseded rail travel, and the railroad eventually closed its line to Cedar City in 1959. The depot remains the only building documenting the important influence that tourism and the railroad had on Cedar City's development in the first half of the twentieth century.