Whistle Stop Depot

The Whistle Stop Depot is Tucson’s newest event and performance venue. The building itself is crafted of up-​cycled repurposed materials and was a personal art project and dream of a few amazing people. Nancy Bender, the owner and visionary bought this warehouse space 10 years ago with an intention of creating a community space in Downtown Tucson that would not only connect and unify the people in Tucson but also to connect and unify people globally.
When the warehouse was in escrow, it caught fire and roof was completely burnt. Nancy still moved forward with the sale and rebuilt the property. The result is a Whimsical, Creative, Charming, Hand-​Crafted Masterpiece with no details overlooked.
The space has movable walls & stage and is set up to accommodate almost any type of event: Live music, Theater, Fashion Shows, Weddings, Private and Corporate Events/​Parties… In addition to offering the space as a rental for personal needs the WDS is currently in the process of hosting it’s own weekly events that will include movie nights, wine/​desert tastings/​education, a farmers/​craft market, open mic nights and yoga classes.
The acoustics are wonderful. Special care and attention was devoted to make sure the audio would sound smooth and clear and is complete with a state of the art sound system that can be complimented with different audio, video, lighting capabilities.
It also has a liquor license! And space for food trucks to come in.
The inside is 5,000 sf and can accommodate 344 people including staff and the outside holds 1000 people.
No idea is too big or too small! Contact them. :)

We had our wedding here in April, 2015 and the space was perfect. We held the ceremony outside and the reception inside, and every space had so much to look at! The reception easily held our 150 guests and had plenty of extra room for the buffet, bar, dance floor, and catering set up. The train went by all night, adding to the ambiance. I would recommend Whistle Stop Depot for a wedding that is nothing like your typical experience. Rebecca from Urban Ranch Events was our coordinator for the wedding and she (plus her staff) were a dream to work with as well.

The Whistle Stop is my newest favorite discovery! Thanks to a buddy who performed at a fashion show, I’m not sure when I would’ve come here. Per their Facebook page, it’s described as a «steel warehouse that has been renovated with recycled, reclaimed, and handmade materials. It’s innovative design and creation lend to industrial eye candy at its finest and it’s walls tell a unique story.» There’s not much going on outside, and in my opinion, it could use some landscaping, but once you’re inside, the space is really rad. It’s literally built out of reclaimed and recycled items from steel, to toilet tops, and smooth concrete floors. The space is equipped with bathrooms, a mobile bar, sink and even a kitchen set up. Come here for live music, fashion shows, art shows, food truck roundups, mixers and even weddings. It’s raw enough to work that creativity and transform it into whatever you want! I can’t wait to come back here for another event, perhaps even one that I plan…(hint, hint Unilocalers!)

The Whistle Stop is a re-​purposed depot warehouse that has been morphed into one of the most intriguing event spaces I’ve seen in the area. The courtyard, just shabby enough to be chic, can accommodate food trucks and outdoor entertainment, and the space itself glows with a bright and airy desert flair. I attended a well-​crafted Aveda fashion show here, and the creative crew used every inch of the enormous building, setting up a salon on the west end and a bright, visually appealing stage at the other. The entire space is smooth polished concrete. The lighting was theatrical and intimate. A spacious outdoor patio wraps around two sides of the building. The lobby area is wheelchair accessible and opens dramatically onto the lofty interior. A cupola area can be accessed by a spiral staircase, and the acrobats made great use of this little heavenly catwalk. The restrooms boast the most creative doors I’ve seen in this town, and are corrugated metal interior industrial silos. Wow! I hope creative couples discover Whistle Stop as a wedding venue, and I am dying to hear a fantastic band play here. The acoustics were sharp and surprisingly free of «warehouse echo.» I hope the Whistle Stop survives the LINKS project because this is a creative mecca!