Menus shown here include non-color wrap-around photo menus that mostly date from before 1947; menus with Howard Fogg paintings commissioned by the UP for the 1969 Golden Spike centennial; children’s menus; and menus for special meals or occasions. Click on an image to download a PDF of that menu. Click on the brief description below to go to the page describing that menu.
Art Nouveau Series
These menus were used from the late 1920s to 1935. The early ones feature photos printed using the lithographic process, sometimes called “hand-colored.” Later ones use “natural color” photos. The photos and text are surrounded by a busy border in an art nouveau style. Curiously, the Bryce and Zion menus come in at least three slightly different versions even though most are clearly based on the same original photo.
 1927 Menu |  1928 Menu |  1929 Menu |
 1929 Menu |  1929 Menu |  1929 Menu |
 1929 Menu |  1929 Menu |  1930 Menu |
 1930 Menu |  1930 Menu |  1934 Menu |
 1935 Menu |  1935 Menu |
Modern Series
In 1935, probably due to the introduction of Union Pacific’s first streamliners, the railroad simplified its menus with a white background and a few stripes, but still using the same photos and text as in the Art Nouveau series. I only have two of these menus but I’ve identified others showing Multnomah Falls and more scenes in Southern Utah parks. The fact that Yosemite is featured in both the Art Nouveau and Modern series makes it especially mystifying that it isn’t found on any color wraparound menu.
 1935 Menu |  1935 Menu |
Black-and-White Series
The Modern series didn’t last long, as UP introduced a series with black-and-white photos of parks and other sights. Instead of photos that wrapped around the menu, these used two different photos on the front and back covers.
 1939 Menu |  1940 Menu |  1940 Menu |
 1941 Menu |  1941 Menu |  1945 Menu |
Heavyweight Train Menus
UP had some menus designed for its premiere heavyweight trains including the Los Angeles Limited and Portland Rose. Early in the history of these menus, the premiere status of these trains was displaced by the streamliners, but the streamliners initially did not go every day.
 1939 Menu |  1942 Menu |  1943 Menu |
 1946 Menu |  1946 Menu |  1948 Menu |
Streamliner Menus
The first streamliners used menus with the Winged Streamliner logo on the front. These were replaced by the color wraparound menus in 1947.
 1946 Menu |  1946 Menu |  1946 Menu |
Lodge Menus
These menus were used in Union Pacific lodges and hotels. Some lodges also used color wraparound menus.
 1936 Menu |  1953 Menu |  1953 Menu |
 1955 Menu |  1961 Menu |  1961 Menu |
Children’s Menus
Union Pacific appears to have had three children’s menus before the war (bear, rabbit, and squirrel) and three after the war (bear, deer, and cowboy).
 1930 Menu |  1930 Menu |  1930 Menu |
 1933 Menu |  1950 Menu |  1957 Menu |
 1964 Menu |  1965 Menu |  1969 Menu |
Centennial Menus
UP commissioned famous railroad painter Howard Fogg to do sixteen paintings to commemorate the centennial of the last spike. Some, but not all, of these were used on various menus.
 1969 Menu |  1969 Menu |  1969 Menu |
 1970 Menu |  1970 Menu |  1971 Menu |
 1971 Menu |  1971 Menu |
Special Menus
This is a catch-all category that includes a cute beverage menu, one of a series of World War II menus, a Chef’s Salad menu that was used on UP passenger trains for many years, Christmas menus, and menus used on special trains after UP ceased to operate passenger trains.
 1936 Menu |  1946 Menu |  1964 Menu |
 1964 Menu |  1970 Menu |  1971 Menu |
 1974 Menu |  1979 Menu |