What's Inside the Old Railway Buildings at The Station on Corrales Road?

At 4765 Corrales Road, across from Corrales K-8, a wooden toy shop now runs out of a Santa Fe Railway boxcar. Next to it is a depot built in 1896, with new walls, new plumbing and a new roof. A planter sits in the middle of a courtyard, a play area is at one end, and a deck is set back for anyone who wants a quieter seat. The weeds that grew on this lot for about 15 years are gone.

The Station Corrales opened in September, and the school across the street shaped what it became.

An 1896 Depot That Arrived in the 1950s

The railway buildings are not original to Corrales. The Albuquerque Journal reported that the depot and two and a half former boxcars were moved from southern Albuquerque to this property in the early 1950s. The family that now owns the site does not know why they were moved. The building planned for the restaurant is newer, built in the early 1930s.

The site has had other uses over the decades. According to the Journal, its past uses include an event space for high school dances, an archery shop and a French restaurant. A previous owner, also local, planned a dinner restaurant there but could not make it work. Then it sat empty.

The Kilcup family bought the nearly one-acre property in April 2025. They are Corrales natives who own FacilityBUILD, a commercial construction and renovation company, and that company did the design and construction. The Journal put the investment at $2 million. Charmayne Kilcup told the Journal that restoring the historic buildings was the hardest part of the project. Walls, bathrooms, electrical, plumbing, roofs and siding all had to be replaced. She told KRQE that historic buildings "are extra challenging" and can be harder to renovate than building new. The family kept them because they wanted to keep the buildings' character.

The railway buildings now hold four of The Station's six business units, and they gave the development its name.

The School Across the Street Shaped the Plan

Cailyn Kilcup told the Corrales Comment, in a story published by the Sandoval Signpost, that because the site is close to the school, the family knew it would not get a liquor license. They took that as a reason to build a family-friendly project. She also described it as a response to how few places there are for young children outside of parks.

Every part of the site reflects that choice. There is a play area for children, a courtyard, and a separate deck for quieter time. Cailyn Kilcup told the Albuquerque Journal the family wanted to create a place they would want in their own lives, one that is

"somewhere we can bring our children, meet a friend, shop from a local business, run into your neighbors and stay awhile."

The first four tenants match that plan. The Journal reported that all four are owned by women who live in Corrales.

• The Village Refillery, owned by Lauren Wenderoth, sells refillable bath and body products. They are made locally from ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients. She told the Corrales Comment that being across from the school is convenient for parents.
• Moonflower Botanicals, founded by Yulissa Arce, sells cut flowers, natural herbicides, and plant-themed books and gifts. Arce is a Master Gardener and plans to offer workshops at The Station.
• The Enchanted Boxcar, Candace Swindle's toy store, operates inside a renovated 19th-century railroad boxcar. It focuses on durable wooden toys, books, costumes and construction sets. Swindle said the playground was one reason she chose the location.
• The Bitty Burrow is a stationery and gift shop. It was the fourth business to open.

The plan also won support at the village's planning and zoning meeting in March. Charmayne Kilcup told the Journal that the family went in expecting to defend the project, and about five people spoke in favor of it. At the September 19 grand opening, Wenderoth told the Corrales Comment she was astonished by how many people came.

When the Doors Are Actually Open

A daytime, family-oriented place keeps daytime hours, and each shop sets its own. Here are the hours each shop currently posts on its own site. They may change as the shops settle in and as winter arrives.

The three shops with posted hours are all open Thursday through Sunday, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. On Tuesday or Wednesday, only the Refillery lists itself as open. On Saturday, The Enchanted Boxcar opens at 9 a.m., two hours before its neighbors. Thursday is the first day of the week when all three are open.

What Opens in 2027

The brunch restaurant still to come will take the early-1930s building. According to the Albuquerque Journal, a brunch restaurant is expected in January 2027 and an ice cream truck in March 2027. KRQE described the restaurant's opening more loosely, as "early next year." The restaurant's name has not been announced.

Brunch suits the same plan. It is a daytime meal that doesn't depend on a bar, and it gives people a reason to stay after shopping or before a stop at the play area. Cailyn Kilcup told the Corrales Comment she expects The Station to grow more popular once the restaurant opens in 2027.

Until then, The Station is a place to shop and sit outside. There is no full menu yet.

Where The Station Fits on the Village's Holiday Calendar

The Station's first holiday season lines up with Corrales's own. Corrales MainStreet's tourism site, Visit Corrales, lists these fall and winter dates:

1. November 22, 1 p.m. Los Caballos Parade & Food Drive.
2. November 28. Small Business Saturday and the Christmas Tree Lighting. The listing gives no time or location for either.
3. December 4 to 6. The Corrales Historical Society's 38th Annual Juried Winter Craft Show at Historic Old San Ysidro Church, 966 Old Church Road.
4. December 9. Las Posadas at the Old Church.
5. December 12 and 13. The Festival of Nativities at the Old Church.

Small Business Saturday matters most for The Station. It is the first one since the shops opened, and on a Saturday all three shops with posted hours are open by 11 a.m. The Enchanted Boxcar opens at 9.

The Winter Craft Show is a different kind of shopping. The show's 2026 application says it is hosted by the Historical Society's Visual Arts Council together with the Corrales Society of Artists. All work must be handmade, and vendors are grouped in a heated 30-by-60-foot tent on the church grounds. Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the show all fall inside the shops' Thursday-to-Sunday window.

Visit Corrales also lists the Starlight Parade on December 13, with no time or route posted yet. Check the site again closer to the date.

One date belongs to Thanksgiving week. The Village of Corrales calendar shows village offices closing at noon on November 25 and staying closed on November 26. Parks and Recreation is closed November 26 and 27.

D'Nette Wood is a fourth-generation New Mexican, and a long-vacant Corrales Road lot coming back as a place to meet a neighbor is the kind of change she likes to follow. If you want to talk about what older buildings and their history add to a Corrales property, or about Corrales Road this season, reach out to DNette wood. Let's Connect.