Grand Central Terminal is a working railway station on East 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan and one of the most admired buildings in New York. Hundreds of thousands of commuters pass through it every day, yet it is equally a place to stop and look up. Grand Central Terminal is free to enter, and you can see its main highlights in under an hour, which makes it an easy addition to a Midtown day.
About Grand Central Terminal
The current building opened in 1913, replacing earlier stations on the site. It was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by the firms Reed and Stem and Warren and Wetmore, and was built for the New York Central Railroad at the same time as the railway tracks into Manhattan were electrified and moved underground. That is why Park Avenue above the tracks became a grand boulevard.
In the 1960s and 1970s the terminal faced plans that would have built a tower over it. A preservation campaign, with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis among its best-known supporters, helped defend the city's landmark protection, and the case reached the US Supreme Court, which upheld it in 1978. A major restoration in the 1990s brought the building back to the condition you see today.
Today the terminal is the Manhattan hub for Metro-North Railroad trains to the northern suburbs and Connecticut. Long Island Rail Road trains use Grand Central Madison, a newer station deep beneath the complex.
Getting to Grand Central Terminal by subway
The subway station is Grand Central–42 St, served by the 4, 5 and 6 trains on the Lexington Avenue line, the 7 train to Queens and Hudson Yards, and the S shuttle, which runs back and forth to Times Square. Follow signs for Grand Central Terminal or the Main Concourse and you will come up directly inside the building, no street crossing needed. From Times Square, the shuttle takes only a couple of minutes.
What to see inside Grand Central Terminal
The Main Concourse and the celestial ceiling
The vast Main Concourse is the room everyone comes for. Look up at the green-blue ceiling painted with gold constellations of the zodiac. The sky is shown in reverse, as if seen from outside the celestial sphere, a detail that has been debated since the terminal opened. In the northwest corner, look for a small dark patch that restorers deliberately left uncleaned to show how much grime had built up from decades of tobacco smoke and soot.
The information booth clock
The four-faced brass clock on top of the information booth in the centre of the concourse is a classic meeting point. "Meet me under the clock" has been said here for over a century.
The Whispering Gallery
Outside the Grand Central Oyster Bar on the lower level, a low arched space lined with Guastavino tile carries sound along its curved ceiling. Stand in one corner facing the wall while a friend stands in the diagonally opposite corner, speak quietly, and they will hear you clearly.
Vanderbilt Hall and the facade
Vanderbilt Hall, the former main waiting room off 42nd Street, hosts events and seasonal markets. Outside, on the 42nd Street facade, a sculpture group centred on Mercury surrounds a large clock with Tiffany glass. It is best seen from across the street on Park Avenue at the corner.
Food and shopping
The Dining Concourse on the lower level has a wide range of counters and sit-down options, and Grand Central Market near the Lexington Avenue side sells produce, cheese, bread and other goods.
Tours and tickets
Entry to the terminal is free. Guided and self-guided audio tours are offered, and these are the best way to hear the stories behind the building and see places you might otherwise miss. Check the official website, grandcentralterminal.com, for current tour options, prices and terminal hours.
Best time to visit Grand Central Terminal
Weekday rush hours are when the concourse is busiest, which is part of the experience but makes photos tricky. For a calmer visit, come mid-morning or early afternoon on a weekday, or on a weekend. The light through the large arched windows is at its best on sunny mornings. Allow 30 minutes to an hour on your own, or longer if you take a tour or eat on the lower level.
Remember it is a working station. Keep to the side if you stop to take pictures, and avoid using tripods in the busy areas.
Nearby on the same subway stop
- Summit One Vanderbilt: a ticketed observation experience in the skyscraper next door, connected to the terminal.
- The Chrysler Building: one of the best-known Art Deco towers, a short walk east at Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street.
- New York Public Library and Bryant Park: a few blocks west along 42nd Street.
- The United Nations Headquarters: further east along 42nd Street at First Avenue; check the UN visitor centre for tour availability.
For coffee, lunch spots and more near this station, open Grand Central Terminal on Around the Metro, or browse the New York subway map.