Grand Central Terminal - New York City, NY

Address:42nd Street and Park Avenue
New York, New York
Tel: (212) 532-4900

Grand Central Terminal is not your regular train station. With over 500,000 commuters, tourists, and passers through walking through it every day, the Grand Central Terminal has become one of America's largest and busiest terminals ever! In fact, Grand Central has more platforms than any other train station in the world!

The Grand Central Terminal opened in 1871 and was named for the New York Central Railroad of the time. The Main Concourse is probably the busiest area of Grand Central. With the iconic clock, the ticket booths, and a few restaurants and shops (more are located on the Lower Concourse), it's the popular place to hang out while you're waiting for your train. The clock is made of opal and brass and is estimated to be worth about $15 million! Another clock of iconic fame is the clock outside the station at 42nd Street, showcasing the world's largest example of Tiffany glass. This clock is surrounded by sculptures of Minerva, Hercules, and Mercury, all carved by the John Donnelly Company. The ceiling of the main concourse is also worth viewing, displaying elaborate paintings of astronomical stars and signs. If you look closely, you'll notice that the sky is backwards and the stars are displaced—the reason dating back to beliefs in medieval astronomy whereby the universe was viewed differently due to shifted equinoxes and God's perspective.

There are self-guided walking tours and guided tours of Grand Central Terminal. Private tours are available in advance, about $5 each for groups over ten people and about $50 each for smaller groups. Free tours of historic Grand Central Terminal are also available on Wednesdays and Fridays at 12:30pm, meeting at the center information booth on the Main Concourse (there's a suggested $10 donation). The tours bring guests through the history of the terminal and highlight different architectural and artistic elements that make Grand Central Terminal the special New York station that it's become over the last 100+ years.

So whether you're coming or going, take some time to look up and around to appreciate the beauty and breadth of the vast Grand Central Terminal!