Opened in 1913, Grand Central Terminal is not only the world‘s largest railway station but also one of New York‘s most treasured landmarks and cultural icons. The story of Grand Central is in many ways the story of New York City itself—a tale of innovation, ambition, decline, and rebirth. More than just a busy transit hub, it is a testament to the importance of rail travel in American history and a masterpiece of Beaux-Arts architecture.
A Brief History of Grand Central
While the current Grand Central Terminal dates back over a century, it was actually the third railway station to occupy the site at 42nd Street and Park Avenue. The first was Grand Central Depot, built by railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt and opened in 1871 to serve his New York Central Railroad. As train traffic rapidly increased in the following decades, the depot was replaced by the six-story Grand Central Station in 1900.
But even the expanded station soon proved inadequate for the growing city. In 1902, a far more ambitious project was conceived—a brand new terminal that would be double the size and revolutionize rail travel and urban transportation. Construction on Grand Central Terminal began in 1903 and took a decade to complete, at a cost equivalent to over $2 billion today.
Designing a Revolutionary Railway Hub
When Grand Central Terminal opened on February 2, 1913, it was immediately hailed as an engineering triumph and a key milestone in the history of American railroads. It was the first major terminal to fully adopt electric trains, eliminating the smoke and soot of steam locomotives. For the first time, intercity and commuter rail services were separated for efficiency, with intercity trains on the upper level and commuter trains below.
The terminal also pioneered the use of ramps and loops—innovative solutions that allowed thousands of passengers to flow through the station without causing traffic jams, even during rush hours. A marvel of urban planning, the tracks and platforms were largely hidden underground, with buildings, streets, and a viaduct carrying Park Avenue built above them through Midtown Manhattan.
One of the most influential features of Grand Central was its creation of a new underground train network that would eventually evolve into the Metro-North Railroad, one of the nation‘s busiest commuter systems. By centralizing rail lines from the city and suburbs in one efficient hub, Grand Central helped spur the development and urbanization of Midtown in the early 20th century.
An Architectural Masterpiece
While Grand Central Terminal was technologically trailblazing, it is perhaps best known today for its magnificent Beaux-Arts architecture and lavish interiors. The facade is dominated by three 75-foot-high arched windows flanked by grand Corinthian columns and crowned with an elaborate sculptural group featuring the Greek gods Hercules, Minerva and Mercury.
But it is the main concourse that truly takes the breath away, a soaring space 275 feet long, 120 feet wide, and 125 feet high. The concourse is decorated with sumptuous marble floors, gold leaf trim, opal glass, and finely detailed sculpture. The great vaulted ceiling is painted a cerulean blue and depicts a Mediterranean night sky with some 2,500 stars, 60 of which are illuminated.
Among the terminal‘s many artistic treasures is the famous clock with four 14-foot faces made of opalescent glass—the world‘s largest example of Tiffany glass. Also notable are the 10 magnificent brass and glass chandeliers, each with 110 exposed light bulbs. Even the floors are a work of art, with intricate designs created using nine different shades of marble from quarries in Italy.
Decline and Restoration
Despite its beauty and technological innovations, Grand Central faced an uncertain future by the mid-20th century. As plane and automobile travel grew, rail ridership sharply declined. The formerly grand terminal fell into disrepair, its ceiling obscured by decades of dirt and smoke. In 1968, the struggling Penn Central Railroad proposed demolishing the terminal and replacing it with skyscrapers.
Luckily, the destruction of Penn Station a few years earlier had sparked a new preservationist movement. Activists including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis led a successful campaign to save Grand Central, which was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976.
In the 1990s, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority embarked on an ambitious $425 million restoration and revitalization of Grand Central. The project cleaned and repaired the facade, marble, and sculpture; rebuilt stairwells and the original train shed roof; and converted former offices and waiting rooms into retail space. It also created a new 75,000-square-foot dining concourse and fresh food market on the lower level.
Grand Central Today and Tomorrow
More than a century after its opening, Grand Central Terminal endures as both a vital transportation center and one of New York‘s most beloved cultural treasures. It is not only one of the busiest train stations in the world, serving over 750,000 visitors daily, but also one of the most popular tourist destinations, attracting over 21 million tourists each year.
Grand Central has made countless cameos in popular culture, appearing in over 100 movies and TV shows. It has also been featured in literature, music, art, and photography and inspired everything from a hit song to a cocktail.
As the city continues to grow and evolve, so too will Grand Central. The East Side Access project, slated for completion in 2022, will bring Long Island Rail Road trains to a new concourse below the terminal. With more upgrades and improvements on the horizon, Grand Central is poised to remain a vibrant part of New York life for generations to come, an enduring monument to the city‘s illustrious past and grand ambitions for the future.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1871 | Grand Central Depot opens |
| 1900 | Grand Central Station opens |
| 1903 | Construction begins on Grand Central Terminal |
| 1913 | Grand Central Terminal opens |
| 1947 | Over 65 million passengers pass through terminal, an all-time high |
| 1968 | Penn Central Railroad unveils plans to demolish terminal |
| 1976 | Grand Central granted protected status as National Historic Landmark |
| 1994 | Restoration and revitalization project begins |
| 1998 | Renovated Grand Central rededicated |
| 2013 | Centennial celebration marking building‘s 100th anniversary |
Sources:
- Grand Central Terminal. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.grandcentralterminal.com/
- "Grand Central Terminal." New York Preservation Archive Project. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nypap.org/preservation-history/grand-central-terminal/
- Langmead, D. (2009). Icons of American Architecture: From the Alamo to the World Trade Center. Greenwood Icons.
- Roberts, S. (2013). Grand Central: How a Train Station Transformed America. Grand Central Publishing.
