This self-guided audio tour begins just outside the terminal, on 42nd St. From here, you can admire the elegant entryway and learn about the statues who stand guard atop its grand entrance.
You’ll enter the station via Vanderbilt Hall, a beautiful space named for the station’s founders. Get the facts on the unbelievably rich Vanderbilt family and enter the Main Concourse, which you’ve definitely seen in plenty of films and TV shows! This concourse is even more impressive in person, full of marble, crystal, and gold.
Next, visit the famous clock and learn why it might just be worth $20 million! And did you know Grand Central practically invented time as we know it today? You’ll learn all about that while crossing the vast concourse.
Turn your eyes skyward next, toward the remarkable Sky Ceiling. Each constellation painted here carries a special meaning, and you’ll hear all about that as you trace the beautiful paintings from one end of the ceiling to the other. Plus, learn about the time NASA damaged the Main Concourse with a rocket!
After that, you’ll unpack the hidden symbolism within the extravagant chandeliers and find out how the station’s employees get from place to place without having to cross the busy concourse.
Then, visit the often-overlooked Station Master’s Office and hear about how part of Grand Central was once almost torn down by developers. Finally, head to the lower levels to visit the strange and wonderful Whispering Gallery, and the lavish Oyster Bar where New York’s Roaring ‘20s have been beautifully preserved. The tour concludes here.
Audio-guided tour
