It’s one of the most famous railway stations in the world and a popular attraction in New York City.
Here is a list with some fun facts about Grand Central Terminal.
1. It’s located in between multiple famous skyscrapers
Grand Central Terminal is a popular railway station in New York City. It’s located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. It’s the southern terminus station of lines serving the northern part of the New York Metropolitan Area.
Right next to the terminal building there are several iconic skyscrapers, including the Chrysler Building to the east, the MetLife Building to the north, and the newly constructed One Vanderbilt to the west.
2. It was built in the early 20th century
Construction of the Grand Central Terminal started in the year 1903 and was completed in the year 1913 with the station officially opening on February 2 of that year.
The building covers a total area of 48 acres (19 hectares) and consists of 44 platforms, the most number of platforms of any railway station in the world!
3. It’s famous for its Beaux-Arts design
The building itself is world-famous for its amazing Beaux-Arts design, and especially the façade of the building. The overall design was completed by the architectural and engineering firm “Reed and Stem,” while the decorative elements were taken care of by “Warren and Wetmore.”
Apart from these two main contributing firms, multiple French artists had a hand in the details of the design as well, such as Jules-Félix Coutan, Sylvain Salières, and Paul César Helleu.
4. It was named after the company that constructed it
The company in charge of the project, which cost USD 35 million to complete, was the New York Central Railroad, a railroad company that operated all across the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.
Originally, the name given to the station was the “Grand Central Station,” a reference to the earlier station that was located on the same site. Its name was changed to Grand Central Terminal, which was still a reference to the company that constructed it.
5. There were two earlier train stations on its location
The original building on the site was called the Grand Central Depot and was constructed as a central station for the Hudson River Railroad, the New York and Harlem Railroad, and the New York and New Haven Railroad.
The construction of this first building started on September 1, 1869, and the depot was completed by October 1871.
The Grand Central Depot didn’t suffice anymore as New York City grew quickly in the late 19th century. By 1897, about 11.5 million passengers boarded trains at this station every year.
Therefore, the old Grand Central Station was built shortly after and was completed in the year 1900, opening in October of that year.
One of the most remarkable facts about Grand Central Terminal is that the Grand Central Station was only operational for a couple of years before being torn down. It was deemed insufficient and had to make way for Grand Central Terminal.
By June 1903, the USD 35 million needed was approved by the railroad’s board and a new design was submitted shortly after so construction could commence.
6. Grand Central Terminal consists of two levels of tracks
Construction of the Grand Central Terminal had to be done in 8 phases so as not to interrupt the train schedule for the millions of yearly passengers.
Most of the work wasn’t on the building itself but on the preparation work. The old Grand Central Station had to be demolished and excavation works had to be carried out to allow the construction of the 44 platforms, all of which are located below ground level.
There are two levels of platforms the upper level consists of 30 tracks and the lower level of 26 tracks. There are about two dozen more tracks that are used to store trains as well.
7. Construction of the building was a huge endeavor
To say that constructing Grand Central Terminal was a massive project is an understatement. It was to become the biggest railway station in the world at the time and it took a lot of manpower to get things done.
A total of 10,000 construction workers were hired to demolish the old Grand Central Station, excavate the site, and for the new building and tracks to be constructed.
After the old station was demolished, 3.2 million cubic yards (2,400,000 cubic meters) of soil were excavated at a rate of 1,000 cubic yards (760 cubic meters) per day.
Construction took almost 10 years and was fully completed when the new terminal was opened on February 2, 1913.
8. A clock in the main concourse is worth up to $20 million USD
One of the most iconic images of Grand Central Terminal is that of its Main Concourse, an area that is officially referred to as the “Express Concourse.”
This area is located right in the center of the building and covers an area of 35,000 square feet (3,300 square meters). It’s often used as a meeting place and is visited by over 21.6 million tourists every year, a number that excludes train and subway passengers.
In the middle of this Main Concourse, there’s an information booth and more importantly, a very famous clock on top of it.
This 4-sided brass clock has been described as one of New York’s most recognizable icons and has been valued by auction houses Sotheby’s and Christie’s between $10 million and USD 20 million!
9. Grand Central Terminal was ranked as the fourth-favorite building in the city
Grand Central Terminal is one of the most popular structures in the United States. A public survey conducted by the American Institute of Architects has revealed that it’s the 4th most popular building in New York City and the 13th most popular in the entire country.
Only the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral were deemed more popular in New York City, while world-famous icons such as the Washington Monument, the White House, and the Golden Gate Bridge were considered more popular nationwide.
10. It’s been featured in numerous films
One of the main reasons that Grand Central Terminal is so iconic and widely popular is because it has been featured in numerous popular movies. the iconic Main Concourse has been prominently used because of its authenticity regarding transportation scenes in New York.
Some of the most famous films it has been featured in are “Carlito’s Way” (1993), “Armageddon” (1998), “Men in Black II” (2002), “I Am Legend” (2007), and “The Avengers” (2012).
Below you can watch the scene in “I Am Legend” with Will Smith in which Grand Central Terminal appears and which was shot on location: