Grand Central Terminal Tour: Exploring NYC's Historic Architecture
4.4
9 Ratings
New York
Join our licensed tour guide for a captivating exploration of Grand Central Terminal, delving into its rich history, iconic architecture, and cultural significance in NYC's past and present.
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Grand Central Terminal - On this approximately 2-hour tour we will share with you all of Grand Central Terminal’s (GCT) history and as many of its secrets as any tour guide can!

You’ll Learn About:

Why it is where it is, and what was there before it?
How a terrible accident lead to its construction?
Its architecture, including the astronomy of the Main Concourse.
How Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis saved it.
Common myths and urban legends?
And much, much more!

What's Included
  • Historic Grand Central Terminal tour
  • Professional, knowledgeable guide
  • Access to hidden areas
  • Architectural and historical insights
  • Perfect for history buffs and architecture enthusiasts
  • Opportunity for stunning photography
Additional Information

I’m a city-certified tour guide in New York. During this tour, I will reveal:

A historical background of the Vanderbilts and the Central Railroad
The site’s history encompassing the two prior stations
The series of events that necessitated this rendition of Grand Central
The architectural features, both interior and exterior, including the Main Concourse
The design aspects of the adjoining Greybar Building
The significant role GCT has played in the history and culture of NYC throughout the years

Location
90 E 42nd St
East 42nd Street
We will meet next to the Citi Bikes across the street from the main entrance to Grand Central Terminal on 42nd St. This location is in between the Pershing Square restaurant and a TD Bank branch.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.4
(9 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Patriciatz252bg
Feb 15, 2024
Top of list Things to do in NYC - Very knowledgeable and pleasant guide. Enjoyed seeing many areas of Grand Central Terminal that most people never see. The entire tour was interesting. Worth putting this tour on list of things to do in NYC
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janie_h
Dec 31, 2023
Learn slot of good stuff - Learned so much about early history of NYC, the Vanderbilt s, architecture and of course GCT. great tour
Review provided by Viator
Gail_n
Dec 21, 2023
Great tour; guide was engaging. - We really enjoyed our tour. Martin was engaging and very knowledgeable and gave interesting information and history about Grand Central that added to our visit to this beautiful New York structure. He was also accommodating; it a chilly night and he made sure that we were all comfortable with the weather while we viewed the exterior of the building. With the small group of four, he was able to hear and answer all of our questions. The tour had a good flow and we would recommend it to friends.
Review provided by Viator
Teresahughes65
Sep 22, 2023
Outstanding tour - The guide was knowledgeable and passionate about Grand Central Terminal. Very interesting tour. We learned that the recent extension to the Long Island Rail required digging down 180 feet (15 stories). Beautiful terminal and part of New York history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
852kristah
Jan 2, 2023
Grand Central Tour - Martin was great! From the beginning he made it so easy to meet up and start the tour. It was extremely educational and we loved the additional history guide with photos he showed us to bring the history of Grand Central Terminal to life. Ending the tour with some great photos to capture our own moment in history was the cherry on top. Couldn’t recommend more!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ann_m
Dec 19, 2022
Great informative Walking tour of Grand central terminal - On this almost 2 hour tour, we learned about the history of grand central from the beginning, the architecture and materials used, and stories associated with the terminal. Our guide, Martin, was extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the information he was sharing. He presented historical photos to share also. It was a very interesting and enjoyable tour.
Review provided by Viator
Deltadawnno
Dec 12, 2022
Informative tour of Grand Central Terminal - Martin was a wonderfully informative guide, full of secret facts about Grand Central Terminal. We appreciated that he got up early just to tour two of us around the station. We learned a lot! Well done!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Savitri
Mar 31, 2023
A Solid A Minus - It was a brisk February morning when myself and my friend met Martin promptly at the planned time. He came with notes and illustrations to assist us in envisioning the historical figures he described and established a comprehensive foundation for Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, the Vanderbilt family, and the history of the company that later developed the different iterations of Grand Central. He also described the evolution of Manhattan that created the environment necessitating the terminal. He subsequently led us through the expected areas both inside and outside the terminal building. He gave us solid history, plenty of exterior architectural and structural details, and some trivia throughout his tour. The aesthetic details were of particular interest to my friend, Martin shared what he knew and acknowledged some things he didn’t know. Our party gleaned some of those details, specifically on decorative features, when we overheard another tour…. Martin was thoughtful, courteous, forthcoming, and knowledgeable. Neither of us was unsatisfied by the experience or with Martin, but we would have liked more information on the aesthetics of the elegant interior and more time for photos. Even so we consider this tour a great value!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V999addenise
Jan 30, 2023
Excellent walking tour with my Sunday coffee - This was a wonderful way to end a great weekend in New York. Lots of great information on the best train station in New York City.
Review provided by Tripadvisor