Grand Central Terminal, New York
With 44 platforms and 67 tracks, the Grand Central Terminal is the largest train station in the world. Currently standing structure with a Beau-Arts design. Cornelius Vanderbilt, a businessman in the transportation industry, constructed the original Grand Central in 1871; however, it was demolished in 1903. The current design, finished in 1913, is still a masterpiece of New York architecture. The painted zodiac constellations on the vast concourse's cavernous domed ceiling were nearly completely covered by cigarette smoke damage until a 1998 restoration. Its vast concourse is distinguished by elegant marble staircases at either end and a four-faced milk-glass and brass clock above its central information booth.
The Tiffany clock on the terminal's 42nd Street façade is another highlight, as is the landmark subterranean Oyster Bar restaurant, which has a serpentine lunch counter, a whispering gallery in its entryway arch, and terra-cotta Guastavino tiles lining its vaulted ceiling. It was once home to art galleries and a museum. The railway station is frequently included in the top ten lists. It has appeared in a number of films, including The Godfather and Men in Black.
Grand Central in New York, more than any other railway station in the world, perfectly encapsulates the romance of rail travel. Every day, you'll see tearful greetings and farewells, firm business handshakes, and scurrying commuters with their heads down, determined to reach one of the station's 44 platforms in every area of the spacious main lobby.
With over 26,000,000 visitors stopping by to admire the Beaux-Arts architecture or to gather beneath the recognizable clock in the main concourse, a design classic by Henry Edward Bedford, Grand Station may be the sixth most visited tourist destination in the world for this reason.
