National Historic Landmark

Grand Central Terminal

New York, New York County, New York
Listed
January 17, 1975
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
75001206

About this property

Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus of the Metro-North Railroad's Harlem, Hudson and New Haven Lines, serving the northern parts of the New York metropolitan area. It also serves the Long Island Rail Road through Grand Central Madison, a 16-acre (6.5 ha) addition to the station located underneath the Metro-North tracks, built from 2007 to 2023. The terminal also connects to the New York City Subway at the Grand Central–42nd Street station. The terminal is the third-busiest train station in North America, after New York Penn Station and Toronto Union Station. The distinctive architecture and interior design of Grand Central Terminal's station house have earned it several landmark designations, including as a National Historic Landmark. Its Beaux-Arts design incorporates numerous works of art. Grand Central Terminal is one of the world's ten most-visited tourist attractions, with 21.6 million visitors in 2018, excluding train and subway passengers. The terminal's Main Concourse is often used as a meeting place and is especially featured in films and television. Grand Central Terminal contains a variety of stores and food vendors, including upscale restaurants and bars, a food hall, and a grocery marketplace. The building is also noted for its library, event hall, tennis club, control center and offices for the railroad, and sub-basement power station. Grand Central Terminal was built by and named for the New York Central Railroad; it also served the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and, later, successors to the New York Central. Opened in 1913, the terminal was built on the site of two similarly named predecessor stations, the first of which dated to 1871. Grand Central Terminal served intercity trains until 1991, when Amtrak consolidated its New York operations at nearby Penn Station. Grand Central covers 48 acres (19 ha) and has 44 platforms, more than any other railroad station in the world. Its platforms, all below ground, serve 30 tracks on the upper level and 26 on the lower. In total, there are 67 tracks, including a rail yard and sidings; of these, 41 tracks are in use for passenger service, while the remaining two dozen are used to store trains.

Location

71-105 E. 42nd St.
New York, New York County, New York
40.75280, -73.97734

Categories

COMMERCEARTENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Murray Hill Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.1 mi
Chrysler Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Chanin Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
Grand Central Terminal (Boundary Increase: Park Avenue Viaduct)
Industrial
0.2 mi
Sidewalk Clock at 522 5th Avenue, Manhattan
Listed
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Kip's Bay
1776Revolutionary War
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Grand Central Terminal listed on the National Register?

Grand Central Terminal was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 17, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Grand Central Terminal?

Grand Central Terminal is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Grand Central Terminal a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Grand Central Terminal has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Grand Central Terminal?

The period of significance for Grand Central Terminal is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Grand Central Terminal?

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