www.grandcentralterminal.com/info/walkingtour.cftm
#1 Let's Meet at the Clock! Four-sided clock on the Main Concourse. A world famous rendezvous sopt, the circular marble and brass pagoda in the center of the Main Concourse.
The Terminal's Beaux Arts interior measures 275 feet long by 120 feet wide at each end and th evaulted ceiling is 125 feet high. The arch windows are 60 feet high at each end. The floors are paved with Tennessee marble, and the walls are covered with a warm buff colored stone with wainscots and trimmings of cream colored Botticino marble.
Not part of the tour but a picture of the ticket booths and train schedules in the Main Concourse.
#2 The Sky Ceiling: Look Up!The most notable feature of the Main Concourse is the great astronomical mural, from a design by the French painter Paul Helleu, painted in gold leaf on cerulean blue oil. Arching over the 80,000 square-foot Main Concourse, this extraordinary painting portrays the Mediterranean sky wwith October-to-March zodiac and 2,500 stars. The 60 largest stars mark the constellations and are illuminated with fiber optics, but used to be lit with 40 watt light bulbs that workers changed regularly by climbing above the ceiling and pulling the light bulbs out from above.
#3 Two Grand Staircases: Which One is New?
In the original 1913 architectural plans there were supposed to eb two grand staircases. I ntrue Beaux-arts style, they were to be balanced, but with a few small differences. But when Grand Central was opened on Februaru 2, 1913 there was only one staircase.The actual reasons for eliminating the second staircase are uncertain. During the current $200 million restoration the second staircase was built.The staircase on the west side of the building is the original staircase and the stair case on the east side of the building is new. Both beautiful sets of marble steps, sweeping from the Main Concourse up, are modeled after the grand staircase of the Paris Opera House.
#4 Chandeliers: Big, Beautiful and Real Gold!
Look up and around! There are beautiful melonshaped chandeleirs on both sides of the Main Concourse and several more in Vanderbilt Hall. They were always thought to ahve been bronze but they had been covered with dirt for many years. The chandeliers were taken down and cleaned. Remarkably, with just one cleaning the glistening gold was revealed. Note the bare light bulds. In 1913 electricity was newa nd not widely used by normal households, so the New York Central Railroad wanted to give the sense of glandeur, luxury, and opulence to its train terminal, and did this by showing off the nickel and gold-plated chandeliers with electric light bulbs.
#5 Acorns and Oak Leaves: Is There a Squirrel Somewhere?
As you walk around the building, notice the design in the stonework of the water fountains, above the entrance to the railroad tracks, inthe designs of the chandeliers, and in the green metal window frames seen from the Main Concourse nad Vanderbilt Hall. Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt had a rags to rishes story. He did not come from a wealthy family and therefore did not have a family crest as many wealthy families of the 18th century did. As Vanderbilt's fortune grew, so did his desire for a family crest. He chose the mighty oak tree's acorns and oak leaves, referring to the old saying "From an acorn a mighty oak shall grow!"
#5 Oyster Bar Ramps: Oysters Not Included!
#7 Whispering Gallery: Shhhhhh! (We are even less sure about this one.)
#8 Kissing Room: Do Not Take That Literally!
Katie and Lil in the Kissing Room. There is now a newstand in the middle of the room and shoe shiners in corners.
#9 Transportation
Travel outside the building to see the sculpture"Transportation" by French artist Jules- Alexis Coutan that sits atop the Grand Central Terminal. You will see Mercury flanked by Minerva and Hercules. Minerva is the goddess of wisdom and represents all the thought and planning put into this building. Mercury is the god of speed and represents both the speed of commerce as it grew up into midtown Manhattan from, the financial district and, of course, the speed of the trains. The mythicological hero, Hercules, represents the strength of the men who built Grand Central. Carved out of Indiana limestone, the group stands 50 feet high and 60 feet wide, weighs 1,500 tons, and surmounts a clock 13 feet in diameter.
In the original 1913 architectural plans there were supposed to eb two grand staircases. I ntrue Beaux-arts style, they were to be balanced, but with a few small differences. But when Grand Central was opened on Februaru 2, 1913 there was only one staircase.The actual reasons for eliminating the second staircase are uncertain. During the current $200 million restoration the second staircase was built.The staircase on the west side of the building is the original staircase and the stair case on the east side of the building is new. Both beautiful sets of marble steps, sweeping from the Main Concourse up, are modeled after the grand staircase of the Paris Opera House.
#4 Chandeliers: Big, Beautiful and Real Gold!
Look up and around! There are beautiful melonshaped chandeleirs on both sides of the Main Concourse and several more in Vanderbilt Hall. They were always thought to ahve been bronze but they had been covered with dirt for many years. The chandeliers were taken down and cleaned. Remarkably, with just one cleaning the glistening gold was revealed. Note the bare light bulds. In 1913 electricity was newa nd not widely used by normal households, so the New York Central Railroad wanted to give the sense of glandeur, luxury, and opulence to its train terminal, and did this by showing off the nickel and gold-plated chandeliers with electric light bulbs.
#5 Acorns and Oak Leaves: Is There a Squirrel Somewhere?
As you walk around the building, notice the design in the stonework of the water fountains, above the entrance to the railroad tracks, inthe designs of the chandeliers, and in the green metal window frames seen from the Main Concourse nad Vanderbilt Hall. Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt had a rags to rishes story. He did not come from a wealthy family and therefore did not have a family crest as many wealthy families of the 18th century did. As Vanderbilt's fortune grew, so did his desire for a family crest. He chose the mighty oak tree's acorns and oak leaves, referring to the old saying "From an acorn a mighty oak shall grow!"
#5 Oyster Bar Ramps: Oysters Not Included!
(We aren't sure if we got this one right or not) These two ramps lead down to the lower level of Grand Central joining in front of the Oyster Bar. These ramps were hidden for almost 70 years. Back in 1927, the New York Central Railroad, the operating company at that time, decided that they needed more office space so they built an eight-foot wooden ceiling over the ramps. This made the ramps dark, narrow, and gave a tunnel-like feeling as you walked down to the Lower Level train tracks. Recently, the ramps were opened up and brought back to their original splendor.
#7 Whispering Gallery: Shhhhhh! (We are even less sure about this one.)
The Whispering Gallery, located at the end of both Oyster Bar Ramps when heading down to the Lower Level, is one of the bigger attractions i nthe Terminal and offers a phonic treat. Get two volunteers and put them in opposite corners facing the walls. A person can whisper into one of its corners and be distinctly heard diagonally across the gallery on the other side. Fun for all ages!
#8 Kissing Room: Do Not Take That Literally!
This room is also called the Biltmore Room, but the "Kissing Room" is much more romantic! It was located right under the old famous Baltimore Hotel (now the Bank of America building) nad was where the famous 20th Century Limited train arrived. Celebrities, politicians, and soldiers would get off the trains to meet their loved ones and hug and kiss in the middle of the room before going up stairs into the Biltmore Hotel.
Katie and Lil in the Kissing Room. There is now a newstand in the middle of the room and shoe shiners in corners.
#9 Transportation
Travel outside the building to see the sculpture"Transportation" by French artist Jules- Alexis Coutan that sits atop the Grand Central Terminal. You will see Mercury flanked by Minerva and Hercules. Minerva is the goddess of wisdom and represents all the thought and planning put into this building. Mercury is the god of speed and represents both the speed of commerce as it grew up into midtown Manhattan from, the financial district and, of course, the speed of the trains. The mythicological hero, Hercules, represents the strength of the men who built Grand Central. Carved out of Indiana limestone, the group stands 50 feet high and 60 feet wide, weighs 1,500 tons, and surmounts a clock 13 feet in diameter.
No comments:
Post a Comment