Grand Central Terminal NY self-guided walking tour

Free cancellation

Place: New York

Duration: 1 hour

Language: English

Mobile voucher accepted

Instant confirmation

Do this because

Tour the entire station at your own pace
Walkthrough the vast Main Concourse and learn to identify all the constellations painted on this famous ceiling
Hear about the multimillion-dollar drama of a rivalry between the Vanderbilts and the Rockefellers
Get insight into Hollywood’s enduring fascination with this picture-perfect station

What to expect

This self-guided audio tour begins just outside the terminal, on 42nd St. From here, you can admire the elegant entryway and learn about the statues who stand guard atop its grand entrance.

You’ll enter the station via Vanderbilt Hall, a beautiful space named for the station’s founders. Get the facts on the unbelievably rich Vanderbilt family and enter the Main Concourse, which you’ve definitely seen in plenty of films and TV shows! This concourse is even more impressive in person, full of marble, crystal, and gold.

Next, visit the famous clock and learn why it might just be worth $20 million! And did you know Grand Central practically invented time as we know it today? You’ll learn all about that while crossing the vast concourse.

Turn your eyes skyward next, toward the remarkable Sky Ceiling. Each constellation painted here carries a special meaning, and you’ll hear all about that as you trace the beautiful paintings from one end of the ceiling to the other. Plus, learn about the time NASA damaged the Main Concourse with a rocket!

After that, you’ll unpack the hidden symbolism within the extravagant chandeliers and find out how the station’s employees get from place to place without having to cross the busy concourse.

Then, visit the often-overlooked Station Master’s Office and hear about how part of Grand Central was once almost torn down by developers. Finally, head to the lower levels to visit the strange and wonderful Whispering Gallery, and the lavish Oyster Bar where New York’s Roaring ‘20s have been beautifully preserved. The tour concludes here.

This is a self-guided tour; no guide will accompany you. The Action Tour Guide app functions as a guide, an audio tour, and a map all in one
After booking the tour, search your email for the phrase "Set up your self-guided tour now." Follow these instructions immediately to finish setting up the tour while you have Wi-Fi/data. Do not wait until you are onsite
Works perfectly without cellular or Wi-Fi with offline maps
This tour has been developed by local guides, curated by creative writers, and narrated by professional voice artists
The audio stories play on their own based on your location. You can start anytime and pause anywhere
Most stops along the tour have animated videos allowing you to visualize what you cannot see, such as snapshots from different centuries or interior rooms
This tour is valid for an entire year - from the moment of booking. You can use it multiple times over multiple trips
This tour is an audio tour guide and not an attraction entrance ticket