New York's Grand Central Terminal Turns 100

One of the grandest railway terminals in the world, built during the heyday of train travel, New York's Grand Central Terminal, gets set to hold its centennial celebration.

Published

4 months ago

Categories

US, Arts & Society

Topics

Arts & Culture, United States

Places

United States of America, New York City

Transcript

New York's iconic Grand Central Terminal is turning 100. Behind its marble facade is a century worth of stories - starting in 1913 when the station debuted in the heydays of American cross-country train travel. With the rise of automobile travel in the years after World War II it lost its luster, and was saved from the wrecking ball by Jaqueline Kennedy in 1976, and got a new lease on life with a full facelift in 1996. Today it is one of America's greatest transportation hubs, as Dan Brucker of Grand Central Tours explains. SOUNDBITE: Dan Brucker, Manager of Grand Central Tours at Metro-North Railroad, saying (English) "Every single day more than, a lot more than, 750,000 people come through Grand Central Terminal. That's the entire population of the entire state of Alaskawalk through here everyday." We follow Brucker to the lower levels where a relic of the past quietly sits in the sub basement. SOUNDBITE: Dan Brucker, Manager of Grand Central Tours at Metro-North Railroad, saying (English) "This is a 1906 generator that would produce power for our signal system." And high up on the terminal's south side -- still running with old gears is the famous stained-glass clock tower. Grand Central Terminal will hold a celebration on the eve of the anniversary on February 1.