Quiz: The Hidden Secrets of Grand Central Terminal

Located near the Oyster Bar, the low ceramic arches create an acoustic anomaly. If you stand in one corner and whisper into the wall, a person standing in the diagonally opposite corner can hear you perfectly, despite the noise of the crowds.

Look up at the Main Concourse ceiling. The zodiac constellations are painted backward. The Vanderbilt family claimed it was intentional, depicting God’s view from the heavens, but many historians believe the painters simply held the map the wrong way down.

Deep below the Waldorf Astoria hotel lies a secret platform, Track 61. It was used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to enter the city discreetly, hiding his wheelchair from the public. An armored train car still sits there today.

Tips & Curiosities

• The Clock’s Value: The four-faced opal clock above the information booth is valued at approximately $20 million.
• Hidden Patch: Look for a small, dark patch on the clean ceiling near Cancer (the crab). It was left intentionally during restoration to show how dirty the station was from cigarette smoke.
• Tennis Anyone? There is a full-sized tennis court open to the public (for a high fee) hidden on the upper levels.