A triumph of architecture and transportation for its era, Grand Central has been renowned as a premier destination for more than 100 years. Trains such as the 20th Century Limited set the highest standard of luxury travel for its time. Granted landmark status in 1976, Grand Central remains one of New York’s great tourist destinations with many stories to tell. These days, the terminal is also a destination for deliciousness exhibited at an exceptional range of top food establishments. A special variety of these yummy delights can be experienced at Grand Central Market and at several eateries on the lower level dining concourse. Begin the tour with everyone receiving a hot fresh bagel, the iconic symbol of New York! We then explore the terminal beginning with the main concourse, move on to the Vanderbilt Waiting Room, and go outside and look at the famous facade of the terminal. Visit the famous Campbell Apartment (even very few New Yorkers know it exists!) and on to such sites as the Kissing Room and Whispering Gallery.
Campbell Apartment
Ben's Bagel Tours
Grand Central Market
Had a blast on this tour this past weekend. It was just us with Ben but he was personable, knowledgeable, and brought great bagels too! I would gladly do his tours again and think everyone else should too.
Great experience of Grand Central. So much history and knowledge by Bob. Impressed by technology compared to other guides.
Excellent tour. Knowledgeable and engaging. Next time I’m in NY I’ll do one of Ben’s other tours. Can’t wait.
Our first organised tour in NYC and loved it. Ben's encyclopaedic knowledge of the station and its history was fantastic! And the bagel was lovely too - so much so we visited the same bagel store the following day for breakfast!
Growing up in the New York suburbs, living in Connecticut, working in NYC for a while, I have been in Grand Central Terminal countless times. This 90 minute tour was jam-packed with information I had never considered as part of the 700,000 people passing through the Terminal every day. Ben Wagenberg of Ben's Bagel Tours provided history, insights, cool facts and figures, all with the humorous edge of a true New Yorker. I have recommended it to numerous friends already. Our family is looking forward to joining Ben again for his tour of the East Side. Not to be missed!
Ben provided a good overview of Grand Central terminal giving lots of historical information. We really enjoyed learning more about the place and the bagel at the beginning was a great touch!
Ben was great, very knowledgeable and took his time explaining the history. Born NYC native and knew his stuff!
Ben Wagenberg may be the most knowledgeable bagel expert around. And he knows an enormous amount about NYC and its history as well. Put the two together and the result is a really great and unusual "bagel tour." You get a super fresh bagel and after an extensive tour of Grand Central (lots of info I new knew and I'm a New Yorker!) the group heads out to several, nearby, top-of-line bagelries. There you get to see how they're made up close and taste a big selection of cream cheeses and assorted bagels. Take this tour! You be pleasantly surprised!
When they say insights, they mean information. This does not take you to the back of the public areas or something like that. Ben is, however, the greatest tour guide, but I would recommend a container to storage the bagels instead of just taking them out of a bag in your duffel bag.
Ben was extremely knowledgeable and shared with my partner and I fascinating insights into this amazing station.
This was an information packed tour of the famed terminal. Our guide, Ben, was extremely knowledgeable about the history of not only the terminal but of the railroads as well. The history and stories about the art and architecture were both informative and amusing. I would recommend this tour to anyone who enjoys learning about history.
Ben's Bagel Tour of Grand Central Station was filled with interesting information, history and a bagel!
<p>Great tour if you are interested in HISTORY. I expected to see more of Grand Central vs just hear about it. Tour guide, Ben was extremely knowledgeable and pleasant personality. I just expected to see more vs stand and hear history.</p>
I am a NYer and go through Grand Central often. I didn't know most of what i learned on this tour. I came in December and it was so good i came a second time in March with my dad. I did not mind hearing it a second time THATs how good it is!! Def do this!! And the bagels are delicious.
My family and I did the "Open Sesame Tour" of Grand Central Station today with Ben from Ben's Bagel Tours. We had a great times - Ben is really well informed and knows all there is about Grand Central Station, he is full if interesting facts. Really recommend
Ben's knowledge of Grand Central beats all! His detailed knowledge and fun facts during the tour made it well worth the time spent. Plus the bagels were absolutely delish - from an NYC institution! I was lucky enough to do this tour when Ben was just getting the business off the ground along with my friends from Switzerland - thanks to a recommendation from my friend Joan Pelzer. Thank you Ben for sharing your wealth of knowledge and filling our tummies with yummies too.
<p>Turned up late for 4 people - 8 people turned up 4 bagels only no coffee. Cheap bagels then gave a flyer out for good bagels shops. <br/> Plenty of coffee shops in Grand Central why not do deal for bagels and coffee and do a talk sitting down at 10 coffee shops empty.</p>
As a native New Yorker who now lives in CT, I have traveled through Grand Central numerous times. My wife and I decided to take a tour of this wonderful NY landmark. Ben met us at the famous opal clock with a greeting and a traditional New York bagel. He then proceeded to wow us for the next 90 minutes with the history of this amazing structure. Ben is very knowledgeable about Grand Central and New York as a whole. He kept our attention throughout with his anecdotes and grasp of it's history. I highly recommend this tour for natives and visitors alike. You will not be disappointed.
I'm an NYC local and took Ben's Grand Central tour. Ben gives an intelligent, descriptive and thoughtful tour of Grand Central and the city at large. While walking through the halls of the impressive Grand Central Terminal, hedetails the city's history over the past few hundred years and how it has evolved and changed through time to become the New York we see today. Ben gives an excellent tour for locals or tourists a like and I got to enjoy a delicious bagel in the process! Thanks Ben!
My family and I are just back from an amazing Ben's Bagel Tour that explored the Grand Central Terminal and a few local connecting stops like Campbell's Apartment (once an apartment now a bar/restaurant). A life-long resident of metropolitan NYC, Ben is a master story teller who wove world and local history, politics, finance, architecture and technology to explain why and what we were viewing. Did you know that GCT had a Whispering Room with a Roman inspired domed ceiling that allows people to whisper to one another though separated by 50 feet? And as you are being transported back into time, Ben serves up bagels from around the world while providing their historical origin and ends the tour at one of NYC's finest bagel establishments, Essa Bagels, where you get a behind the scene tour of bagel making. Ben's Bagel Tour has changed my relationship to the city forever. Thank-you Ben!!
Ben lead a fun and informative tour of Grand Central Terminal, iconic landmarks on Park Avenue, and a behind the scenes look and tasting at Ess A Bagel. As a native New Yorker, I learned facts about Grand Central that I never knew--Ben is a wealth of information and his enthusiasm for NYC is contagious. Before the grand finale at Ess A Bagel, he also introduced us to tastes of some untraditional bagels that we ate along the way. Take this tour for a fun and delicious experience.
The Grand Central Terminal has plenty of reasons to visit, from appreciating the sculptures that adorn its facade (Mercury, Minerva and Zeus) as well as its stairs and central hall. They are of an architecture only seen in Europe. It has a very cool Apple store and a restaurant on the opposite side very good, you can eat or just have a coffee. Don't forget to take a walk where the trains leave, from the desire to take a go and go just to experience this new york experience!
<p>Ce guide est très intéressant. Il est documenté et appuie l'histoire de Grand Central Terminal qu'il nous raconte par des images et photos anciennes qu'il transporte avec lui sur sa tablette électronique. C'est vraiment bien!<br/> Cependant, il est arrivé en retard. En touristes que nous étions, nous avons été inquiétés, seuls au centre de ce gigantesque espace public, de ne pas le trouver là pour nous accueillir. Nous avons dû lui téléphoner. De plus, le petit déjeuné prévu dans cette excursion n'a pas eu lieu. Il ne nous a pas proposé de bagel tel qu'annoncé. Il faut aussi qu'il trouve absolument une solution à son timbre de voix qui n'est pas suffisamment fort. Comme nous ne parlons pas couramment l'anglais, nous avons dû faire un effort soutenu pour comprendre ce qu'il disait, dans le bruit constant de ces lieux, autant à l'intérieur qu'à l'extérieur et ça nous a été très difficile. Nous avons d'ailleurs abandonné l'idée de prendre des photos en même temps que nous l'écoutions. Nous avons donc refait la tourné des lieux après la visite guidée pour prendre les clichés en souvenir. L'utilisation de micro casques comme d'autres guides serait vraiment favorable.</p>
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