NEW YORK, NY — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York and Metro-North Railroad announced initial plans today for Grand Central Terminal’s 100th anniversary celebration beginning in February 2013 and continuing throughout the year. Among the details released:
Events Begin February 1, 2013 – A day-long birthday celebration on February 1, 2013, features music and public performances, and the opening of a dramatic multimedia exhibition.
Centennial Logo Revealed – Grand Central’s new logo was inspired by one of the landmark building’s most well-known icons: the clock atop the main hall information booth. The logo is a stylized version of the clock with hands positioned at 7:13 (19:13 in military time used by the railroad, a nod to the opening year) and centered over the words “Grand Central.”
Committee Members Reflect New York City – A committee of prominent New Yorkers will come together to celebrate the Terminal’s Centennial. Honorary Chair is attorney and author Caroline Kennedy, whose mother Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was instrumental in saving Grand Central in the 1970s. Leaders in New York City business, real estate, entertainment and non-profit – including filmmaker Spike Lee and opera legend Jessye Norman – are part of the growing committee.
The February 2013 birthday celebration is one of several headline events organized around the four Centennial themes of “Birthday/Rededication,” “Preserving a Landmark, Creating a Legacy,” “A Parade of Historic Trains/Transportation Month,” and “Grand Central: The Next 100 Years.” A year-round calendar of sponsored programs and family-friendly activities will include:
Five historical exhibitions curated by The New York Transit Museum;
Release of a beautifully illustrated coffee-table-style book about the Terminal;
“Centennial Editions” of the Transit Museum’s annual Holiday Train Show and the Terminal’s annual Holiday Fair; and
Special sales and promotions from Grand Central Terminal retailers.
In addition to being a major transportation hub, Grand Central Terminal is a New York City shopping and dining destination known for its mix of restaurants, cocktail lounges, gourmet food and wine shops, and a vibrant array of specialty and internationally renowned shops.
Visit www.mta.info for more information. A comprehensive website will debut in June of this year with ongoing details about Centennial activities in 2013.