5 Must-See New York Movies Set in Grand Central Terminal

By Pamela Skillings

Updated 09/07/18

Grand Central Station, Manhattan, New York, USA
Topic Images Inc./Getty Images

With its soaring, starry ceiling and lovely Beaux Arts architecture, New York City's Grand Central Terminal makes for a very dramatic cinematic location. More than 50 movies and television shows have been filmed in or feature the iconic New York building.

Grand Central is one of the world's most visited tourist attractions with more than 20 million visitors a year.

Check out these top five picks of classic and unforgettable movies that feature scenes or showcase the commuter railroad terminal at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. 

  • 01 of 05

    North by Northwest

    In Alfred Hitchcock's classic 1959 film, North by Northwest, a Madison Avenue adman played by the dashing Cary Grant is mistaken for a government agent and pursued across the country by a gang of spies. He makes his escape from New York City in an exciting sequence filmed at night inside the actual station. This is one of Hitchcock's most masterful and entertaining films, often hailed as one of the greatest films of all time. It has everything—comedy, suspense, Grant and Eva Marie Saint.

  • 02 of 05

    The Cotton Club

    Francis Ford Coppola's The Cotton Club is set in the legendary Harlem jazz nightclub of the same name during the 1920s and 1930s. It features a climactic ending (spoilers ahead) with actors Richard Gere and Diane Lane boarding the famous Twentieth Century Limited train in Grand Central. Released to negative reviews and a poor showing at the box office in 1984, the film was nominated for several Golden Globe and Academy awards. The film is now considered one of Coppola's most underrated.

  • 03 of 05

    Midnight Run

    Midnight Run is a 1988 film, hailed by critics and audiences alike, that features Robert De Niro as a bounty hunter who has to transport Charles Grodin from New York to L.A. before he can collect his fee. Grodin is afraid of flying, so De Niro drags him through Grand Central to catch a train to Los Angeles. This is just the beginning of their long, strange journey. It's is one of the best road-trip, buddy movies ever made.

  • 04 of 05

    The Fisher King

    The Fisher King is an often underrated gem directed by Terry Gilliam that features a spectacular scene in which Grand Central Terminal is transformed into a glittering ballroom filled with waltzing commuters. To film this scene, more than 400 extras waltzed around the terminal from 8 p.m. until the first commuter trains arrived at 5:30 a.m. the next morning. This modern-day fairy tale about the actions of a radio shock jock features highly acclaimed performances from Jeff Bridges and Robin Williams. 

    Continue to 5 of 5 below.
  • 05 of 05

    Superman

    The 1978 Superman film by Warner Brothers features some awe-inspiring scenes set in villain Lex Luthor's fantastic subterranean lair under Grand Central Terminal. Although it showcases Grand Central, these scenes were actually filmed on a soundstage in London. Creative in concept, it was somewhat lacking in authenticity. Either way, Superman is a very entertaining movie featuring a gorgeous, young Christopher Reeve, fine acting by Gene Hackman, and a portly, campy Marlon Brando as Jor-El.