Last year, in an article about its lesser cousin, Penn Station, New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman wrote of Grand Central Terminal: "To pass through Grand Central Terminal, one of New York’s exalted public spaces, is an ennobling experience, a gift." It's a sentiment that's been echoed throughout the iconic train station's existence. In 1975, as its owners at the Penn Central Railroad were going through bankruptcy, Ada Louise Huxtable wrote in the Times that Grand Central is "one of the most stunning achievements in the history of urban design." It's a building that is as functional as it is magical. As the station celebrates its centennial today, a look back reveals that Grand Central has always been as enchanting as you wanted it to be.

A Print Published in 1913

New York Public Library

Exterior, 1936

New York Public Library

The Main Concourse on December 14, 1941

Associated Press

A Sleep Nook for Servicemen in 1944

Associated Press

Jake LaMotta Arrives at the Terminal in 1949

Associated Press

The Exterior in the 1950s

Associated Press

A Movie-Star Monkey in the Terminal's Waiting Room in 1951

Associated Press

Light in 1954

Associated Press

A Redstone Missile in 1957

Associated Press

Stranded Commuters During a 1965 Blackout

Associated Press

Models Sell Modale and Reagan Cigars in the Terminal in 1984

Associated Press

An ACT UP Protest in 1991

Associated Press

The "Silent March" Art Installation to Raise HIV/AIDS Awareness in 1995

Associated Press

A Worker Cleans the Ceiling's Pegasus in 1996

Associated Press

The Terminal Is Rededicated After Renovation in 1998

Associated Press

The "Faces of Ground Zero" Exhibit in 2002

Associated Press

A Human Art Installation in 2003

Associated Press

The Apple Store Debuts in 2011

Associated Press

Today, on Its Birthday 

Flickr/MTAPhotos

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Esther Zuckerman