Whispering Gallery

Really cool and really lame. Find the people around the large restaurant in the center of station who appear to be talking to themselves in the corner of a wall. It is possible to hear conversations between the diagonal wall speakers. It’s kind of fascinating in a boring way.

Really Amazing!!! I couldn’t believe my ears!

This actually works. Talk with a stranger, talk with a friend. Most people just say hello, but perhaps whisper something cool: «I’m from the CIA and we can’t be seen talking with each other, but I need you to go on this special mission.» In front of the Oyster Bar. Check this hidden gem out when you’re in Grand Central.

Kinda cute/​kinda fun– certainly worth it if you’re a tourist in Grand Central Station already.

Stand diagonally from each other and have a somewhat intimate but not totally secretive conversation when waiting for a train.

How did they do that? What a marvel of engineering. I just wanted to check this place out and see for myself that I could have a conversation with someone across the gallery while facing a wall. Lo & behold, it does work. Now that I’ve seen it for myself, I can move on with my life.

This is very cool and a must check out for every kid at heart going thru Grand Central.
You stand at one corner of the wall, someone else stands at a diagonal point, and talk… You hear the echo/​whatever was said thru the wall.
The first time I heard this people showed my friend and out of town guests /​we had a great time singing a little to each other .
Definitely check it out.

haha, great charming place! felt like in fairy tale, didn’t imagine that game with sounds could be so interesting!

SO COOL!
If you try this during rush hour, it gets a little hard to hear your partner at the opposite end of the wall.
But this is definitely something I’m glad I’ve tried. Checked off my TO-​DO list in NYC!
(Granted, I am a New Yorker. but still: D)

Awwww, the Whispering Gallery. Only the jaded wouldn’t love this charming bit of magic located in one of the busiest and loveliest spots in Manhattan. It takes just a few minutes to walk down the ramp from the main concourse towards the iconic Oyster Bar. There, no doubt in busy times, you’ll see folks with their faces pressed into diagonally opposite corners, happily testing the acoustics in the Guastavino tiled archway. Wait your turn and try it for yourself. Such a quick and delightful not-​so-​secret experience in NYC.

I had walked through Grand Central many times and never knew this was here. If you are in the main concourse in Grand Central was downstairs towards the dining level. Then look for the Oyster Bar, which is off to the side. Right outside of the Oyster Bar is a square opening with high ceilings, if you stand in the center of this you can hear a pretty decent echo. Walk to one corner and have someone else go in the other one and speak towards the wall and you can hear each other. It is a pretty cool little thing to see if you are in the area.

Whispering Gallery in Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central is an amazing and very FUN place. You can people watch there. Eat a cheep or expensive lunch or dinner. Be in flip-​flops and t-​shirts or a tux and feel at home. And of course arrive in or leave from NYC here.
Just one of the many cool things is the Whispering Gallery.
Right by the Oyster Bar is an archway — you stand there, your friend stands at the other end and you can whisper across the way. Try it. Trust me. Just remember, even what you mutter under your breath will be heard across the way.

Maybe I am the biggest nerd on the planet — but THIS IS SO COOOLLLLL!
I wonder how many native to the area just pass by and never look twice (except to laugh at the stupid tourists).
Not only is the Whispering Gallery beautiful architecturally, its so awesome. This is a must see if you are a tourist in Grand Central Station.
Its not very hard to find, but if its your first time you may have to look around a little bit. Just go down to the dining concourse and hang a left… you will see a bunch of other idiots standing with their faces in the corner. Wait your turn and be amazed.
Once your turn has come, stick your face in the corner and have your friend stick their ear in the opposite corner. Say something to your friend, then have them say something to you. Repeat if available but be conscious of the others waiting.
My tips for you:
–Come up with a code word or phrase to let them know you are done talking and to switch. I like «over and out» or «10−4 ghost rider», but something like «OK your turn» would suffice.
–Don’t actually whisper, there are typically a lot of other people around making noise, so talk at your normal voice or a bit louder to be sure your goofy friend can hear you.

Stumbled upon this when I was looking up Grand Central Station on Unilocal.What a gem! It was obvious that others knew what was here though, so it’s not exactly hidden.
My cousin and I tried it out and I was stoked when I could hear her from across the gallery. You have to stand diagonally across from your partner and you face your head into the corner. It looks silly, but it works!
Check it out if you’re checking out the station. :)

The Whispering Gallery is a cute and fun thing to check out IF you’re at Grand Central Terminal! I wouldn’t necessarily tell someone to come here JUST for the gallery, because it really is somewhat of a «hidden gem». My boyfriend and I were standing in the gallery (right outside of the Oyster Bar) and had to ask the attendant where it was. To our surprise, this was it!
Luckily, there were crowds or other people around so my boyfriend and I got to play around with it for a few minutes. It does work, but if its loud in the surrounding area, you might have to stick your head waaaay into the corner hehe.
While you’re at Grand Central, there are food vendors, gift shops, and public restrooms: p

There’s architectural magic in them arches. In the area right outside the Oyster Bar, have your homie/​lover/​friend stand in the corner diagonal from yours. Say something obscene/​tender/​funny, watch their eyes light up when they hear you clear across the room, & there ya have it – another awesome memory from your time in New York, & in Grand Central Terminal.

Its the simple things in life that give the most pleasure. In some cases at least.
:LOCATION:
Directly in front of the Oyster Bar (along the dining concourse). There are no signs or directives, it is a not-​so-​secret secret.
:INSTRUCTIONS:
Stand in diagonal corners and whisper. Lol yes, sounds strange… admittedly looks strange too, but thats it. The sound travels to the other side and that person can hear you.
I didnt tell my baby what the point of it was so he was confused, until I whispered something and he heard me lol. The look on his face was priceless. We laughed and it really was neat and interesting.

This place is so cool! I didn’t know about it until I was looking up some «off the beaten path» things to do in NYC. It’s right outside the oyster bar in Grand Central Terminal. Stand at one corner and have your friend stand in the corner diagonally across. At first, my boyfriend and I couldn’t hear each other, but we kept trying and finally got it! Very fun & exciting!
Don’t worry about actually whispering… even if you talk at a normal volume the person isn’t going to hear you naturally from the other side, only through the echos.

I am unworthy to write on this subject. I am unworthy to write on many subjects. Don’t party too much and fall asleep anywhere near a Sharpie in my presence. While unworthy, I will write on you.
This established, note:
Grand Central Terminal is a place from which even a daily visitor can’t help but derive pleasure. Even if it’s unconscious pleasure and I’d not hesitate to agree that there are certainly those days that the pain presses down on the pleasure but thank God for what little pleasure places like this can provide on days like that. Because but for that what would we have?
And,
I learned this whilst attempting to broaden my horizons on the intentional architecture of the Whisper Gallery. Verbatim, from somebody else’s website:
The constellations on the ceiling of the Main Concourse are reversed from how they actually appear in the night sky, because the artist, French painter Paul Helleu, modeled it on a medieval manuscript that showed the constellations from God’s point of view.
Then:
The Whisper Gallery is located just outside the main entrance to the Oyster Bar which was closed for renovation to my heart breaking so much the boy in the opposite corner of the Gallery heard the rent and turned to look around such a sad sound. But the Gallery was the silver lining, and I had forgotten precisely where it was, and my scowl at the Bar being closed deepened when the Rangers jersey who by my initial glance was peeing in the corner actually turned out to be actually sharing the acoustic adventure with the lady opposite him and I realized WHISPER GALLERY and immediately my frown turned upside down.
My Dad showed me the Gallery when I was very small and as recollection serves I totally understand why I thought the Ranger was peeing. The Gallery back in the day had olfactory as well as auditory delights. Not so much this visit! No. I returned a few days later colleague in tow hoping her corner was clean too and voila — big smiles all around.
Why people don’t incorporate such things into all they design today is beyond me.
This won’t rain on my parade, however. Not today. I’m full of a sustained smile thanks to the magic of Grand Central.

Right outside of the Oyster Bar in Grand Central, you’ll see people smiling gleefully while whispering into the corners of the beautiful archways in front of the restaurant.
Why? Because it’s magic! The acoustics in this area allow for people to whisper into the wall of one side of the archway and several feet away, they can be heard from the other corner.
My mom and I tried it on a recent vacation. It was very cool. If you’re in Grand Central, stop by and have a chat!