Whisper across the arch at Grand Central and watch the trains

What it is like

The main concourse is the other show. The departures board and the commuters hurrying below the famous clock are a free train-watching session, and the terminal's own site says guided tours reveal the secrets of Vanderbilt Hall, the Whispering Gallery and the Grand Central Clock. Metro-North trains and the Long Island Rail Road (via Grand Central Madison) use the terminal, and there is a Dining Concourse and Grand Central Market for a snack, plus a Transit Museum Store.

Honest bit: rush hour is a river of people who know exactly where they are going, and a child who stops dead in the middle of it will be regarded with suspicion. Go mid-morning. Public restrooms exist; the terminal's site says so, though I'd work out where you are headed before you need one. It is a very good ten-minute stop on the way to Rockefeller Center, or a rainy-day backup.

Best time to go

Mid-morning, outside the weekday commuter rush.

Tips before you go

• Avoid the weekday rush hours; mid-morning is much calmer.
• The whispering gallery is on the lower level near the Oyster Bar; stand in opposite corners facing the wall.
• Grab a snack at the Dining Concourse and make it a meal.