As hundreds of thousands of travelers pass through Grand Central each day, many miss the intimate alcove of the Biltmore Room. Located in the Northwest corner of Grand Central Terminal’s main upper level near the Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant, it was specifically designed for your next makeout session. Don’t believe us? It’s even nicknamed the “Kissing Gallery” or “Kissing Room“!
The Kissing Room was constructed in the early 1900s as a dedicated area for loved ones to greet each other or say goodbye. It was believed that creating a specific space for these tender interactions would alleviate any traffic that kissing may pose to other travelers moving through the station. Think of it like an airport’s Kiss ‘n’ Fly area!
It was built directly beneath the Biltmore Hotel, a sister structure of Grand Central Terminal. The Biltmore Hotel operated between 1913-1981 and was connected to Grand Central through the Biltmore Room as a convenience for travelers to access their accommodation without having to go outside.
Moreover, “the purpose of the room is to do away with this promiscuous kissing around the station, and centralize it,” as outlined in Grand Central: Grand by Design.
To ensure the Kissing Room relieved any commuter congestion, there were a specific set of rules established to keep things moving.
Grand Central Terminal kissing rules:
- No kiss shall last longer than 5 seconds
- Keep your tongue in your own mouth
- No kissing in any part of the Terminal other than the Kissing Gallery
Of course, nowadays people don’t pay too close attention to those rules, but it’s a quirky part of the terminal’s history. Not to mention, it makes us think of NYC’s humorous anti-flirting bill from the early 1900s, making it a punishable offense by a $25 fine.