New York Penn Station (1910–1963)
The Masterpiece We Lost
The original Pennsylvania Station in New York City was one of the greatest works of architecture ever built in America. Designed by McKim, Mead & White and completed in 1910, it was modeled after the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, featuring a grand waiting room with 150-foot ceilings, massive Doric columns of pink Milford granite, and a steel-and-glass train shed that flooded the platforms with natural light.
The station was the crowning achievement of Pennsylvania Railroad president Alexander Cassatt's vision to bring the PRR directly into Manhattan via tunnels under the Hudson River. Before Penn Station, passengers had to take a ferry from New Jersey to reach the city.
In 1963, demolition began to make way for the current Madison Square Garden complex. The destruction of Penn Station is widely considered the catalyst for the modern historic preservation movement in the United States. The outcry led directly to the creation of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1965.
Today, the underground station that replaced it serves over 600,000 passengers daily, making it the busiest rail hub in the Western Hemisphere — though in a vastly diminished architectural setting. The opening of Moynihan Train Hall in 2021 partially restored grandeur to the Penn Station experience.
“One entered the city like a god. One scuttles in now like a rat.”
— Architectural historian Vincent Scully on the loss of the original Penn Station
Newark Penn Station (1935)
Art Deco on the Northeast Corridor
Designed by McKim, Mead & White (the same firm behind the original NYC Penn Station) and opened on March 23, 1935, Newark Penn Station is an Art Deco masterpiece that replaced an older facility overwhelmed by passenger growth.
The station features a grand waiting room with a barrel-vaulted ceiling soaring over the main concourse, ornamental bronze light fixtures, detailed terrazzo floors, and exterior limestone cladding with geometric Art Deco detailing. It served as a model for how modern rail stations could balance monumental architecture with efficient passenger flow.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, Newark Penn Station remains one of the finest surviving railroad terminals in the Northeast and continues to serve as a major transit hub for NJ Transit, Amtrak, and PATH.
Philadelphia 30th Street Station (1933)
Neoclassical Grandeur Still Standing
Designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and opened in 1933, Philadelphia's 30th Street Station replaced the older Broad Street Station and remains one of the most architecturally impressive active rail stations in the United States.
The station's Neoclassical design features a main waiting room with a coffered ceiling rising 95 feet, massive Corinthian columns, and the iconic 'Angel of the Resurrection' sculpture by Walker Hancock, honoring Pennsylvania Railroad employees who died in World War II. The bronze sculpture shows the archangel Michael lifting a fallen soldier from the flames of war.
Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2005, 30th Street Station is the third-busiest Amtrak station in the country, serving millions of passengers annually on Amtrak, SEPTA Regional Rail, and NJ Transit services.
Baltimore Penn Station (1911)
Beaux-Arts on Charles Street
Designed by Kenneth M. Murchison in the Beaux-Arts style and opened on September 15, 1911, Baltimore Penn Station was a joint project of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Northern Central Railway. It represented the PRR's commitment to building monumental stations along its main line.
The station features a grand skylit waiting room with pink Tennessee marble walls, ornamental plasterwork, and classical detailing that reflects the influence of the City Beautiful movement. Though smaller than its counterparts in New York and Philadelphia, Baltimore Penn Station achieves an elegance that belies its modest footprint.
A major renovation completed in the 2010s restored the station's original grandeur while adding modern amenities including improved lighting, restored marble, and better accessibility. The station continues to serve as Baltimore's primary intercity rail hub for Amtrak and MARC Train services.
Pittsburgh Penn Station (1903)
Burnham's Rotunda at the Gateway
Designed by the legendary Daniel H. Burnham and opened in 1903, Pittsburgh Penn Station (originally Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Station, later Pittsburgh Union Station) is a Beaux-Arts gem anchoring the city's Strip District.
The station's crowning glory is its stunning rotunda, featuring a 68-foot Guastavino tile dome — the same vaulted tile construction technique used in Grand Central Terminal, the Boston Public Library, and Ellis Island. The terracotta exterior, classical columns, and ornate interior detailing reflect Burnham's belief that architecture should inspire civic pride.
Though intercity rail service to Pittsburgh has declined dramatically from its peak (the station now sees just one Amtrak train per day, the Pennsylvanian), the building's architecture has been beautifully preserved. The station was designated a Pittsburgh Historic Landmark and stands as a reminder of the city's role as a critical junction in the Pennsylvania Railroad's network.