Though humble in its current form, Penn Station was once housed in a Parisian-inspired beaux arts building. Since its reconstruction in the late 1960s, most of the station—replete with myriad shops, eateries, and subway entrances—is located below ground. You can always book same-day travel out of Penn Station, but trains to popular destinations may sell out, especially at peak times. Consider purchasing tickets in advance to ensure a seat and avoid the crowds at ticket lines.
Penn Station is an ideal stop for visitors who want to book convenient train travel outside of NYC.
More than 600,000 travelers pass through Penn Station daily, so expect crowds.
Leave extra time to find your train, as the station’s maze-like corridors can be challenging to navigate.
The station and all tracks are accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.
Penn Station is centrally located in Midtown Manhattan, between 31st and 33rd streets, and 7th and 8th avenues. Enter on 7th Avenue for commuter rail travel to Long Island and New Jersey, and along 8th Avenue for Amtrak service to other cities. To get there most easily, take the A, C, E, 1, 2, or 3 subway train to 34th Street–Penn Station. Alternatively, the 7, 20, and 104 buses stop nearby.
As a major New York City transit hub, Penn Station is busiest during peak commuting hours on weekdays; consider arriving in the slightly less hectic late morning or early afternoon. New York weather is ideal in spring, summer, and autumn. If you travel by rail in October, you’ll be treated to lovely autumn-hued landscapes.
Above Penn Station sits New York’s major arena, Madison Square Garden, situated at street level. The Garden hosts concerts, conventions, and New York Rangers hockey and New York Knicks basketball games. To see the city’s professional sports teams in action, consider buying tickets to a game before you head out of, or upon arrival at, Penn Station. You can even store your bags with Amtrak, inside Penn Station, before going to an event.
