In 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. In order to reassure the American public, the Main Concourse became the location of a Redstone missile. It was so big that a hole had to be made in the ceiling to allow it to be comfortably housed.

If you look closely at the celestial zodiac ceiling in the Main Concourse of Grand Central Terminal, specifically near the symbol for Pisces, you will notice a small, dark circle. This hole is a fascinating relic from the Cold War era. In 1957, following the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik, the United States sought to reassure the public of its own technological prowess by displaying a Redstone nuclear missile in the center of the station. The missile was so tall that it would not fit under the historic ceiling; rather than choosing a smaller display, workers cut a hole in the ceiling to accommodate the tip of the rocket. During the massive 1998 restoration of the terminal, preservationists decided to leave the hole as a permanent "scar" of history. Additionally, they left a single small patch of dark grime nearby to show how dirty the ceiling had become from decades of nicotine and tar buildup before the cleaning revealed the brilliant blue and gold leaf beneath.