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Photo Credit: Yeong-Ung Yang

Photo Credit: Linda Rosier

Photo Credit: Yeong-Ung Yang

Photo Credit: Yeong-Ung Yang

Photo Credit: Yeong-Ung Yang

When commuters walk into the white stucco building with its red terra cotta-tiled roof, two four-story towers, courtyard and balconies, it can be hard to believe they are in a Bronx subway station.

Yes, the East 180th Street station, near the New York Botanical Garden, was designed to look like an Italian villa.

It’s one of many stops in the system that are destinations in and of themselves — attractions worth visiting for everything from a glass oculus with a 53-foot diameter, a column-free platform, impeccable views of New York Harbor and some of the best art work around.

These are some stations worth visiting whether you’ve got a train to catch or not: