A Perfect NYC Christmas: Macy's, Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center
You finally landed in the Big Apple just in time for the holidays. There’s no place quite like New York City at Christmas. This season, you’re on a mission to soak in all the magic and make memories that will last for years to come.
In this adventure, we hit three of the most iconic memory making stops in Manhattan just in time for the holiday season. Come along with us as we stop at Macy’s Herald Square, the Empire State Building and of course no visit to New York would be complete without a stop at Rockefeller Center.
And this is just the tip of the holiday iceberg in New York City!
4 Things to know about visiting New York for the Holidays
Do your best to avoid the crowds; to say it can get crowded is an understatement. Avoid the most popular locations like the Christmas Tree on the weekends
Go early! Another tip for avoiding the crowds is to hit your must do activities as soon as the location opens when the crowds are likely to be lighter
If you plan to do a table service restaurant, whether it's lunch or dinner make sure that you have a reservation
Branch out and visit locations beyond midtown and Fifth Avenue. You'll find holiday attractions spread throughout the city
Macy's Herald Square Should Be Your First Stop
Macy's Windows
One of your first stops on your trip should be Macy's Herald Square, the "world’s largest department store". During the holidays, their window displays are a must-see. This year's windows are filled with interactive displays that are perfect for the littles in your group.
Macy’s Herald Square Holiday Window
Macy's holiday windows are the most family oriented displays in the city. The windows are filled with fun experiences for kids of all ages. There's the advent calendar, the video games and the story of Tiptoe the reindeer sprinkled throughout.
Macy’s Herald Square Holiday Window
Our advice here is to arrive about 30 minutes prior to the store opening so that you can take your time exploring the windows on both the Broadway and 34th street sides of the store. The other option is to stop by just after the store opens when the windows become easier to view as everyone heads inside.
Macy’s Herald Square Holiday Window
Visit Toy's "R" Us
After enjoying the windows, step inside the magnificent building. The first floor is dressed for the holidays with beautiful decorations hanging from the ceiling. Be sure to take a ride on the original wooden escalators and soak in the atmosphere on your way to the 7th floor.
Toy’s “R” Us at Macy’s Herald Square
Toy's "R" Us is another fun stop for families and a wonderful trip down memory lane, for some of us! This outpost of the beloved toy store is sure to bring out the kid in everyone. We enjoyed exploring the toy aisles as much as our little guy.
Toy’s “R” Us on the 7th Floor of Macy’s Herald Square
There's a small playground, a photo op with Geoffrey and a Disney Princess Dressing room, that you can't miss. We even found a lego display that recreates the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the middle of the department.
Disney’s Princess Dressing Room at Macy’s Herald Square
Of course, you'll spot the classic toys like Legos and Barbie, alongside the latest and greatest toys. While you're there, be sure to check out the "Last Act" section of the toy department. We found nice prices and some really enticing deals.
Spend some time with Santa in Santaland
On the 8th floor, you'll discover the iconic Macy's Santaland where kids can meet the one and only Santa Claus. You must have a reservation for this experience to meet and greet Santa.
Santaland on the 8th Floor at Macy’s Herald Square
Reservations to meet Santa are available from late November until Christmas Eve. This year, those dates are November 24th - December 24th. To secure your reservation, be sure to visit the store's website.
When making your reservation, you will have the option of picking a Santa that fits your families vision. It could be a traditional Santa, a Black Santa or a Spanish speaking Santa.
Macy’s Santaland Express on the 8th Floor Herald Square
While it's free to snag a reservation to visit Santa, Macy's does charge for the official photo with Santa. This year's packages start at $39.99.
One last thing to note is that reservation are available five days in advance of your visit and the booking window opens at 6:30am daily. So, for example, if you'd like to visit with Santa on December 24th, then you should book five days prior on December 19th when the site opens at 6:30am for booking.
Where to eat at Macy's Herald Square
Getting the munchies while you're in the store? Have no fear, Macy's has you covered with several quick service options available throughout the store. As a surprise to no one, on the 7th floor you will find a McDonald's, right in the children's department.
Macy’s Herald Square Dining Options
In addition, you can find Au Bon Pain, Rowlands, Carvel's, Aunt Annie's, Stella, Just Salad, NYC Pizza and Starbucks to name a few.
The Top of the Empire State Building
Once you’ve soaked in the holiday cheer at Macy’s, head on over to the Empire State Building. This iconic New York landmark offers stunning views of the city from its 86th floor observatory.
Empire State Building
The Views Are Breathtaking
The 360 degree views from the observatory will leave you in awe. You'll see everything from the Chrysler Building to the Statue of Liberty. The hours vary depending on when you're visiting. Generally speaking, they are open from 10:00am - 10:00pm, be sure to check the site before you visit for the hours.
View from the 80th Floor of the Empire State Building
While the lines can be long, the views are 100% worth the wait. Buy your tickets in advance on the Empire State Building’s website to save time. The observatory has both indoor and outdoor viewing areas, so dress for the weather.
View of Lower Manhattan from the 80th Floor of the Empire State Building
There are multiple tour options to choose from. We went with the Main Deck: 86th Observatory tour. This was all we had time for on our visit but we would have gone with the combination Top Deck: 102nd & 86th Floor Observation Decks if time allowed.
View from the 80th Floor of the Empire State Building
The Empire State building does host special showings of ELF throughout the season. There's also a Premium Experience tour that provides you a 90 minute walk through the buildings art deco lobby, the celebrity walk and all of the exhibits.
Riveter Sculpture at the Empire State Building
Or you can get really fancy and take the ESB All Access Tour that gives you the celebrity treatment. This tour starts you off with a glass of champagne in the celebrity green room.
No matter which tour you choose make sure to check out all of the interactive exhibits throughout the space. Whether it's the view finders that provide a glimpse at what the surrounding area would have looked like in the 20's, to the look back through the decades at the Empire State Building souvenirs through the years.
Empire State Building Souvenirs Display
After witnessing the bright holiday lights of the big city from up high, head on over to Rockefeller Center by way of Fifth Avenue to see the iconic tree, and cap off the perfect New York Christmas holiday stroll.
Rockefeller Center
You Can't Visit New York Without Seeing the Tree
No trip to New York at Christmas is complete without seeing the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. The first tree was erected in 1931, when the workers building the site pooled their funds to purchase and decorate a tree.
In December of 1933, the Christmas tree became an official annual fixture at the iconic location, complete with a tree lighting ceremony. In case you're wondering, the tree is usually brought into the plaza some time in mid-November and is traditionally lit the Wednesday following Thanksgiving.
Seeing the Tree
There are multiple ways to approach the tree. No matter from which direction you approach the tree, we suggest getting a good vantage point and taking in the beauty of the tree and the ice rink below. And when we say getting a good vantage point, that doesn't necessarily mean getting as close as you can to the tree.
The Rockefeller Christmas Tree
To say that you should expect crowds at the Christmas tree may seem obvious. However, on our visit this year the crowds really felt more extreme than they have been in past years. This could be because we were there on a Saturday.
The Rockefeller Christmas Tree
With our experience in mind, we'd suggest visiting the tree on a week night. Or depending on the age of your littles, you may want to visit later in the evening when most families have retired for the night.
It's Not Just About the Tree
While you might have headed over just to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, keep in mind that there is so much more to see and do at this iconic location.
There are shops a plenty to explore. Those traveling with children, might want to stop by FAO Schwarz, Nintendo or the LEGO store. The one thing we would caution here is that you will very much need to pack your patience to visit these stores.
Nintendo Store Rockefeller Center
On our visits there were lines outside of each of these locations that in some instances snaked around the block. But, don't be discouraged. We'd suggest arriving at the store you most want to visit when it opens to avoid the longer waits later in the day.
Let's Eat!
There are multiple locations to grab a meal while you're visiting the area. From quick service to sit down restaurants and all in multiple price ranges. You will have no trouble finding something to eat on your visit.
If you are interested in having a sit down meal, we suggest that you plan ahead, research the restaurants that fit the bill in the area, and make a reservation. On our visit we had reservations for Bill's Bar & Burger at 16 West 51st Street.
Bill's Bar & Burger
A few things to note here. If you don't have a reservation and arrive at peak times, you can expect about an hour wait for a table. Even with our reservation, we had about a 15 minute wait for our table.
Bill’s Bar & Burger Fat Cat Burger
We had zero expectations for this first visit to this burger spot and came away pleasantly surprised. Everything arrived to our table as we ordered it, hot and fresh. We even gave their traditional chocolate shake a try and enjoyed that as well.
Bill’s Bar & Burger Traditional Chocolate Shake
As far a prices go, this meal was about the middle of the road coming in around $70. Considering where we were sitting, we had expected to spend around $100 for lunch.
Still in the Mood to Shop?
And if you’re still in a shopping mood after Macy’s, peruse the various retail shops and restaurants within the plaza. There are clothing stores, housewares, and jewelry shops to explore. Of course, that's just on the plaza, head out to Fifth Avenue and stop by Saks Fifth Avenue to check out their holiday window display and have a look in this iconic location as well.
Saks Fifth Avenue
Other Fun Holiday Activities in NYC
Once you’ve experienced the holiday magic at Macy’s, the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, there are still plenty of other fun activities to enjoy in New York City during the holidays.
Take in a holiday show on Broadway
There’s nothing quite like seeing a big musical production on Broadway, especially during the holidays. Popular shows like The Lion King, Wicked, and Hamilton are spectacular any time of year. You might even catch a holiday-themed show like The Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.
Radio City Music Hall
Go ice skating
If you’d like to go ice skating, there are plenty of locations in and around the city that fit the bill. Consider the ice skating rink just under the Christmas tree. Or just down the road at Bryant Park in the Winter Village by Bank of America you can go skating. There's also Wollman Rink if you happen to be visiting Central Park.
Check out the holiday markets
If you’re looking to do some shopping at unique local vendors, head to one of New York’s holiday markets. You’ll find artisanal goods, handcrafted gifts, festive foods and drinks. Popular spots include Bryant Park's Winter Village by Bank of America, Union Square Holiday Market, Columbus Circle Holiday Market, and Grand Central Holiday Fair. Bundle up, grab a cup of hot cider or cocoa, and stroll through the stalls of these charming open-air markets.
Grand Central Terminal Holiday Fair
Wrapping up Christmas in New York
So there you have it, just one version of how to spend the day when you are experiencing Christmas in New York. Macy's, the Empire State Building, and the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree are just three of the iconic NYC landmarks all decked out and glowing for the holidays.
Decorations at Grand Central Terminal
As we said, these stops are really just the tip of the holiday iceberg. There are so many happenings and goings on around New York City that we haven't even mentioned. Just to name a few, if you're looking for a winter wonderland be sure to check out any of the botanical gardens, whether that's the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens or the New York Botanical Garden.
If you're at the New York Botanical Garden, make time to see the holiday train display. Or if that's too far afield, pop into Grand Central Terminal and see the New York Transit Museum's holiday train show.
6th Avenue Holiday Decorations
After a whirlwind day exploring each spot, seeing the massive window displays, gazing at the city from up high, your Christmas spirit will be soaring.
No matter what you decide, you’ll never run out of fun ways to get into the holiday spirit in New York City. Make the most of your trip and indulge in as many of these special seasonal activities as possible. The holidays are meant for making memories, so go ahead and live it up!
Until next time, Enjoy the Journey!
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