Times Square in New York City is famous for its bright neon lights, flashy oversized billboards,
and an endless number of entertainment options. It's considered to be the commercial and cultural
heart of the city that proudly calls itself the Big Apple. Visitors can find everything
from street performers and activists to family-friendly attractions, restaurants, museums, theaters,
and bars here.
New York’s most famous landmark is located at the intersection of 7th avenue and Broadway.
Even if you're not usually into crowded touristy attractions, from a cultural and historical
perspective, Times Square is one New York City destination that everyone should experience
at least once.
If you're planning on making the trip out to New York City and Times Square happens
to be on your list of locales to check out, you'll want to have at least some kind of
plan of action – otherwise, you might find yourself a bit overwhelmed. Keep watching
to see our list of the best things to do in Times Square, NYC.
Madame Tussauds New York
This exceptionally popular wax-figure attraction is renowned around the globe for its fantastic
artistry and mesmerizing replicas of famous folks from all arenas of life. You can see
life-sized facsimiles of celebrities, musicians, public figures, and even a handful of historical
and fictional characters. This place is an Instagram-addicts dream come true. Fans of
the Kardashians will likely want to snap a few selfies with Khloe, Kourtney, Kim, and
the rest of the clan. Or if you enjoy classical pop music, you can always pose next to the
King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson.
Take A Sightseeing Bus Tour
Exploring Manhattan via a bus tour is quite possibly one of the most iconic New York City
touristy things you can do. Sit back and relax while listening to an informative narration
that teaches you about the sites you're driving by. Whenever you see a place that interests
you, simply hop off and check it out! A few significant landmarks that you'll see along
your ride include Times Square, Chinatown, Broadway, Madison Square Garden, the Empire
State Building, and Tom's Restaurant – the diner that famously was featured in Seinfeld.
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!
This attraction allows guests to explore the whimsical and wild world of American cartoonist,
entrepreneur, amateur anthropologist, and collector of oddities, Robert Ripley. As you
stroll through the facility, you'll see dozens of exhibits featuring hundreds of weird and
eccentric artifacts and objects. Guests can see everything from actual shrunken heads
to taxidermied albino animals and miniatures of NYC landmarks.
Over at the Ripley’s Relic exhibit – a favorite of younger visitors – you’ll
be asked to solve a series of puzzles and riddles in order to unravel the mystery of
the elusive Relic.
National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey
This spellbindingly immersive ocean experience is totally unique. While it isn't an actual
aquarium, you can come here to have an intimate, up-close digital encounter with some of the
most majestic and captivating denizens of the Pacific Ocean. Throughout your tour, you'll
see creatures, including great white sharks, giant squid, humpback whales, and hundreds
more.
The experience begins with a 90-minute 'undersea' voyage where you'll walk alongside an enormous
high-definition 60,000 sq ft digital cinematic display. You'll feel as if you were just teleported
to the heart of the sea amidst a dizzying array of some of its most creatures. After
completing that leg of your trek, there's an 'above the water' exhibit with various
interactive and informative displays that teach you about the animals you just saw.
Gulliver’s Gate
Named after the titular character in the classic novel Gulliver's Travels, this attraction
places guests into the position of being a giant whose job it is to survey tiny replicas
of cities and landmarks from all around the planet. The fascinating miniature world of
Gulliver's Gate is, without a doubt, one of the most unique things to do in the city.
From your giant perspective, you'll see familiar sights such as the New York skyline, the Statue
of Liberty, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the onion-shaped domes of Moscow, and many more.
These hypnotic miniatures were painstakingly crafted by skilled artists from around the
world, and they were compiled together into one ridiculously entertaining series of exhibits.
If you're visiting Times Square, it's a must-see!
One Times Square
Situated on what may be one of the most expensive pieces of prime real estate in the world,
One Times Square is a 25-story, 363 ft. tall historic skyscraper that is world-famous for
hosting the annual New Year's Even Ball-drop ceremony.
The building was designed by famed architect Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz and is located in the
heart of Times Square. It was initially constructed to serve as the headquarters of The New York
Times, but the paper moved its base of operations just eight years after moving into the tower
in 1905.
For decades, One Times Square remained mostly vacant, but it continued to be one of Times
Squares' primary focal points due to its excessive number of large illuminated and digital billboards.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
This long-running, critically acclaimed, and ever-popular CBS late-night talk program is
taped every weekday at the Ed Sullivan Theater. Tapings are open to the public but it can
be a bit difficult to land tickets. If you do happen to score a pair, however, you’ll
be treated to one of the most popular and hilarious bits of free entertainment at Times
Square.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, Stephen Colbert is an American comedian who
took the Late Show reigns over from David Letterman in 2015. Ever since becoming the
show’s host, the Late Show has become increasingly more political.
If you're interested in attending a taping, tickets are released two months in advance
and are typically claimed quickly. Even if you don't get the tickets you're seeking for
the dates you'll be in town, you can be put on a waiting list just in case somebody cancels
at the last minute.
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah
Attending a taping of the Daily Show remains one of the most popular things to do when
visiting Times Square. While Jon Stuart is no longer the host of the program, Trevor
Noah seems to be doing a pretty great job in the role. As such, this is still one of
the premier sources of free entertainment in the city, and everyday visitors from all
over are still lining up in droves trying to get their hands on tickets.
The show tapes every day from Monday through Thursday beginning at 6pm and ending around
7 or 7:15pm. The show is taped in a studio in Hell’s kitchen between 51st and 52nd
streets at 733 Eleventh Avenue. If you're interested in reserving tickets, you can do
so online in advance and pick them up at will-call on the day of taping at the studio.
The Knickerbocker Hotel
Commissioned by John Jacob Astor in 1906, this historic hotel is an iconic Times Square
mainstay. It features a beautiful Beaux-Arts facade and a tasteful yet modern interior.
The luxury hotel can be found in the heart of New York City, close by to many of the
city’s most famous landmarks and attractions.
The rooms are elegant and spacious, featuring modern décor and furniture and high ceilings.
While rates are a bit on the pricey side, you'll be treated to luxury linens, designer
toiletries, 4k flat-screen TVs, a fully-stocked minibar, and luxurious bathrooms. All guests
are also given access to the hotel's gourmet restaurant, gym, rooftop bar, and cigar lounge.
The New Victory Theater
The New Victory Theater is one of the only full-time performing arts theaters in New
York City, and it's the only one geared toward families with children. This off-Broadway
theater is located smack dab in the middle of Times Square. They offer year-round performances
that feature dance, puppetry, opera, circus, and physical theater.
The theater is housed inside of a historic building that was built by Oscar Hammerstein
and designed by Albert Westover in 1900. Originally it was named Theatre Republic and when it
first opened its first offering was the play Sag Harbor featuring Lionel Barrymore as it's
lead.
The majority of the theater’s original architectural features are still intact such as its large
dome adorned with lyre-playing cherubs around its rim. In 1995, the theater was refurbished
and given its current name.
Times Square Church
This popular non-denominational place of worship is located at 237 West 51st Street in the
theater district. The church boasts parishioners from more than 100 countries and it occupies
the building that was formerly used by the Mark Hellinger Theatre. The church leased
the space at first, but they purchased it in 1991. Since then, they've held six services
a week – four of which are on Sunday.
Dave and Buster’s
This popular family-friendly chain is one part sports bar and grill and one part arcade.
Dave and Buster's opened their first bar in Dallas, Texas, in 1982, but they quickly expanded
throughout the nation while improving upon the concept. The Times Square locations is
expansive, bright, colorful, and enormously popular. They have a premium bar where you
can order signature cocktails or any one of 20 beers on tap. It’s a great spot to watch
your favorite team play on one of their jumbo-sized TVs with stadium-quality surround sound.
If you're hungry, their menu is diverse and includes everything from crispy chicken with
a sweet yet spicy campfire sauce to steaks, ribs, and chicken and waffles. New games are
constantly being added to the arcade including popular titles like Mario Kart and Halo: Fireteam
Raven. There are also games like billiards, ski ball, and bowling.
With that, we’ll go ahead and wrap things up, but before you go, we’d love to hear
a little of what you have to say about Times Square.
Did you know that Times Square is the filming location of several long-running late-night
television talk shows and that One Times Square has been hosting the annual New's Year Eve
ball drop ceremony since 1907? Let us know in the comments. And as always, thanks for
watching, and happy travels!