Guide · Sightseeing · Midtown
Things to Do in Times Square, Block by Block, and What to Skip
You can see the best of Times Square in about an hour, and most of it costs nothing: the screens, the Red Steps and an art film that takes over the billboards at 11:57 every night. The map shows each block, then we get to what's worth paying for and what we'd skip.
Times Square is really a long bowtie where Broadway cuts across Seventh Avenue, from about W 42nd to W 47th Street, and the middle is closed to cars. The Times Square Alliance counted roughly 220,000 people a day walking into it in 2024. Go in expecting a crowd and it's a lot of fun. Go looking for a quiet dinner and you'll be annoyed.
The map
What's on each block
| Place | Where | What it is | Cost | Allow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Duffy Square and the Red Steps | W 46th to W 47th | Sit on the steps and look south. It's the classic photo. The TKTS booth is underneath, and the statues of Father Duffy and George M. Cohan are on the same island. | Free | 15 min |
| 2. The Bowtie | W 43rd to W 47th | The pedestrian plazas where Broadway and Seventh Avenue cross. Tables, chairs and every screen you came to see. | Free | 20 min |
| 3. One Times Square | W 42nd to W 43rd | The building the New Year's Eve Ball drops from. The Skywalk deck is on the 19th floor, with a glass-floored walkway, and there's a Ball exhibit. Timed tickets. | From $30 | 45 min |
| 4. Museum of Broadway | 145 W 45th St | A museum about the history of Broadway shows, east of the crowd. Opens 9:30am. Closes 4pm Monday to Wednesday and 6:30pm Thursday to Sunday. | Ticketed | 1 hr |
| 5. New Victory Theater | 209 W 42nd St | An Off-Broadway house that makes theater for kids and families. The Times Square Alliance's family guide recommends it. | Per show | Show length |
| 6. Restaurant Row | W 46th St, 8th to 9th Ave | The block of pre-theater dinners, west of the crowd. It's also the way back toward the river. | Your dinner | Dinner |
Times Square Alliance, TDF, the Museum of Broadway and 6sqft (Skywalk price, April 2026), checked November 2026. One Times Square says hours vary by attraction: check before you buy.
Start at the top of the Red Steps
If you only do one thing, do this. The Red Steps sit on Duffy Square at W 47th Street, facing south, and from the top row you get the whole canyon of screens in one look. They're free, you can sit as long as you like, and they double as the roof of the TKTS booth.
On the same island are the only two statues worth looking for. Father Francis P. Duffy was a chaplain of the Fighting 69th in the First World War who went on to work in Hell's Kitchen and Times Square. George M. Cohan, the songwriter, is the only statue in Times Square honoring a Broadway legend, according to the Alliance.
Getting a Broadway ticket
The TKTS booth is run by the nonprofit TDF. It sells same-day seats and next-day matinees at up to 50% off, and the board price already includes an $8 service charge per ticket. The board shows what's available right now, so you're choosing from what's left, not from everything on Broadway.
- Monday, Tuesday and Friday: 3pm to 8pm.
- Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: 11am to 8pm.
- Thanksgiving week: the hours change. Thanksgiving Day itself is 3pm to 8pm this year.
Most evening shows start at 7pm on weeknights and 8pm on Saturday, and doors open 30 to 45 minutes before curtain. Your ticket has the real time. There are 41 Broadway theaters, and all but one are in the streets on this map or just north of it. Our Broadway map has each one with its walk, and the dinner planner tells you when to leave the table.
Is the Skywalk worth it?
That depends on what you want to see. The Skywalk at One Times Square is only 19 floors up, with a glass-floored walkway and the old New Year's Eve Ball on show. You're in the middle of the billboards, looking down on the crowd, and that's the point. Tickets started at $30 when 6sqft reported on it in April 2026.
If you came for the skyline, you want a real observation deck. Edge is on the 100th floor at Hudson Yards, from $42 plus a $2 fee and about 18 min from our door. The Empire State Building is about a 15-minute walk down from here, and it's open 365 days a year.
What's free, and when it's best
Midnight Moment is easy to miss, because it's so late. From 11:57pm to midnight, more than 92 screens from W 41st to W 49th Street stop running ads and play the same piece of art. There's a new artist each month, and it runs 364 nights a year. If you're coming out of a late show, wait for it.
Any time once it's dark is the right time to come. The whole place is built around light, and from late fall it's dark by 5pm. By day you mostly see billboards. We can't give you an empty hour, because the Alliance's own counts run between 200,000 and 250,000 people a day. A very cold weeknight is your best chance.
What we'd skip
- A photo with a costumed character, unless you're ready to tip. They're working for tips, and since 2016 the city has kept them inside painted zones in the plazas. NPR explained the rule.
- Dinner right on the plazas, if you care about dinner. Walk west instead. Past Eighth Avenue, the crowd thins and Ninth Avenue is the neighborhood's restaurant street, with cooking from all over the world.
- Standing still in the middle. The plazas have seating. Use it, and leave the walking lanes to people who are walking.
- Driving here. Sixteen subway lines stop within a few blocks. Take one of them.
With kids
The Alliance's family guide starts with live theater: Broadway shows it rates as kid-friendly and the New Victory Theater on W 42nd Street, an Off-Broadway house that makes shows for children. For a young child the screens alone may be enough for 20 minutes, so plan a place to sit. The Intrepid, with its aircraft carrier and space shuttle, is about 6 min from our door and a better bet for a long afternoon.
Getting there
The Alliance lists the 1, 2, 3, 7, A, B, C, D, E, F, M, N, Q, R, W and S as serving the area. The 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W and S stop at Times Sq-42 St, in the middle of it. The A, C and E stop at 42 St-Port Authority, one long block west, and that's about 17 min from our door. A ride is $3.00 if you tap a phone or card.
New Year's Eve, briefly
Here's what the Alliance's FAQ said for last year's celebration. It hadn't been updated for this year when we checked in November 2026, so expect similar rules and read it again in December.
- It's free, and there are no tickets. No viewing space is for sale. The Alliance warns that all-access passes for multiple venues have been refused at police lines.
- Viewing areas opened at 3pm, entered from 45th, 49th, 52nd and 56th Streets off Sixth and Eighth Avenues. They fill north from W 43rd Street as the day goes on.
- There's no way back. No portable restrooms, no licensed food vendors, and if you leave your spot to eat, you can't return.
- No backpacks, large bags, umbrellas, folding chairs or alcohol. All bags are searched.
- The Ball goes up around 6pm and starts down at 11:59pm. There's a free live webcast from 6pm if that all sounds like too much.
Getting away from it
We're not in Times Square, and we won't pretend it's around the corner. Cantina Rooftop is at 605 W 48th Street, between 11th and 12th Avenue. That's about 15 min on foot from the Red Steps, west along W 48th Street, or a short cab on a cold night.
What you get for the walk: Mexican food, a live DJ, and a glass roof that's closed and heated when it's cold. It's loud, so it's not the quiet dinner either. Tuesday to Thursday 5pm to 11pm (last reservation 10pm), Friday 5pm to 3am, Saturday 12pm to 3am and Sunday 12pm to 9:30pm. Closed Mondays. For holidays, call (212) 957-1700.
More from this side of town: dinner near Times Square, things to do in Hell's Kitchen and walk times from everywhere nearby.
Times Square questions
What is there to do in Times Square for free?
Sit on the Red Steps at W 47th Street, walk the plazas between W 43rd and W 47th, find the statues of Father Duffy and George M. Cohan, and watch Midnight Moment, an art film that plays across the billboards from 11:57pm to midnight.
How long do you need in Times Square?
About an hour is plenty if you're just looking. Add a show and it's an evening. Most Broadway shows run two to three hours.
When is the best time to go to Times Square?
Once it's dark, when the screens do the most for you. In winter that means from about 5pm. The Times Square Alliance counted roughly 220,000 people a day in 2024, so don't expect it to feel empty at any normal hour.
What is Midnight Moment?
The Times Square Alliance's public art program. From 11:57pm to midnight, over 92 digital displays from W 41st to W 49th Street show the same artwork, with a new artist each month. It's free and runs 364 nights a year. This month's artist.
Where do you buy discount Broadway tickets in Times Square?
At the TKTS booth under the Red Steps, Broadway at W 47th Street. It sells same-day tickets and next-day matinees at up to 50% off, and the price on the board already includes an $8 service charge per ticket. Hours and today's board.
Can you go inside One Times Square?
Yes, with a ticket. The Skywalk viewing deck is on the 19th floor, with a glass-floored walkway, and tickets started at $30 when it opened in spring 2026. A multi-floor museum was promised to follow, so check what's open before you go.
Do you need a ticket for New Year's Eve in Times Square?
No. The street celebration is free and first come, first served. There's nothing to buy, and the Alliance warns about all-access passes that don't work. Private parties in businesses do need a ticket. The Alliance's FAQ.
How far is Times Square from Hell's Kitchen and the Hudson River?
Close. From 605 W 48th Street, near the river, it's about 15 min on foot to the Red Steps and about 19 min to One Times Square. Restaurant Row is about 11 min.
