Thanksgiving in New York City

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Hotels, Parade, Dinner, Lights, Shows and Attractions

Thanksgiving in New York City is a magical time. Millions of people around the world tune in on their televisions to watch the famous Macy’s New York Thanksgiving Parade. If you are lucky enough to be in NYC, here are some tips on things to do Thanksgiving weekend, best ways to watch the Thanksgiving Parade, which attractions and museums are open and where to have Thanksgiving Dinner.

Best Thanksgiving Parade Hotels

There are plenty of hotels along the Thanksgiving Parade Route. Some Thanksgiving in New York City hotels have great views of the Parade (and some don’t!), making it easy to stay warm and dry, use a rest room, eat and STILL watch the Parade from a prime spot. Many of them also offer Thanksgiving in New York City Hotel Packages. Some of our top picks include:

Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel – ‘Went out of their [way] to help me set up surprise overnight hotel viewing room for Thanksgiving day Parade’
the Quin – Thanksgving reviews, ‘Great Hotel for The Thanksgiving Day Parade!!!’
New York Hilton Midtown – ‘Great location to see the Macy’s parade.’ and ‘All we had to do was go downstairs and watch the parade pass by.’

The Parade changed routes in both 2009 and 2012, so please be aware when researching older information and read the FULL NYC Insider Guide to Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Hotels and Vacation Packages.

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Special Thanksgiving Parade Viewing Parties & Dinners

Thanksgiving Parade Brunches & Thanksgiving Dinner

More Info: Thanksgiving in NYC, Thanksgiving Dinner in NYC, Thanksgiving Parade Hotels

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NYC Thanksgiving Day Parade Viewing Brunch @ Gotham Hall

Once again, we have teamed up with the NYC Party Gurus behind july4th.com and balldrop.com to bring you this NYC Thanksgiving Day Parade Viewing Brunch 2023 at Gotham Hall, all curated and designed by New Yorkers. This all-inclusive event includes a gourmet brunch, open bar, live entertainment and access to outdoor viewing of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 8am-1pm, Broadway @ 36th Street. From $379.

Tickets: Thanksgiving Day Parade Viewing Brunch @ Gotham Hall

Deal Alert: Thanksgiving Day Parade Viewing Brunch

Tickets: Thanksgiving Day Parade Viewing Brunch @ Gotham Hall

Thanksgiving in New York City Open Attractions

Many New York City Tourist Attractions are open 365 days per year, although some with limited hours. Thanksgiving Day may be a great day to try and see some of the more popular attractions, as they will be much more crowded the days before and after Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving in New York City – Open Attractions:

Empire State Building
Top of the Rock and most of Rockefeller Center
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tours
Times Square – Hershey’s Store, M&M Store, Hard Rock Cafe and many more.
9-11 Memorial
Central Park – Zoo, Carousel, Wollman Ice Skating Rink
One World Observatory
Edge
Summit One Vanderbilt

Download our NYC Holiday Hours Cheat Sheet

Wondering what’s open on Thanksgiving or How to Spend Christmas in New York? Which attractions are open late and what days they are closed? We put together this awesome NYC Holidays and Hours Cheat Sheet for you. You can download it free just by giving us a share! Keep in mind, schedules are subject to change, so you should always check in advance, but this chart is current as of November..

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Which is the BEST New York City Discount Pass?

Thanksgiving in New York City is a great time to visit the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, 9-11 Memorial, One World Observatory, take a New York City Bus Tour and much more! The New York City Discount Passes are a GREAT way to save if you know you’ll be seeing a lot of attractions in a short time!

Save with a New York City Attractions Pass

Want to find the BEST NYC Attractions Pass for your trip? Compare All NYC Passes – Download our FREE side by side Comparison Chart.

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Thanksgiving Dinner in New York City

With hundreds of delicious choices for Thanksgiving Dinner in New York City, it may be hard for you to choose just one place. Many NYC restaurants will offer a special pre-fixe holiday menu and you can pick from the most innovative menus to spectacular boat cruises with amazing skyline views around Manhattan.

The best spots BOOK EARLY, so make sure to check the complete NYC Insider Guide to Thanksgiving Dinner in New York City.

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Nutcracker Ballet Thanksgiving Weekend Schedule

Nov 24 – Dec 31, 2023
Fri @ 8pm
Sat @ 2pm & 8pm
Sun @ 5pm

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Thanksgiving Shows in New York City

Broadway and other NYC shows are hit or miss on Thanksgiving Day. In prior years, some Broadway Shows have performed, the Rockettes always have multiple shows and other shows are open around the city. Grab yourself (and the kids) and get tickets to one of the few shows open on Thanksgiving! Enjoy!

Thanksgiving in New York City – Open Shows

Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Parade – Thurs, November 23, 2023. New in 2023, Macy’s is starting the parade @ 8:30am, rather than 9am. 830am-12pm
Balloon Set Up – Wed, November 22, 3-10pm

Floats, Clowns, Balloons, Celebrities, Santa Claus and so much more. This is what Thanksgiving in New York City is all about!! Arrive no later than 7am to stake the best viewing spots.

Route and Where to Stand:

The Thanksgiving Parade route starts on Central Park West (CPW) and 77th Street @ 9am, marches South on Central Park West (CPW) to Columbus Circle, turns east on Central Park South and South on 6th Avenue to Macy’s at 34th Street at Herald Square. The new route offers over 2 miles of spectator viewing options.

Here’s what my friend, Eric, told me about his viewing spot, “Last year we watched from the west side of 6th Ave, near Radio City Music Hall (at 51st St.) and it was great, sunny, you could see the balloons from a distance, and there were plenty of places to get coffee/bathrooms behind us between 6th and 7th Avenues.”

Though the areas along Central Park are best for early birds (first to see the Parade), in previous years, it was not advisable to watch the parade on CPW or Columbus Circle, but rather further down on 6th Avenue. There are high winds and lots of shade along CPW, so floats and entertainers have been known to “rush” through this area. The upside to the rush is that you will see the whole parade in 1.5 hours, while further down the route, it will be about 3 hours.

For those who want to see the parade later in the day (9:30-12am), pick a sunny spot down on 6th Avenue between Central Park and Macy’s on 34th Street. Sixth Avenue between 59th and 38th offer great parade views. Sixth Avenue between 34th and 38th Street is usually closed to spectators.

More information at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.

Balloon Set Up – This can actually be as much fun as the Parade itself and many of us have stood outside with Hot Chocolate (or, um, something stronger) and watched the Parade balloons being blown up. The set up takes place on either side of the American Museum of Natural History, on 77th and 81st Sts between CPW and Columbus from 3-10 pm on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

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Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Route Map

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Public Viewing Areas:

Central Park West: West side from 70th Street to Columbus Circle
Central Park West: Early risers camp out starting at 6AM on the west side of Central Park West from West 75th to West 61st Streets. Great views can be found along this stretch!
Columbus Circle: West side (Note: Columbus Circle is the Southwest corner of Central Park where CPW and CPS meet). No public viewing on Columbus Circle.
6th Avenue: between 58th & 34th Streets. Great views from West 59th to West 38th Streets! (This is where my friend Eric watched and thought it was perfect)
6th Ave: between 34th and 38th Streets will be closed to spectators
34th Street: south side of street between Broadway & 7th Avenue
Avoid watching on 6th Avenue between West 34th and West 38th Streets & on West 34th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. The national television broadcast limits viewing here.

To ensure a good viewing location, get there early. Spectators arrive as early as 6:00am. More Info: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

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Thanksgiving in New York City Coupons: Join FREE and Save!

Save Big on Things to do in New York City

New York City Coupons and Discounts are available for almost everything one can do in NYC: concerts, shows, Broadway, sports, events, tours, attractions, beauty and spa and much more! See All: Insider Guide to ALL our NYC Coupons

Free Things to Do in New York City
Free Things to Do

Visiting New York on a Budget
NY on a Budget

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New York City Helicopter Tours

The cold weather is a great time to take to the Manhattan skies for an exciting New York City Helicopter Tour! On top of our always-gorgeous skyline, you’re bound to see amazing holiday lights up close this time of year! Enjoy spectacular aerial views of the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, 9-11 Memorial, World Trade Center and Ellis Island downtown.

I LOVED my tour…check out some of my photos and review at New York City Helicopter Tour.

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NYC Insider Print Map and Guide to Manhattan

Download over 100 pages of NYC maps, information and recommendations in less than 5 minutes! Our NYC Insider Printable Map Guide Book, Travel Planner and Bonus Map Guides include organized, easy to follow, color coded guides, detailed maps of every neighborhood, weekly chart of Free Museum Days and Times and free weekly neighborhood tours, Best of NYC Categories and lists by ALL native New Yorkers. Download everything you need to know NYC Like a Pro and make the most of your NYC vacation.

Loving the guide so far! I’ve been studying it for our upcoming trip. My favorite part is that you’ve provided what to see and where to eat in each area! We will be taking our cheat sheets with us as we visit each place! Honestly, I am not sure what you could have done better – it is so detailed, I love it!

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Thanksgiving in New York City – Ice Skating

For tourists and locals alike, ice skating at Central Park, Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park is a classic New York winter experience.

All three major rinks are open on Thanksgiving Day, as are the restaurants surrounding them.

Here are the rates and dates for the most well-known ice skating rinks.

NIT Season Tip Off and Championship Game

NIT Pre Season Tip Off
Returns in 2023 @ Barclays Center

NIT Season Tip-Off Tickets

Held every Thanksgiving Weekend, the Preseason NIT Tip-Off is a great way to kick off the beginning of the college basketball season and celebrate Thanksgiving in New York City.