The Perfect Place to See the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Lincoln Square is the perfect place to be the week of Thanksgiving, especially if you plan to attend the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. On Wednesday, November 22, you can get a sneak peek of the giant balloons and fabulous floats, and on Thursday, November 23, you can see them in action.

On Thanksgiving Eve, take a behind-the-scenes look at the legendary balloons and fantastic floats getting Parade ready just steps away from Lincoln Square. From 12:00pm until 6:00pm on Wednesday, November 22, the public can view the balloon inflation and float building event outside of the Museum of Natural History. The only entry point is located at West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue (details here). There will be Macy’s representatives and members of the NYPD onsite to direct onlookers and answer questions. Guests will be able to exit west along any block from West 82nd to West 86th Street.

There will be street closures due to this event from 2:00am on Wednesday, November 22, through 12:00pm on Thursday, November 23. Central Park West will be closed from West 72nd to West 86th Street, West 72nd through West 85th Street will be closed from Central Park West to Columbus Avenue, and the 79th Street Transverse will be closed as well. Visit Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade website to learn more about the inflation.

The 2.5-mile Parade will start at 8:30am on Thursday, November 23, traveling alongside Central Park West, through Lincoln Square, and ending in Midtown. To see great views of the Parade near and in our neighborhood, head to the west side of Central Park West as early as 6:00am from West 75th to West 61st Streets. Note there will be no public viewing on Central Park West between West 59th and West 60th Street or at Columbus Circle. If you want to see the Parade from the comfort of the indoors, visit the The Shops at Columbus Circle (10 Columbus Circle). Tartinery, on the third floor of The Shops, will allow customers who spend a minimum of $38 to enjoy the views from its cafe-bar area for 90 minutes. You can learn more about the route on the Parade website.

Be prepared for no parking advisories in Lincoln Square in addition to street closures on Central Park West from 59th Street to 72nd Street and the 65th and 66th Street Transverses on Wednesday and Thursday, and on 59th Street at Columbus Circle on Thursday.

Read the NYC Mayor's Notice of Thanksgiving Street Closures for more details. Find out which subway entrances/exits will be closed along the Parade route and which bus routes will be affected here. If you have any questions, contact 311.

If you're still looking for last minute reservations or items for your table, read our recent story, "Have a Festive Thanksgiving in Lincoln Square". Note this was written a few weeks ago, so reservations may be booked but you can use our Neighborhood Guide to see all offerings in Lincoln Square. 

Photo Credit: Macy's