Rockefeller Center is a complex of Art Deco office towers, plazas and gardens in the middle of Manhattan, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues from roughly 48th to 51st Street. Most visitors know it from winter postcards: the skating rink in the sunken plaza and the giant Christmas tree above it. Year round, though, Rockefeller Center is one of the easiest places in Midtown to spend an hour or two, with free public spaces, good architecture, an observation deck and Radio City Music Hall on the same few blocks.
What Rockefeller Center is and why go
The center was built in the 1930s, financed by John D. Rockefeller Jr., and it was one of the largest private building projects of the Depression era. The idea was a city within the city: offices, shops, theatres and open space laid out as one design. That design still holds together, which is what makes the place enjoyable even if you have no plans to shop or skate.
The heart of the complex is 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the tall slim tower that houses NBC's studios and the Top of the Rock observation deck. In front of it sits the sunken Lower Plaza with Paul Manship's gilded statue of Prometheus, and leading up to it from Fifth Avenue is the Channel Gardens, a narrow walkway of seasonal plantings and fountains.
Getting to Rockefeller Center by subway
The nearest station is 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr on the B, D, F and M lines, under Sixth Avenue. The station connects to the underground concourse of the complex, so on a wet or freezing day you can reach the shops and the base of 30 Rockefeller Plaza mostly indoors. Follow the signs for Rockefeller Center or simply come up onto Sixth Avenue and walk east into the plaza.
Other useful options:
- 5 Av/53 St on the E and M, a few minutes' walk north, handy if you are combining the visit with MoMA.
- 49 St on the N, R and W, a short walk west on Seventh Avenue, close to Times Square.
Is Rockefeller Center free to visit?
Yes. Walking around the plazas, the Channel Gardens, the concourse and the outside of the buildings costs nothing. The paid experiences are separate: Top of the Rock, the ice rink, guided tours of the complex, studio tours and shows at Radio City Music Hall all sell their own tickets. Prices change by season and time slot, so check the official Rockefeller Center website for current details and book directly where you can.
The rink and the Christmas tree
The skating rink in the Lower Plaza usually runs through the colder months, roughly autumn to spring, with timed sessions that sell out on weekends and around the holidays. It is small compared with the rinks in Central Park, and part of the appeal is skating under the tower and the Prometheus statue.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree goes up each year in November and is lit at a televised ceremony shortly after Thanksgiving. It normally stays up into early January. The tree draws very large crowds, especially in the evening, and the area is sometimes managed with one-way walkways. If you want photos without a crush, go early in the morning on a weekday.
Highlights around the plaza
Art Deco details
Look up at the entrances. Many buildings carry carved panels, mosaics and gilded reliefs. The figure of Wisdom above the entrance to 30 Rockefeller Plaza is one of the best known, and the lobby inside has large murals.
Atlas
The bronze statue of Atlas holding the heavens stands in the forecourt of the International Building on Fifth Avenue, directly opposite St. Patrick's Cathedral. It is one of the most photographed sculptures in the city.
Top of the Rock
The observation deck on the upper floors of 30 Rockefeller Plaza gives a straight view of the Empire State Building to the south and Central Park to the north. It has its own timed tickets.
Radio City Music Hall
On Sixth Avenue at 50th Street, the Art Deco theatre is home to the Rockettes' Christmas show and hosts concerts and events through the year. Tours of the interior are offered on some days.
Best time to visit Rockefeller Center
For a quiet look at the architecture, weekday mornings are best. Late afternoon into evening is a good time if you plan to go up Top of the Rock for sunset and then come down to see the plaza lit up. From late November through the New Year the whole area is at its busiest; give yourself extra time and expect slow sidewalks on Fifth Avenue.
An hour is enough to walk the plazas and gardens. Add an hour or more for Top of the Rock, and more again if you skate or take a tour.
Nearby on the same subway stop
- St. Patrick's Cathedral: the neo-Gothic cathedral across Fifth Avenue, free to enter.
- Museum of Modern Art: a few blocks north on West 53rd Street.
- Broadway Theatre District: a short walk west toward Times Square.
- Fifth Avenue shopping: flagship stores stretch north toward Central Park.
For more places around this station, see Rockefeller Center on Around the Metro, or explore every stop on the New York subway map.