KulturerbeFreier Eintritt

Times Square

#6von 10 Orten zum Besuchen in New York CityNew York City, New York State, United States

Auch bekannt als The Crossroads of the World · The Great White Way

Kurz gesagt

Öffnungszeiten: No fixed opening hours. Der Eintritt ist kostenlos. Plane 45 min ein. Beste Zeit: After dark.

Aktualisiert am 18 September 2026 · Erstellt von Traveliac, KI-unterstützt · 4 Min. Lesezeit

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Photo: Terabass / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Öffnungszeiten: No fixed hours; Public plazas open 24 hours daily; billboards and pedestrian areas are always accessible
Eintrittspreis: Kostenlos
Benötigte Zeit: 45 min
Beste Tageszeit: After dark
Beste Monate: Apr – May, Sep – Oct
Adresse: Broadway & Seventh Avenue, between West 42nd and West 47th Streets, New York, NY 10036

Über Times Square

Times Square occupies the bowtie-shaped intersection where Broadway crosses Seventh Avenue between 42nd and 47th Streets, a stretch of pedestrianized plaza created in 2009 when the city closed the square to vehicle traffic and installed movable tables and chairs on what had been roadway. Zoning rules unique to this district legally require building owners to display illuminated signage above a minimum brightness and square-footage threshold, which is why the square's saturated wall-to-wall advertising look, rather than being incidental, is a mandated architectural feature dating to a 1987 city zoning amendment.

Beste Tageszeit: After dark. Roughly 19:00-22:00, when the electronic billboards are at their most striking against the night sky; for photography without dense crowds, early morning (07:00-09:00) is far quieter.

Öffnungszeiten von Times Square

Öffnungszeiten: No fixed hours; Mon–Sun No fixed hours; Public plazas open 24 hours daily; billboards and pedestrian areas are always accessible
Geschlossen an: Täglich geöffnet

Mon–Sun	No fixed hours

Gut zu wissen: New Year's Eve Ball Drop draws street closures and security screening from mid-afternoon on December 31; the Times Square Museum & Visitor Center keeps its own hours, roughly 08:00-20:00 daily.

Öffnungszeiten zusammengestellt aus timessquarenyc.org und öffentlichen Quellen, zuletzt aktualisiert am 18 September 2026. Sie können sich ohne Vorankündigung ändern — vor der Reise bitte bestätigen. Wie wir diese Reiseführer schreiben

Eintrittspreis für Times Square

Entry fees for Times Square
Ticket	Preis
Standardticket	Kostenlos
Ermäßigt (Studenten / Senioren)	Kostenlos
Kinder	Kostenlos

The square itself is free and open 24/7, as of 2026. The Broadway theatres, TKTS discount booth shows, and attractions around the square (Madame Tussauds, National Geographic Encounter, etc.) charge separately and are not covered here.

Preise zusammengestellt aus timessquarenyc.org und öffentlichen Quellen, zuletzt aktualisiert am 18 September 2026. Sie können sich ohne Vorankündigung ändern — vor der Reise bitte bestätigen. Wie wir diese Reiseführer schreiben

Beste Reisezeit für Times Square

Quiet
Moderate
Busy
Very busy

07:00 - 09:00
Early MorningBest time to go
Commuters passing through outnumber tourists; billboards remain lit against morning light with minimal foot traffic on the pedestrian islands.
Quiet
12:00 - 18:00
Daytime Peak
Heaviest sustained crowd of the day, worsened by costumed-character touts and slow-moving tour groups; the pedestrian plazas fill to near capacity.
Very busy
19:00 - 22:00
Evening / Pre-Theatre
Broadway curtain times (typically 19:00 or 20:00) send theatre-bound crowds through the square; billboards are at their most visually striking after dark.
Busy
23:00 - 01:00
Late Night
Post-theatre crowds disperse gradually; still busier than most NYC intersections but noticeably easier to move through than daytime hours.
Moderate

Geschichte von Times Square

The intersection was named Longacre Square until 1904, when The New York Times relocated its headquarters to the newly built Times Building (now One Times Square) and the city renamed the square in the newspaper's honor; the paper hosted its first New Year's Eve celebration there that same year, and the now-famous ball drop began in 1907 as a substitute for the fireworks display the city had banned. Through the mid-20th century the area became associated with theatres, grindhouse cinemas, and adult entertainment as Broadway's fortunes declined, reaching a low point of urban disinvestment by the 1970s and 1980s.

A coordinated public-private redevelopment effort beginning in the early 1990s under Mayor Rudy Giuliani's administration, combined with Walt Disney Company's 1994 restoration of the New Amsterdam Theatre, drove a sustained cleanup and commercial revival. The city pedestrianized the square's Broadway stretch in 2009 under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, converting roadway into the plaza seating areas that exist today, and completed a permanent redesign with granite paving and fixed seating in 2016.

Regeln & Etikette in Times Square

Costumed characters and 'showgirls' who approach for photos are unlicensed freelance performers who expect a cash tip, often aggressively, after the photo is taken; a polite decline before posing avoids the confrontation, and the NYPD has periodically cracked down on the most aggressive operators. The square is a well-known pickpocket location given its density and the constant crowd distraction of the screens, so keep bags zipped and phones in a front pocket, particularly on the crowded pedestrian islands.

Street vendors selling tours, comedy show tickets, or 'free' show passes ('You look like a winner!') on the surrounding sidewalks are a persistent tourist-trap pattern; legitimate discount Broadway tickets are sold only at the official TKTS booth on the Duffy Square traffic island (west side, 47th Street) or via the Broadway box offices directly.

Tipps für den Besuch von Times Square

1
The red TKTS staircase at the square's northern end (Duffy Square) doubles as free public seating and one of the best vantage points for photographing the billboards without paying for a rooftop bar; arrive after dark for the full lit-up effect. For Broadway tickets at a discount, queue at the TKTS booth itself, which sells same-day tickets at 20-50% off face value for a curated list of shows - the queue moves fast and the booth posts the day's available shows on a digital board.
2
Most dining directly on the square is priced for tourist volume rather than value; walking two or three blocks west toward Ninth Avenue's Hell's Kitchen restaurant row gets meaningfully better food at lower prices, still within a 10-minute walk of the theatres. The square is at its most photogenic and least crowded in the very early morning, before 08:00, when the billboards are still lit but the sidewalks are close to empty.

Anreise nach Times Square

Broadway & Seventh Avenue, between West 42nd and West 47th Streets, New York, NY 10036Route in Google Maps

Ab Times Square-42nd Street subway station
0 km · 0-2 min
$2.90 subway (OMNY/MetroCard)
Ab Port Authority Bus Terminal
0.6 km · 8-10 min walk
Free (walking distance)
Ab LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
13 km · 40-55 min combined
$2.90 total (single OMNY/MetroCard fare covers the transfer)

Nächster Flughafen

Ab LaGuardia Airport (LGA)

approximately 13 km, 30-45 minutes by road depending on traffic.

Nächste Station

Ab Times Square-42nd Street (subway lines 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W, S)

one of the busiest interchange stations in the system, directly beneath the square.

Häufige Fragen zu Times Square

Is Times Square free to visit?

Yes, the public plazas are free and open 24 hours a day, as of 2026. Only nearby paid attractions, Broadway shows, and museums around the square charge admission.

Should you pay costumed characters in Times Square for photos?

It's optional but expected by the performers, who are unlicensed and work for cash tips. Declining a photo before it's taken avoids any confrontation; if you do pose, a small tip (a few dollars) is the informal norm.

Where do you buy discount Broadway tickets at Times Square?

Only at the official TKTS booth on the Duffy Square traffic island at 47th Street, which sells same-day tickets at 20-50% off face value. Street vendors offering 'free' or discounted show tickets elsewhere in the square are a known tourist-trap pattern and not affiliated with Broadway box offices.

What time is Times Square least crowded?

Before 09:00, when the billboards remain lit but sidewalk traffic is close to its daily minimum. Midday through the evening pre-theatre rush (12:00-22:00) is consistently the most crowded window.

Mit KI-Unterstützung aus offiziellen Quellen und öffentlichen Aufzeichnungen erstellt und erst nach den Prüfungen veröffentlicht, die beschrieben sind unter Wie wir diese Reiseführer schreiben. Niemand von Traveliac war persönlich vor Ort. Zuletzt aktualisiert am 18 September 2026. Wie wir Orte bewerten und prüfen