Times Square sits at the crossroads of Broadway and Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, where the New York Times moved its headquarters in 1904 and gave the former Longacre Square its modern name. Today it’s the beating heart of New York’s Theater District, framed by giant illuminated billboards that have made it one of the most photographed intersections on earth.
More than 40 Broadway theaters surround the square, staging long-running hits alongside flagship stores like the Disney Store and M&M’s World. The TKTS red glass steps are a favorite spot for people-watching and panoramic photos, while Madame Tussauds and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! draw families looking for indoor attractions nearby.
Times Square is at its most dazzling after dark, when the billboards light up the sky, and it never closes — pedestrian plazas keep it open and free to walk through any hour of the day. Most visitors spend anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours taking it all in.