The parade runs 2.5 miles from Central Park West to Herald Square. Here's the route street by street, where the public can actually stand, which subway stop serves each stretch, and how to get in by train from New Jersey, Long Island, and Westchester.
2026: the 100th parade is Thursday, November 26. Macy's says the NBC, Peacock and Telemundo broadcast starts at 8:30 a.m. Balloon inflation is Wednesday, November 25, on the Upper West Side, and Macy's will post public-access details later. The MTA, NJ Transit and PATH usually publish parade-day service in the week before Thanksgiving. Until then, the transit notes on this page are what they announced for the 2025 parade, labeled as such. macys.com/parade →
This is the current route, from Macy's official route map:
1. Step-off: West 77th Street & Central Park West. The balloons and floats line up on the side streets and on Central Park West north of 77th, next to the American Museum of Natural History.
2. South on Central Park West from 77th Street down to Columbus Circle at 59th Street.
3. East along West 59th Street (Central Park South) from Columbus Circle to 6th Avenue.
4. South on 6th Avenue from 59th Street all the way down to 34th Street. This is the longest stretch and the best place to watch.
5. Finish: West 34th Street in front of Macy's Herald Square. The route turns west onto 34th and ends between 6th and 7th Avenues, where the TV broadcast is filmed.
In 2025, the NYPD said the first groups stepped off at 8:30 a.m. and the last marchers finished around noon. Streets along the route were expected to reopen by about 3 p.m.
Source: Macy's route map (2025, archived) · NYC Mayor's Office / NYPD briefing, Nov 2025 · Verified September 2026
Watching is free and needs no ticket. Macy's says public viewing is on the west side of Central Park West, the south side of Central Park South, and along 6th Avenue. The NYPD manages the viewing areas. Here's how each stretch compares, based on Macy's 2025 route map:
West side of the avenue only; the park side is not open. Macy's says early risers start arriving at 6 a.m. here. You see the parade first, and the area is right next to the balloon inflation zone if you went the day before.
Macy's calls out "great views" on the south side of 59th between Columbus Circle and 6th Avenue. The north side is the park, so there is only one side of the street to stand on.
About 20 blocks of viewing on both sides of the avenue. The balloons come through later here than on Central Park West, so the upper stretch fills first. This is the easiest stretch to reach from Penn Station, Grand Central, the Port Authority and PATH.
No public viewing at the finish. Macy's map says to avoid 6th Avenue between West 34th and West 38th Streets and West 34th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, because the national TV broadcast limits viewing there. The grandstands at Herald Square are not open to the public, and Macy's does not sell tickets.
No viewing at Columbus Circle itself. Macy's 2025 map marked Central Park West between West 59th and West 60th Streets as restricted, with no public viewing.
Pick your side before you arrive. You can't cross the parade whenever you like. In 2025 the NYPD allowed no crosstown traffic through the route and opened only five pedestrian crossings on 6th Avenue, at 57th, 52nd, 48th, 44th and 39th Streets. If you're coming from Penn Station or the Port Authority (west of 6th Ave), plan on the west side. From Grand Central or 5th Avenue, the east side is easier.
Source: Macy's Parade FAQs · Macy's route map (2025, archived) · NYPD briefing, Nov 2025 · Verified September 2026
On Thanksgiving the subway runs a Sunday schedule. According to the MTA timetables, the B and W don't run at all on Thanksgiving Day, and the M doesn't come through Midtown on its Sunday route. Station signs will still show those letters, so use the lines listed below. The fare is the regular $3.00.
72 St on the C is right on Central Park West. The 1/2/3 and 1 stations are on Broadway, a short walk east to the route.
The busiest station on the route. In 2025 the MTA closed some entrances along the route to prevent overcrowding.
47–50 Sts is directly under 6th Avenue. 57 St on the F is also under 6th Ave, but in 2025 the F skipped it until 11 a.m.
Bryant Park is the best landing spot from Grand Central (7 or 42 St Shuttle) and from the Port Authority (walk east on 42nd).
Right at the TV zone, so you can't watch here. Useful for arriving and leaving, but expect crowds. Walk north above 38th St to watch.
For LIRR, NJ Transit and Amtrak arrivals. Walk north and east to 6th Ave in the high 30s or 40s, or ride one stop to Times Sq.
Last year's station closures (2025). From 4 a.m. to 11 a.m., A and C trains skipped 81 St–Museum of Natural History (at the parade's starting area) and F trains skipped 57 St on 6th Avenue. Some entrances and exits along the route were also closed to prevent overcrowding. The MTA added extra early-morning service on the 1 and the 42 St Shuttle. Expect something similar in 2026, but check the MTA's Thanksgiving notice in November.
Step-free stations near the route. MTA station data lists 59 St–Columbus Circle, 66 St–Lincoln Center, 72 St (1 2 3), 47–50 Sts–Rockefeller Ctr, Times Sq–42 St, 34 St–Herald Sq and 34 St–Penn Station as accessible. 72 St and 81 St on the C are not. Check elevator status in the MTA app before you go. See our NYC accessibility guide.
Source: MTA service for Thanksgiving 2025 · MTA B, W, M, F timetables (holiday notes) · MTA Subway Stations data · Verified September 2026
New to the system? Our NYC subway guide covers OMNY tap-to-pay and reading the line signs.
Every regional railroad adds trains for the parade. Below is what each one announced for Thanksgiving 2025; 2026 schedules are usually posted the week before. Driving in is a bad idea, since the NYPD closes streets on both sides of the route from the night before.
In 2025, trains ran a weekend/major holiday schedule on Thanksgiving, with extra morning and early-afternoon trains for the parade on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex and Port Jervis lines. NJ Transit added extra buses that morning too (see the Port Authority Bus Terminal guide; walk east on 42nd St to 6th Ave). From Penn Station, walk north-east to 6th Avenue. NJ Transit's advice: buy a round trip before you leave (the app is fastest) so you skip the ticket-machine lines on the way home. See NJ Transit at Penn Station.
In 2025 PATH ran a modified Saturday schedule on Thanksgiving. The 33rd St terminal is under 6th Avenue at Herald Square, which is the restricted finish area, so walk north toward the Bryant Park stretch to watch. Fare $3.25. See our PATH train guide.
Ferries land at the Midtown terminal on 12th Avenue, which is a long walk crosstown to 6th Avenue. Check NY Waterway's holiday schedule, and expect Midtown streets near the route to be closed to buses and cars. See NJ to NYC by ferry.
In 2025 the LIRR ran a weekend schedule on Thanksgiving, with extra trains to and from Manhattan on the Babylon, Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma branches before and after the parade. Off-peak fares apply on holidays. The MTA also banned alcohol on trains and at stations from 8 p.m. Wednesday until noon on Thanksgiving. Grand Central Madison puts you closer to the east side of 6th Ave; Penn Station puts you on the west side. See LIRR at Penn Station and Grand Central Madison.
In 2025 the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines ran a special Thanksgiving schedule with extra trains before and after the parade. The Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines ran a weekend schedule, with one extra Port Jervis train before the parade. From Grand Central, walk west on 42nd Street to Bryant Park and 6th Avenue, or take the 7 one stop to 5 Av. Check the holiday timetable in the TrainTime app. See our Metro-North guide.
Source: MTA (LIRR & Metro-North) Thanksgiving 2025 · MTA railroad fares · NJ Transit, Nov 2025 · Port Authority (PATH), Nov 2025 · Verified September 2026
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, the giant balloons are inflated on the streets around the American Museum of Natural History. For 2026 that's Wednesday, November 25. Macy's says public-access details will be posted later, so check macys.com/parade in November. Last year's setup gives you a good idea of what to expect:
Everyone entered through a security checkpoint at West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue, then walked to West 77th and Central Park West, across 77th, and north on Columbus Avenue to West 81st. The exit was at West 81st and Central Park West, where you could head north to see the floats being assembled between 81st and 86th Streets. You had to be past the 72nd Street entry by 6 p.m. to get in. It runs rain or shine.
Subway for inflation day. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is a regular weekday, so the B runs. The 72 St station on the 1/2/3 is at Broadway and 72nd, one block west of the Columbus Avenue entry. The exit at 81st and Central Park West sits next to 81 St–Museum of Natural History (B C) for the ride home.
Streets close early. In 2025 the side streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue in the 70s and 80s, and Central Park West from 72nd to 86th, closed from early Wednesday morning through Thanksgiving afternoon. Don't plan a cab drop-off at the museum.
Source: Macy's Parade FAQs (2026) · Macy's inflation map (2025, archived) · NYC street closures 2025 (PDF) · Verified September 2026
Leave the stroller at home. In 2025, Macy's and the NYPD listed these as prohibited in spectator areas: strollers, bags larger than 12" x 6" x 12", coolers, chairs, umbrellas, bicycles, pets, alcohol, e-cigarettes, drones, weapons, and anything large that blocks other people's view. Bags are subject to inspection. Carry kids in a carrier and bring a poncho instead of an umbrella.
Plan for the cold and the wait. If you arrive at 6 a.m. to get a front-row spot, you'll be standing for hours before the balloons reach you. Dress in layers, wear warm shoes, and bring snacks in a small bag. Public restrooms near the route are scarce, and it's hard to keep your spot if you leave.
Get off the subway early and walk. The stations right on the route are the most crowded, and in 2025 some were skipped or had entrances closed. Getting off one or two stops away and walking over is usually faster than squeezing out at 59 St or 47–50 Sts.
Leaving afterward: walk away from the route first. When the parade ends, the stations next to the route get packed right away. Walk a few blocks east or west, away from the crowds, before you go underground. Streets reopened around 3 p.m. in 2025, so taxis and rideshares near the route are a poor bet before then.
Get alerts by text. In 2025, NYC Emergency Management sent parade updates on weather, road closures and traffic when you texted THANKSGIVING (or THXGIVINGESP for Spanish) to 692692. Check that the program is running again for 2026.
Source: Macy's Parade FAQs · NYPD briefing, Nov 2025 · NYC Emergency Management, Nov 2025 · Verified September 2026
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