What is open on Christmas Day in New York? Because Americans also celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December, opening times may be different on this day. Attractions and sights may be closed or have modified opening hours over the holidays in New York. See what you can do on Christmas Day in New York here.
Eric's Index
- 1 What’s open on Christmas Day in New York?
- 1.1 Activities open on Christmas Day 2024
- 1.2 What is there to do on Christmas Day in New York?
- 2 Shopping on Christmas Day
- 3 Getting around the city on Christmas Day
What’s open on Christmas Day in New York?
Opening hours of attractions and sights can look different on Christmas Day in New York. Here’s what you can do:
Activities open on Christmas Day 2024
| Major Attractions | Major Museums | ||
| Empire State Building | ✔ | Madame Tussauds | ✔ |
| Top of the Rock | ✔ | RiseNY | ✔ |
| One World Observatory | ✔ | American Museum of Natural History | ✖ |
| Edge Observation Deck | ✔ | MoMA | ✖ |
| Summit One Vanderbilt | ✔ | The Met | ✖ |
| 9/11 Memorial | ✔ | 9/11 Museum | ✖ |
| Hop on Hop off Buses | ✔ | Intrepid Museum | ✖ |
| Helicopter Tour | ✖ | All other museums are closed | |
| Rockefeller Christmas Tree | ✔ | Broadway | |
| Dyker Heights Christmas Lights | ✔ | Radio City Christmas Spectacular | ✔ |
| Ice Skating | ✔ | Chicago | ✔ |
| Bike rentals and tours | ✔ | Michael Jackson Musical | ✔ |
| Circle Line Cruises | ✖ | Gazillion Bubble Show | ✔ |
| Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island | ✖ | No other Broadway shows on this day | |
| Sports | Shops | ||
| New York Knicks | ✔ | Macy's | ✖ |
| No other sports games on this day | Woodbury Common Outlet | ✖ | |
| Public transportation | ✔ | Empire Outlets | ✖ |
| Restaurants | ✔ | Supermarkets | ✖ |
What is there to do on Christmas Day in New York?
Take the opportunity to visit a truly classic Christmas musical, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall! This show stars the world-famous Rockettes, a dance troupe that performs in perfect unison.
You will get that Christmas feeling on the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Tour. You will visit the Dyker Heights neighbourhood with a guide, where you will see houses lavishly decorated with thousands of Christmas lights!
For a more sporty activity, put on your skates and venture to one of the ice skating rinks in New York. You can also check out one of the wonderful Christmas markets.
Shopping on Christmas Day
Americans celebrate the holiday season extensively, so many shops and supermarkets adjust their opening hours on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. Shops close earlier on Christmas Eve and are closed completely on Christmas Day. Pharmacies, such as CVS, and small neighbourhood grocery stores will be open during Christmas, though.
Getting around the city on Christmas Day
On both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, public transport in New York runs on a modified schedule. Check in advance to see if your subway line will run.
Will things be open in New York on Christmas Day?
As Christmas is a major holiday, opening hours may be different from normal. See what there is to do on Christmas Day in New York here.
Does the subway run in New York on Christmas Day?
During Christmas in New York, the subway runs on a modified schedule. Read more here.
About the Author
Hey there, I'm Eric! I'm a true New York fan with over 20 years of experience visiting and living in NYC. Here on my website, I share all my tips and valuable information to help you make the most of your trip. I personally test and regularly re-test everything on my site to ensure that what I write is useful, honest, and always up-to-date.
If you have questions, need more free tips, or want me to check your itinerary, please email me at eric@newyork.co.uk. You can also follow me on Facebook to get daily updates from New York.
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