One of the most beloved holiday activities in NYC is seeing the festive department store window displays.
Macy’s holiday window displays are among the best -- and the oldest!
2025 dates TBD. Last year the window displayed up on November 21 and remained up until January 1.
As a native new Yorker, I've gone to see the Macy's windows many times over a few decades and I can tell you that they get better every year.
On my walking tours during the holiday season, I hear from my guests how much they love the windows and how impressed they were with the innovative and playful design.
Macy’s was America’s first department store to decorate its windows for Christmas, back in 1874 when the store was located on 14th Street.
Now located on 34th Street, Macy’s decorates the windows that run along the Broadway side of the store.
Since the early years, Macy’s has chosen a unique theme each year. 2025 themes will be revealed later, however last year theme was 'Give Love'.
Basked in red and silver, the windows are filled with Christmas figurines symbolic of the holiday like elves, teddy bears, tree baubles, stars, hearts and more.
In this video, Katie, my fellow tour guide here at Tours by Foot New York, presents to you the Macy's window displays in 2022.
In 2021, the window displays told the story of a reindeer named Tiptoe who dreams of flying with Santa for Christmas.
In 2020, the theme was "Give, Love, Believe" and centered on the message of thanks, especially to the first responders and health workers on the front lines of the pandemic.
While the word 'spectacular' doesn't come to mind when looking at pictures of some of the early Macy's holiday window displays, they were sophisticated for the time.
In 1915, one window display featured a painted backdrop of a winter scene. In front of it were toy baby dolls dressed in lace and ruffles.
One doll sits in a wicker rocking chair and another in a wicker baby carriage. Other dolls “fly” above it all.
After Macy’s began decorating its windows over a century ago, the other big department stores shortly followed and today New York City has numerous holiday window displays - each special in its own way.
Read more about New York City’s Christmas windows and our New York Holiday Lights Tour.
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