Radio City Music Hall

Top choice in Midtown


This spectacular moderne movie palace was the brainchild of vaudeville producer Samuel Lionel 'Roxy' Rothafel. Never one for understatement, Roxy launched his venue on December 23, 1932, with an over-the-top extravaganza that included camp dance troupe the Roxyettes (mercifully renamed the Rockettes). Guided tours (75 minutes) of the sumptuous interiors include the glorious auditorium, Witold Gordon's classically inspired mural History of Cosmetics in the Women's Downstairs Lounge, and the VIP Roxy Suite, where luminaries such as Elton John and Alfred Hitchcock have been entertained.

As far as catching a show here goes, be warned: the vibe doesn't quite match the theater's glamour these days. That said, there are often some fabulous talents in the lineup, with past performers including Lauryn Hill, Rufus Wainwright, Aretha Franklin and Dolly Parton. And while the word 'Rockettes' provokes eye rolling from most self-consciously cynical New Yorkers, fans of glitz and kitsch might just get a thrill from the troupe's annual Christmas Spectacular.

Same-day tickets are available at the box office inside the Sixth Ave entrance. Whether you book here or in advance online, expect horrendous queues to get into the show; it's hugely popular. Tour tickets are usually easy enough to book on the day, and tours depart from the entrance around the corner on W 50th St.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Midtown attractions

1. Top of the Rock

0.06 MILES

When it comes to views in New York City, you’ll be spoiled for choice. The One World Observatory may have the edge for height, and the Empire State…

2. Rockefeller Center

0.09 MILES

This 22-acre 'city within a city' debuted at the height of the Great Depression, with developer John D Rockefeller Jr footing the $100-million price tag…

3. Paley Center for Media

0.11 MILES

This pop-culture repository offers more than 160,000 TV and radio programs from around the world on its computer catalog. Reliving your favorite TV shows…

4. Museum of Modern Art

0.15 MILES

Superstar of the modern-art scene, MoMA's galleries are a Who’s Who of artistic heavyweights: Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, Warhol, Lichtenstein, Rothko,…

5. Diamond District

0.18 MILES

Like Diagon Alley in Harry Potter, the Diamond District is a world unto itself. Best experienced on weekdays, it's an industrious whirl of Hasidic Jewish…

6. St Patrick's Cathedral

0.2 MILES

America's largest Catholic cathedral graces Fifth Ave with Gothic Revival splendor. Built at a cost of nearly $2 million during the Civil War (and spiffed…

7. Brill Building

0.27 MILES

This humble-looking building is widely considered the most important generator of popular songs in the Western world. By 1962, more than 160 music…

8. Fifth Avenue

0.3 MILES

Immortalized in film and song, Fifth Ave first developed its high-class reputation in the early 20th century, when it was known for its 'country' air and…