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NYC Christmas photo spots: 14 free places for holiday photos.
Trees, store windows, markets and lights across New York City. Every place here can be photographed from public space, and a phone is enough. Each one has what to shoot, the best time, a crowd or safety note and a Google Maps link.
Before you go
Dates change every year. Where 2026 dates were published when this page was written, they are on the card; otherwise check the place's own site. Ticketed experiences such as Santaland and private igloos are left out. Everything here can be seen from the street or a public park.
Tips for holiday photos with a phone
- Use the blue hour. Lights look best in the twenty minutes after sunset, while the sky still has colour. In December that is before 5 pm.
- Hold still and tap the dark. Lean on a wall or a railing, tap the screen on the brightest light, then lower the exposure a little so the bulbs stay sharp.
- Look for reflections. Wet pavement, shop glass and the ice at a rink double every light. Get low and shoot along the surface.
- Shoot over the crowd, not through it. Step up on a bench edge or a staircase, or turn around and shoot the faces watching the lights.
- Keep the battery warm. Cold drains a phone fast. Keep it in an inside pocket between shots and carry a small charger.
- Ask before you photograph people. Strangers and children only with a yes.
The 14 places
Midtown first, then the rest of Manhattan, then Brooklyn. Each card has the facts that could be checked and a Map link.
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1Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
Midtown, Manhattan
What to shoot: The tree above the plaza, with the flags and the Channel Gardens leading toward it.
Dates: The tree lighting is on Wednesday, December 2, 2026, and the tree stays on display through January 9.
Best time: After dark for the lit tree. Early in the morning for a clearer view.
Crowds and safety: Extremely crowded in December, most of all on lighting night. Parts of the plaza can close. Keep moving and follow the barriers.
Map -
2Saks Fifth Avenue windows and light show
Midtown, Manhattan, 611 Fifth Avenue
What to shoot: The building facade during the light show, and the six central windows, which show an animated holiday journey through New York City.
Dates: The windows and the light show return on Monday, November 23, 2026. Showtimes were not announced when this page was written.
Best time: After dark, when the facade is lit.
Crowds and safety: Watch from the sidewalk across Fifth Avenue and do not step into the street. The sidewalk is busy, so stand back from the windows.
Map -
3Macy's Herald Square holiday windows
Herald Square, Manhattan
What to shoot: The animated holiday windows along the store at Herald Square.
Dates: The windows are up for the holiday season. Check Macy's for this year's unveiling date.
Best time: After dark, on a weekday evening if you can.
Crowds and safety: Crowded at weekends. Shoot from the sidewalk edge and leave room for people walking.
Map -
4Bryant Park Winter Village
Midtown, Manhattan
What to shoot: Lit holiday shops, skaters on the rink and the library behind the lawn.
Dates: The 2026 to 2027 Winter Village season is open. Check bryantpark.org for the dates of the rink and the shops.
Best time: Late afternoon into dusk gives warm light and lit stalls.
Crowds and safety: Follow the park hours, and check the Bryant Park site for what needs a ticket. The paths between the shops fill up on weekends.
Map -
5Union Square Holiday Market
Union Square, Manhattan
What to shoot: Red market stalls, string lights and the crowd moving through the square.
Dates: The 2026 dates were not announced when this page was written. Check the market's own site before you go.
Best time: Dusk, when the stall lights come on.
Crowds and safety: Busiest on Saturday afternoons. Stay out of the lanes between the stalls when you stop to shoot.
Map -
6Columbus Circle Holiday Market
Columbus Circle, Manhattan
What to shoot: Market stalls at the south end of Central Park, with the circle and the monument in the frame.
Dates: The 2026 dates were not confirmed when this page was written. Check Urbanspace before you go.
Best time: After dark, when the stalls are lit.
Crowds and safety: Traffic circles the monument. Cross at the lights and shoot from the plaza.
Map -
7Grand Central Terminal Holiday Fair
Midtown East, Manhattan
What to shoot: The Holiday Fair in Vanderbilt Hall, and the main concourse with its ceiling of stars and the big clock.
Dates: The Holiday Fair fills Vanderbilt Hall in the holiday season. Check Grand Central's site for this year's dates.
Best time: Mid-morning on a weekday, when it is warm and quiet. Avoid rush hour.
Crowds and safety: Very crowded at rush hour. Do not block the commuter flow.
Map -
8New York Public Library lions
Midtown, Manhattan, Fifth Avenue
What to shoot: Patience and Fortitude, the two lions on the Fifth Avenue steps, wearing wreaths in the holiday season.
Dates: The library puts wreaths on the lions each holiday season.
Best time: Early morning, before the steps fill up.
Crowds and safety: Stay on the steps and the sidewalk, and do not climb on the lions.
Map -
9Washington Square Park Christmas tree
Greenwich Village, Manhattan
What to shoot: The tree under the Washington Square Arch, with the arch lit behind it.
Dates: The tree goes up for the holiday season. Check NYC Parks events for this year's lighting.
Best time: After dark for the lit tree. Lighting night is the busiest.
Crowds and safety: Follow the park hours and stay on the paved paths near the arch.
Map -
10Dyker Heights holiday lights
Dyker Heights, Brooklyn
What to shoot: Houses covered in lights and large figures. The display is on residential streets and is put up by the people who live there.
Dates: No official dates. The lights go up in the holiday season, so check local news before you go.
Best time: After dark, and on a weeknight if you can.
Crowds and safety: These are people's homes. Be quiet, do not block driveways, do not litter, and never go onto a lawn or a porch. Ask before you photograph anyone.
Map -
11Brooklyn Bridge Promenade
Civic Center, Manhattan
What to shoot: The walkway toward Brooklyn, with the stone towers and the cables overhead in winter light.
Best time: Early or near sunset. Dusk falls before 5 pm in December.
Crowds and safety: The path is shared with cyclists. Stay on the pedestrian side and never stop in the bike lane. Wind on the bridge can be strong in winter, so dress warm.
Map -
12DUMBO, Washington Street
DUMBO, Brooklyn
What to shoot: The Manhattan Bridge framed by brick warehouses, with a lower sun in winter.
Best time: Early in the day for fewer people in the frame.
Crowds and safety: Shoot from the sidewalk only. Never stand in the roadway, vehicles pass often.
Map -
13Central Park after snow
Central Park, Manhattan
What to shoot: Bethesda Terrace and the fountain under fresh snow, one of the great frames in Central Park.
Best time: The morning after a snowfall, in daylight.
Crowds and safety: Daylight only. Stay on the terrace, not at the edge of the lake, and mind the ice.
Map -
14Brooklyn Heights Promenade
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
What to shoot: The Lower Manhattan skyline across the harbour, with lights coming on at dusk.
Best time: Winter dusk is the time to be here.
Crowds and safety: Stay on the railing path, not on the expressway side.
Map
One evening in Midtown
Four of these places sit within a short walk of each other. Start after dark and keep it to one evening.
- Saks Fifth Avenue. Start at 611 Fifth Avenue between East 49th and East 50th Streets for the facade and the windows.
- Rockefeller Plaza. Cross to the Channel Gardens, which sit just across Fifth Avenue, and walk toward the tree.
- The library lions. Walk south on Fifth Avenue to 42nd Street and frame the lions on the steps.
- Grand Central. Go east along 42nd Street and finish indoors under the ceiling of stars. Bryant Park is next to the library if you want a stop on the way.
Shoot December with friends
In Rawly you can start a club round on a topic, such as the best light you find on the way home. Everyone shoots it live in the app within the round's time, and those who shot vote for the best frame. There are no gallery uploads and no filters. The December photo challenge gives one idea for each day of the month.
Rawly is free on iOS and Android, for people 18 and over. This list is for anyone.
More: 40 NYC photo spots · December photo challenge · photo clubs
Questions
Where are the best Christmas photo spots in NYC?
Start in Midtown with Rockefeller Plaza, the Saks Fifth Avenue windows and light show, Macy's Herald Square windows, Bryant Park and Grand Central. Add the New York Public Library lions, the Washington Square Park tree and, in Brooklyn, Dyker Heights. This page lists 14 places that can be photographed from public space.
When is the best time to see the Christmas lights in NYC?
After dark, and best in the twenty minutes after sunset when the sky still has colour. In December that is before 5 pm. Go on a weeknight if you can, because weekends and the days around the Rockefeller Center tree lighting are the most crowded.
What are free Christmas things to photograph in NYC?
The Rockefeller Center tree, the Saks Fifth Avenue windows and light show, the Macy's Herald Square windows, the library lions, the Washington Square Park tree and the lights of Dyker Heights can all be photographed from the street. Ticketed experiences such as Santaland and private igloos are left out.
Do I need a permit to take photos in NYC?
Generally, permits are not required for casual photographers, tourists or credentialed members of the media, according to the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. Standing on a City sidewalk, a City bridge walkway or in a City park with a hand-held camera does not need one, as long as you do not claim exclusive use of City property. Productions with larger equipment packages do need a permit.
Permit answer from the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment: nyc.gov/site/mome/permits/when-permit-required.page
Rawly is not affiliated with the places, stores or organisations named on this page.