Broadway Tickets: Your Guide to the Theater District

What we know as Broadway is New York City's Theater District. It packs more than 40 theaters along Broadway Avenue, between 40th and 53rd Streets.

It isn't really a neighborhood of its own (it's part of Midtown Manhattan), but it sure is one of the most famous spots in NYC.

What to do on Broadway

Broadway was an old colonial road that cut diagonally across the island of Manhattan. It was the «wide road.»

It's the only street that still runs the full length of Manhattan from north to south. So don't be surprised when you run into Broadway in different neighborhoods of Downtown Manhattan and Uptown Manhattan.

Along with Fifth Avenue, these are the two most famous streets in New York.

But here we'll focus only on the highlights of the Theater District.

Broadway musicals

Broadway is famous for its musicals. You've got to see at least one in your life to say, with a straight face, that you've been to New York 😉

Musical tickets are expensive, but there are several ways to buy cheap Broadway tickets (I walk you through all the details at that link).

Times Square

Besides the theaters, the intersection at Times Square is the other headline attraction of New York City's Theater District.

Read more about Times Square, a Manhattan «celebrity» you have to see.

Off-Broadway theaters

The Theater District is also known for its off-Broadway theaters, the ones that stage independent, non-musical productions.

They're smaller, none holding more than 500 people like the famous houses do. Standouts include the New York City Center, Astor Place Theatre, Cherry Lane Theatre, New York Stages, and the New York Theatre Workshop.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

Right in the middle of Times Square you'll find Madame Tussauds New York (232 West 42nd Street), the city's famous wax museum.

It displays figures of more than 200 celebrities, including Hollywood actors, athletes, musicians, and presidents (you can snap a photo in the White House Oval Office with Obama).

Admission is pricey, so this is a case where a tourist discount pass that includes this museum really helps.

Themed stores and restaurants

The area is also known for its themed restaurants and stores like Hershey's and M&M's World, Bubba Gump, and ESPN Zone, among others.

Shopping at these places can cost more, but they're a lot of fun to walk through, with merchandise and product displays you won't find anywhere else.

TV studios

Another interesting stop is the ABC studios, where «Good Morning America» is broadcast live every morning.

The set sits at street level behind a huge window (if you're into TV production, check out the NBC studios at Rockefeller Center).

Staying near Broadway isn't cheap, but it does guarantee you a spot in one of the most central and captivating parts of New York. Take a look at this list of hotels in Manhattan with solid recommendations at reasonable prices.

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Address

The Theater District is clustered around Broadway, between West 42nd and West 53rd Streets.

How to get there

Lines 1, 2, 3, 7, N, R, Q, S. Times Square-42nd St station.