Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade by subway: Thursday, November 26, 2026
Quick answer: The parade starts at 8:30 am and ends around noon. For Central Park West, take the C to 72 St (the A stops there before 7 am). For the Sixth Avenue stretch, take the D or F to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr. Thanksgiving runs on a Sunday schedule, so there's no B and no M. In 2025 people started lining up on Central Park West at 6 am.
Anywhere in the city to Central Park West viewing
- C
- 1
- Take the C, or the A before 7 amThanksgiving runs on a Sunday schedule, so there's no B train
- Get off at 72 StOn Central Park West
- Walk to the west side of Central Park WestPublic viewing, roughly 75th down to 63rd St
Viewing areas from the 2025 parade. Lines formed from 6 am. Check the day's service before you go.
Getting there
The 100th parade steps off at West 77th Street and Central Park West and runs south on Central Park West, around Columbus Circle, east on Central Park South, down Sixth Avenue and west on 34th Street to Macy's Herald Square. Pick the stretch you want to watch from, then the station for it. On Thanksgiving the subway runs a Sunday schedule.
| Where you'll watch | Station | Lines on Thanksgiving morning | Accessible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Park West | 72 St (at Central Park West) | C, A before about 7 am | No |
| Central Park West | 72 St (at Broadway), 2 blocks west | 1 2 3 | Yes |
| Central Park West | 66 St-Lincoln Center (at Broadway) | 1 | Yes |
| Sixth Avenue, 59th to 47th St | 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr | D F | Yes |
| Sixth Avenue, 46th to 38th St | 42 St-Bryant Pk | D F 7 | No |
- Coming in by rail: Penn Station (LIRR and NJ Transit) and Grand Central (Metro-North) are both a long walk from Central Park West. From Penn Station, the 1 goes straight to 66 St and 72 St. From Grand Central, take the S shuttle to Times Square and change to the 1.
- Coming from Brooklyn or Queens on the D or F, stay on to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr for Sixth Avenue.
- Not every line runs at every hour on a Sunday schedule. Check the line you need the night before.
Where to watch, and when to arrive
Macy's hasn't published its 2026 viewing map yet. In 2025, public viewing was here:
- The west side of Central Park West, from about 75th Street down to 63rd Street, from 6 am.
- Sixth Avenue, from 59th Street down to 38th Street.
- The south side of 59th Street (Central Park South), between Columbus Circle and Sixth Avenue.
There was no public viewing at the start (77th Street), at Columbus Circle, or at the finish at Macy's Herald Square on 34th Street, which is kept for the TV broadcast. Expect a very big crowd: the NYPD put the 2025 crowd at about 3.5 million people. For a spot at the front, plan to be in place around 6 am.
Balloon inflation, Wednesday, November 25
The balloons are inflated the day before around the American Museum of Natural History. In 2025 viewing ran from 1 pm to 6 pm, and everyone went in through a security checkpoint at West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue, so check Macy's parade page for this year's hours. The closest stations are 72 St on Central Park West (B C) and 72 St at Broadway (1 2 3, accessible). Wednesday is a regular weekday schedule.
Service changes on parade morning
The MTA posts its parade-day notice a few days before Thanksgiving. The 2026 notice isn't out yet. In 2025:
- Subways and buses ran on a Sunday schedule, with extra service early in the morning.
- Trains skipped 81 St-Museum of Natural History and 57 St on Sixth Avenue from 4 am to 11 am.
- Some entrances and exits along the route were closed, including some at 59 St-Columbus Circle and Penn Station.
- Many Manhattan buses near the route were detoured or held while the parade passed.
- The LIRR ran extra trains on the Babylon, Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma branches, and Metro-North ran extra trains on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines.
Plan on the same kind of changes this year, and check the MTA's Thanksgiving service notice before you leave.
Going home after the parade
The parade ends around noon, and the stations right on the route fill up first. Walk two or three blocks away from the route before you go underground: west to Broadway for the 1 2 3, or away from Sixth Avenue toward Seventh Avenue or Fifth Avenue. Buses near the route can stay detoured for a while after the last float passes, so the subway is usually faster.
Accessibility
- Stations with elevators near the route: 72 St at Broadway (1 2 3), 66 St-Lincoln Center (1), 59 St-Columbus Circle, 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr and 34 St-Herald Sq. In 2025 some exits at 59 St-Columbus Circle were closed on parade morning.
- 72 St and 81 St on Central Park West (B C) and 42 St-Bryant Pk have no elevators.
- Elevators can be out of service. Check the MTA's elevator and escalator status before you go.
- For accessible viewing options, check Macy's parade page well before parade day.
Common mistakes
- Heading to Herald Square to watch. In 2025 there was no public viewing at the finish.
- Waiting for a B or M train. Neither runs on Thanksgiving's Sunday schedule.
- Getting off at 81 St-Museum of Natural History. In 2025 trains skipped it on parade morning.
- Bringing a chair, a cooler, a big bag or a stroller. In 2025 the NYPD did not allow coolers, oversized bags, chairs, umbrellas, strollers, bicycles, pets or alcohol along the route, and bags could be searched. Drones weren't allowed either.
- Arriving at 8:30 am and expecting a front-row spot. The front rows fill hours earlier.
Macy's parade by subway: common questions
What subway stop is best for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
For Central Park West, the C train to 72 St, or the 1, 2 or 3 to 72 St at Broadway and walk two blocks east. For Sixth Avenue, the D or F to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr.
What time should I get to the parade?
The parade starts at 8:30 am. In 2025 people started lining up on Central Park West at 6 am, so arrive early for a spot near the front.
Does the B train run on Thanksgiving?
No. On Thanksgiving the subway runs a Sunday schedule, and the B and M don't run on Sundays. Use the C, A, D or F instead.
Can I watch the parade at Macy's Herald Square?
In 2025 there was no public viewing at the finish on 34th Street, which is kept for the broadcast. Watch from Central Park West or Sixth Avenue instead.
Which stations near the parade route are accessible?
72 St at Broadway, 66 St-Lincoln Center, 59 St-Columbus Circle, 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr and 34 St-Herald Sq have elevators.
Official sources
Cobblehop is independent and isn't affiliated with the MTA, Macy's or the parade organizers. Check their pages for the latest:
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
- MTA: service alerts
- MTA: accessible stations
- MTA: elevator and escalator status
Dates and times from the organizers' announcements. Station accessibility from the MTA's station data. Where a 2026 plan isn't published yet, this page says which earlier year a detail comes from. Checked November 7, 2026. Check live service before you go.
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