Macy's Thanksgiving balloon inflation

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Macy's Thanksgiving balloon inflation

Photo: Rhododendrites · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

🎃 Seasonal · Manhattan

2 hours · Free · No reservation needed

age fit
0–1 yr
★ 3.0
1–3 yrs
★ 4.0
3–5 yrs
★ 4.0
5–10 yrs
★ 5.0
  • 🚇
    About 15 min by subway or car
    From Midtown · Getting there: Subway B/C to 81 St or 1 to 79 St; the afternoon before Thanksgiving, entrance at 72 St and Columbus
  • 🍼
    Stroller-friendly
    Flat surfaces — bring the stroller
  • 🌳
    Little shade
    Good on cool days · Fine on cold days · Wind-OK
  • ⏱️
    Typical visit: 2 hours
    Best seasons: Fall

On the afternoon before Thanksgiving, the parade's dozens of giant balloons are inflated on the streets around the Natural History Museum, and through the netting you can watch Snoopy and Pikachu go from flat to several stories tall up close; fewer people than the parade itself and better for little kids.

💡 Tips
Runs 1pm to 6pm; the entrance and route are announced each year (check the Macy's website), and it is a bit less crowded before 4pm. Dress warmly and bring a stroller rain cover.

What this place offers

✓giant balloons
✓day before Thanksgiving
✓free
✓lines
✓around the Natural History Museum
✓hot chocolate

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This weekend's weather in Manhattan

Forecast at the destination itself (coast and hills often differ from home)

🌦️
Sat 10/17
Drizzle · 44–61°F · 29% rain
☀️
Sun 10/18
Sunny · 43–59°F · 3% rain

Location

Manhattan, New York

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