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If you've ever stood shoulder to shoulder with a million strangers in Times Square on New Year's Eve (or wisely watched the Ball Drop from your couch), you'll soon be able to experience the spectacle without waiting until December 31.
Starting on August 7, One Times Square will debut Times Travel, a new immersive attraction that traces the history of both Times Square and its world-famous Ball Drop through interactive exhibits, multimedia installations and a sky-high viewing deck.
The self-guided experience takes visitors on a journey through more than a century of New York history, beginning with the building's origins as the headquarters of The New York Times. Visitors will move through a series of themed environments that combine projection mapping, virtual storytelling and interactive technology to recreate different eras of the neighborhood's evolution.
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Among the highlights is the “Times Machine,” a glass elevator experience that compresses centuries of Times Square history into a single ride, along with an exhibit exploring the construction of One Times Square in 1904, when it briefly claimed the title of New York City's tallest building. Elsewhere, guests can soar above 1930s Manhattan in a virtual airship, then hop into a digital taxicab for a Broadway cruise through decades of flashing marquees, theaters and historic moments that transformed the Crossroads of the World.
In the New Year's Eve section, called “Eternal Midnight,” visitors can experience the Ball Drop from two perspectives: standing among revelers from different eras and taking a virtual zipline ride through Times Square as midnight approaches. The exhibit also features five historic New Year's Eve Balls, including a replica of the original 1907 ball and the recently retired "Big Ball" that marked the arrival of each new year from 2008 through 2025, making it one of the few places where you can get up close to the sparkling centerpiece that's normally perched high above the intersection.
The experience wraps up at the Times Square Skywalk, a 360-degree observation deck 19 stories above the streets below with panoramic views stretching from river to river. A glass walkway adds a little extra adrenaline, while anyone looking for an unusually specific souvenir can also purchase an authentic Waterford crystal from the 2025 New Year's Eve Ball.
"One Times Square is transforming the iconic New Year's Eve Ball into a quintessential New York destination where visitors can celebrate every day, discover the history of the neighborhood, and experience the energy of Times Square in a new way," said Michael Phillips, president of Jamestown, owner and operator of One Times Square, in a statement. "Times Travel is a cornerstone of that vision because there is no better place to tell the story of Times Square than One Times Square itself."
Tickets are on sale now starting at $44 per person. Even if you never plan to brave the crowds on New Year's Eve, this might be the next best thing to watching the countdown from the center of it all.