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New Yorkers love a holiday tradition—how many times have you been to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular?—but every December, there’s always an event that feels lab-engineered to hit every nostalgic button at once. This year, it’s happening a thousand feet above Fifth Avenue, when the Empire State Building hosts screenings of two of the most beloved New York holiday movies ever made: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Elf.
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The screenings unfold inside the Empire State Building’s Observatory Experience, which already feels cinematic even without Macaulay Culkin running across midtown or Buddy the Elf sprinting through traffic. Home Alone 2 screens on December 5 and 13 at 5:45pm, while Elf plays on December 18 at 5:45pm and December 20 at 7:15pm.
Tickets also include holiday treats, snacks and complimentary drinks, because no one has ever watched Elf without craving sugar. The Empire State Building decks the halls for the season, so expect the entire experience to boast robust holiday vibes and plenty of holiday card opps.
After the credits roll, attendees can head outside to the 86th- and 102nd-floor decks for 360-degree winter views of the skyline, which is a pretty unbeatable way to end an evening. Consider this your excuse to check out the Observatory Experience, which was just named NYC's top attraction for the fourth consecutive year by the Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards.
If you usually avoid midtown in December, this is one of those rare moments when the payoff might outweigh the chaos. Unless you’re afraid of heights, that is, in which case no amount of festive charm is going to help you relax at the top of a skyscraper. Still, it’s a holiday tradition that doesn’t involve bruises in odd places from ice-skating or long lines at department store windows, so that's a win.
Attendees are advised to arrive at least 45 minutes early to make their way through the lobby exhibits. Tickets for each screening cost $140. To purchase tickets to a Home Alone 2 screening, click here. To purchase tickets to an Elf screening, click here.