This Year's Most Beautiful Christmas Windows in New York City

Every holiday season, some of the largest department stores in Manhattan unveil lavish holiday window displays. Viewing these department stores’ Christmas windows in NYC has become essential to the New York City holiday experience, whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Christmas. Seeing them is a great holiday activity for families to do in Manhattan. 

And it doesn’t matter if you’re a Manhattanite, suburbanite, or just in town for the holidays, the window displays are for everyone to enjoy. Kindra Hall, an author and Upper East Side resident, makes it a point to enjoy holiday windows with her family every year.

“Even though we are local, every year we take an evening—or five—to grab a hot chocolate from a street cart and stroll by the department stores to take in the window displays,” Hall says. “The ‘Frozen’ display in the Saks 5th Avenue window during the 2020 holidays was a welcomed sign of comfort. Yes, life was still so strange, but the windows offered a moment of normal and pure joy.”

In recent years, larger retail development sites such as Hudson Yards and Brookfield Place have been creating their own holiday window and walk-through displays, too. Shoppers from near and far can enjoy browsing for holiday gifts while taking in the beautiful luminescence that surrounds them. 

Here's what the biggest stores and shopping complexes in the borough are doing this year. Some displays are going virtual, but nonetheless the excitement and magic of the displays will still be delighting families all over New York.

The 9 Best Christmas Windows in NYC

1. Macy's Christmas Windows

151 W. 34 St., Herald Square
212-695-4400
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Macy's is always great to visit during the holidays, whether you're in town for the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony or in line to meet Santa at Santaland. Since 1874, Macy’s has created a destination with its iconic Holiday Windows, bringing the spirit of the season to life in animated fashion. This year’s window display theme is Believe. The display features the story of Tiptoe, a bright-eyed reindeer on the verge of realizing her ultimate dream to join Santa’s sleigh team and deliver magic around the world on Christmas Eve. On display through Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.

 

 

 

 

 

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2. Bloomingdale's Holiday Windows

1000 Third Ave., Midtown
212-705-2000
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Get your Little Brown Bag ready for holiday shopping and sightseeing! One of the most impressive department stores in the city, Bloomingdale's is not only a mecca for year-round shopping, but a great place to see a beautiful holiday-themed window display right in the heart of Midtown. This year’s holiday windows celebrate the retailer’s Give Happy holiday campaign with an explosion of colors in six holiday scenes that illuminate the store’s Lexington Avenue windows. On display through Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. 

 

 

 

 

 

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3. Saks Fifth Avenue 

611 Fifth Ave., Midtown
212-753-4000
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Celebrate the season in style with this department store holiday window display. The windows are on display through the end of December for shoppers and passersby to see in person. And don’t miss the spectacular light show every 10 minutes starting as soon as it’s dark enough outside. 

 

 

 

 

 

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4. Bergdorf Goodman Windows

754 Fifth Ave., Midtown
212-753-7300
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