One of New York City’s oldest and most beloved Christmas traditions is the over-the-top department store holiday windows that glitter like larger-than-life ornaments.
High-end retailers spend up to 10 months crafting, decorating and adding high-tech magic to displays that celebrate the city, bring cherished holiday stories to life or find enchanting ways to showcase their seasonal collections.
Most of the windows are located along Fifth Avenue from 38th to 58th streets, except for Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, and will be up through Jan. 3, 2019.
Best Holiday Windows in NYC: Tiffany & Co.
The jeweler’s 2018 holiday windows pay tribute to its former artistic director Gene Moore with the adventures of a chrome human figure crafting a series of 1960s-style scenes with retro-future touches. Think mixtapes and Lost in Space, all rendered in fluorescent pops and that classic Tiffany blue. 727 Fifth Ave.
Best Holiday Windows in NYC: Henri Bendel
This is the last holiday season for Henri Bendel before the brand’s New York flagship closes, and it’s ending with a tribute to the city that made it famous. The holiday window by Izak Zenou stunningly recreated the New York skyline in Bendel’s iconic colors of brown and white, with the cityscape extending inside the store’s mezzanine. Don’t miss the 20-foot striped Christmas tree made of 400 gift boxes, too. 712 Fifth Ave.
Best Holiday Windows in NYC: Macy’s
The intergalactic-themed Christmas windows at Macy’s introduce the store’s new holiday hero, Sunny the Snowpal, who also had her own balloon at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. The six windows are themed Believe In The Wonder Of Giving, telling a story about adventure and teamwork to save Christmas with an interactive video game and more animated LED backdrops. Inside, as always, you’ll find the magical SantaLand — but only by appointment. 151 W. 34th St., Herald Square
Best Holiday Windows in NYC: Bergdorf Goodman
Got a sweet tooth? So do the designers at Bergdorf Goodman, who have devoted their holiday windows to all the treats of the Christmas season, putting them in iconic scenes like an old-school soda shoppe, a French royal court made of cotton candy, a neon disco candy emporium and cuckoo clocks made of gingerbread. 754 Fifth Ave.
Best Holiday Windows in NYC: Saks Fifth Avenue
The can’t-miss holiday display in Midtown is Saks Fifth Avenue with its castle made of lights and frequent musical recitals taking over its entire storefront across from the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The 2018 holiday windows invite visitors to step inside the Theater of Dreams with over 100 digitally animated Broadway dancers performing in six vignettes, created in partnership with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. 611 Fifth Ave.
Best Holiday Windows in NYC: Bloomingdale’s
Christmas is in trouble at Bloomingdale’s! The 2018 holiday windows are themed after the new film Dr. Seuss: The Grinch, telling his story of going “from holiday hater to merrymaker.” Put yourself into the scene at a special selfie window, sing a tune at a karaoke machine in another window, and take a peek into the celebrations in Whoville with a Christmas tree so large, it breaks through into the real world! 1000 Third Ave.
