Duffy Square

Duffy Square is the northern triangle of Times Square, bounded by Broadway and Seventh Avenue between 45th and 47th Streets. The square is named for Father Francis P. Duffy, a Canadian-born Catholic priest who served as chaplain of the 69th Infantry Regiment (the famous 'Fighting 69th') during World War I and later became one of the most beloved figures in midtown Manhattan.

A statue of Father Duffy, sculpted by Charles Keck and erected in 1937, stands in the square, depicting the chaplain in his military uniform with a prayer book and cross. Behind it rises a large Celtic cross memorial. Father Duffy served as pastor of Holy Cross Church on West 42nd Street from 1920 until his death in 1932, becoming known as a friend to all in the Times Square community regardless of their background.

Duffy Square is also home to the TKTS discount theater ticket booth, operated by the Theatre Development Fund. The booth, redesigned in 2008 with a distinctive set of illuminated red steps that serve as public seating, sells discounted same-day tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows and is one of the most visited attractions in Times Square.

The red steps of the TKTS booth have become a gathering place and viewing platform in their own right, offering an elevated perspective on the spectacle of Times Square's billboards, crowds, and neon. The design won numerous architectural awards for its clever integration of public space, commercial function, and urban theater.

Duffy Square captures the essence of Times Square itself: a place where commerce, culture, memory, and the sheer energy of human congregation converge in a few hundred square feet of some of the most valuable real estate on Earth. Father Duffy's statue, quietly presiding over the chaos, represents a vanishing ideal of community service amid the spectacle.