Est. 2026 · New York City

NYC Park Guide

Your comprehensive guide to parks and public spaces across all five boroughs

Herald Square Park

Square / Plaza

Location
Broadway & Sixth Avenue at West 34th Street, Midtown
Size
0.21 acres
Hours
Open 24 hours
Type
Square / Plaza

Herald Square is a small triangular park at the intersection of Broadway, Sixth Avenue, and 34th Street, one of the most heavily trafficked pedestrian intersections in Manhattan. The square takes its name from the New York Herald newspaper, which was headquartered in a landmark building on the site from 1895 to 1921.

The original Herald Building, designed by Stanford White in an Italian Renaissance palazzo style, featured a famous mechanical clock with bronze bell-ringers that struck the hours. When the building was demolished, the clock figures and a monument to publisher James Gordon Bennett Sr. were preserved in the park.

Herald Square is synonymous with Macy's, the department store whose flagship location at 34th Street and Broadway has been the anchor of the commercial district since 1902. The store's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which has terminated at Herald Square since 1924, is one of America's most watched annual events.

The 34th Street Partnership, a business improvement district, manages the square and its companion Greeley Square across the street. Under their stewardship, Herald Square has been upgraded with seasonal plantings, movable seating, food kiosks, and public art that transform what could be a chaotic traffic intersection into a functioning urban plaza.

Herald Square occupies one of the few spots in Manhattan where the energy of Times Square meets the commerce of the garment district and the commuter flow of Penn Station. The small park at its center provides a rare moment of stillness in a whirlpool of pedestrian, vehicular, and commercial activity.

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