While visiting New York, my sister, Sarah, wanted to visit the Today Show. We kept our options open and chose a day to go that would be the best weather. It happened to be Valentine’s Day. Below is my list of the top 10 things to know before you go to visit the Today Show. This experience is free, although you may sacrifice a bit of sleep to experience it. It’s worth it for the excitement though.
1. Options for getting to Rockefeller Center
You could walk, depending on how far that would be for you. Or you could also easily take the subway or use a ride company like Uber, Lyft or a Taxi. We got up before dawn and decided to walk to Rockefeller Center since it was fairly close to our hotel.
2. Arrive Early
Arrive before 6:30 am for optimal benefit. Otherwise, arrive when you can, but as early as you can. If you arrive before 6:30 AM, you will be more likely to be interviewed and that segment shown on TV. If you arrive after that time, it just depends on the day. In the off season, colder months, there will be fewer people and easier to find a place to stand. If it’s during the peak season, warmer months, being there earlier is much more advantageous. We arrived a little after 7am.
I was told by Today Show staff that it is usually much busier when there is a planned event, like one of the concerts on the plaza. For days like that, you need to get there even earlier to wait in line.
3. Food and Beverages are allowed in the Plaza
Stop for a beverage and bite to eat and take it with you. While on our walk, we decided to stop at a little café and get a bagel and hot chocolate to take with us, to keep us warm in the 30 degree cold and nourish us since we didn’t know how long we would be there.
4. Bouchon Bakery is across the plaza.
If you need to go to the restroom or want to get something to eat or drink, you can head to Bouchon Bakery. You can also find a spot to sit in there if you or someone in your party doesn’t want to be in the mix of the Today show filming. They can sit inside and watch the happenings through their large windows. Bouchon Bakery opens at 7 AM. If you decide to come back to the Plaza, you will have to go through security again.
5. Proceed through security
Once we arrived at Rockefeller Plaza, we had to proceed through security. Enter the plaza at 48th Street between 5th and 6th avenue.
Google Map
6. Make (or bring) a sign
After proceeding through security, make a sign to hold in preparation for being seen on TV. Or bring your own pre-made sign. Since it was Valentine’s Day, they had the usual poster size paper and paper hearts for us to write on.
7. Find a spot to stand
Find your perfect spot to stand and watch the proceedings. Luckily, it was not crowded because it was a colder day and we were able to peer into the studio up close. We were also able to proceed back to the barricaded outside TV host area to have a good place to stand for the outdoor shots. The best location to stand is on the 49th street side. There you can see inside the studio window and also be at the right location at the barricades to see the hosts and be on TV. Since it wasn’t packed with people when we were there, it was easy to move around to different locations to watch.
8. Be seen on TV and See the hosts in person
Between 8- 8:30 AM, the host(s) of the show come out onto the plaza and they film out there. They may also film some teaser segments for upcoming stories out there before that time. Today show staff will advise when extra filming may be taking place and when Today show hosts will be headed outside to the Plaza.
While we were there, Carson Daly came outside to film a teaser about an upcoming story and while we were waiting for the camera crew to get in position, my sister, Sarah, excitedly told Carson how much she loved him when he was on MTV’s Total Request Live. Carson replied to her and that exchange made the experience even more memorable for us.
You may be on the air when they film the Plaza area as they go to commercial breaks or when a Today show host(s) film outside on the Plaza.
9. Let your friends and family know you’ll be on air.
You can usually even give them an exact time to look for you. It’s easier to accomplish this when you are relaying this information to someone in a later time zone, since the broadcast is delayed. Meaning, if the show begins at 7:00 AM Eastern, it begins at 7:00 AM Central, etc.
10. Have Fun!
It’s an early event to get up and experience, especially when you are on vacation. But after we did it, we were happy and thankful that we sacrificed a bit of sleep to have the experience and memories. Our sister, Marlena, ended up wishing she had gone with us.
Further Information
The Today Show website has information on events happening on certain days and more information on visiting the show. I recommend you check out their website before you go. Note: They recommend you RSVP to tell them you are coming. However, we did not do this and no one asked us if we had RSVP’d. You can still go even if you haven’t RSVP’d.
The Today Show, Studio 1A is located in midtown Manhattan on 48th Street between 5th and 6th street at Rockefeller Center.
Have you visited the Today Show? Do you have any questions about visiting the Today Show? Share in the comments below.