Radio City Music Hall: Stage Door Tour and Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes

My top 2 reasons to visit Radio City Music Hall in NYC: the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes and the Stage Door Tour.

My daughter and I are huge musical theater fans. On our last trip to NYC, we were able to tour RCMH and see Christmas Spectacular. We both agreed that the show and tour were AMAZING!

Christmas Spectacular with the ROCKETTES

I’ve been to NYC about 25 times, and let me tell you—that city comes alive at Christmas time! One of our most memorable trips at Christmas included seeing the Christmas Spectacular and Radio City Music Hall. Here are some important things we learned:

If you visit Radio City Music Hall to see the Christmas Spectacular, you might want to leave early (or plan to stick around after the show). This area (Rockefeller Center/5th Avenue) is decorated beautifully during the holiday season.

RCMH’s marquee is a full city block long! That’s how MASSIVE this theater is. With a seating capacity of over 6,000, it is the largest indoor theatre in the world.

As you enter the lobby, you see the 35-foot-tall Swarovski Crystal Christmas Tree Chandelier. It is UNREAL. My photos don’t do it justice. It is unbelievably gorgeous in person!

Above Photo: The 60-foot tall Grand Foyer with Christmas Tree Chandelier.

The Grand Lounge

Head downstairs (via the stairs or elevators) from the Grand Foyer to the Grand Lounge. Here, you can find food, drinks, and merchandise.

The Grand Lounge is also where you will find the restrooms. The line for the women’s bathroom is about a mile long, and the line for the men’s is non-existent. If you don’t have a child, you might be asked if you would like to use a “unisex” restroom. You will then follow an attendant into the men’s restroom, pass along a line of men using urinals, and find a stall to use. Then you will exit through the line of urinals to the sinks to wash your hands. Ask me how I know…

The Auditorium & Stage

Amazing Facts About the Auditorium and Stage at RCMH:

• Radio City Music Hall has the world’s largest stage curtain. The curtain measures 60 feet high by 100 feet wide.
• Its auditorium measures 160 feet from back to the stage, and the ceiling reaches a height of 84 feet (which is about the size of an 8-story building).
• The walls and ceiling are formed by arches designed to mimic a sunset. The arches help the theater’s acoustics and conceal over 5,000 house lights.
• Different sections of the stage are raised and lowered independently. In the center of the platform, there is a circle that rotates in either direction.

When the snowflakes start floating across the arches, you know the party is about to start!

Backstage Tour Experience at Radio City Music Hall

We thoroughly enjoyed touring Radio City Music Hall on our last trip to NYC. A professional guide led the behind-the-scenes tour, and we had opportunities to ask questions along the way.

Tour Times:

• Backstage Tours run 7 days a week
• Tours are from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM
• Groups depart approximately every 30 minutes
• Tours last approximately 60 minutes

The Grand Foyer

The mural above the stairs is the “Fountain of Youth” piece by Ezra Winter. It is 60 feet by 40 feet. It is so big that the canvas was painted on a tennis court near Winter’s studio. Then, it was transported to and installed at the Grand Foyer at RCMH.

What You Will Do On the Backstage Tour:

• Your first visit will be to the 60-foot-high Grand Foyer, filled with beautiful Art Deco pieces
• Visit Radio City’s secret apartment, The Roxy Suite.  
• Learn the history of the iconic Great Stage
• Stand on the Great Stage. The stage is 144 feet wide – about half the size of a football field. It is so large that if you were to walk from one end of the stage to the other, you would have walked an entire New York City block.
• See the Hydraulic Elevators beneath the Great Stage
• Access to exclusive areas of the theater
• Meet one of the Rockettes – includes a meet-and-greet and photos

The Auditorium & The Great Stage at Radio City Music Hall

Above Photo: During the tour, we sat in the very last row of the theater. Not a bad seat in the house! There are no columns in the theater, so there are NO obstructed views of the stage!

Above Photo: Our view from the Great Stage. Can you imagine standing here and performing to a crowd this size?

This auditorium is MASSIVE! The highest point of the Radio City auditorium measures 121 feet and is 10 stories high.

Hydraulic Elevators Beneath the Great Stage

After standing on the Great Stage, we saw the Pit beneath the orchestra lift. The stage is hydraulically actuated – that is how the orchestra is lifted and moved throughout the show. The stage has 4 original hydraulic stage elevators known as engineering landmarks. The hydraulic elevators for the Great Stage were used as a model for the hydraulic elevators on aircraft carriers during World War II. To protect their engineering secrets, the elevators were closed off from the public until the end of the war.

Meeting a Rockette

Above photo: Meeting one of the Rockettes was a highlight of our tour. She was so sweet and answered all of our questions. We learned about the audition process and what it is like to perform in 200 shows in 8 weeks (Rockettes doing 650 kicks EACH!)

The Roxy Suite at Radio City Music Hall

Photo Above: Don’t forget to check out the guest book inside the Roxy Suite!

Samuel “Roxy” Rothafel was an important theater operator and an early advisor for Radio City Music Hall’s construction and design. Roxy insisted on designing the Music Hall with 6,200 seats and specified the auditorium layout. He was also in charge of the mechanical equipment, lighting system, and the high ceiling for the foyer.

A secret apartment was built for Roxy when the theater was under construction. It is hidden inside the theater and is part of the Stage Door tour. Roxy never lived in the apartment, but it has been used as an event space. Hollywood stars, including Walt Disney, Alfred Hitchcock, and Judy Garland, have visited this famous apartment.

The suite’s dining area has a dome-shaped ceiling. The design enhances the acoustics so guests around the table can hear each other perfectly – even if they are whispering!

The Restrooms

The Ladies Room

Ok, I guess it seems weird to post pictures of the bathrooms, but they are part of the tour. And, to be honest, they are kinda cool. The 1930s-era restrooms have classic tile work and Art Deco details.

The Men’s Room

Where Do I Enter the Stage Door Tour?

Don’t be like us and go to the wrong door and almost miss the start of the tour! Be sure to enter at 1260 6th Avenue (Avenue of the Americas), between W. 50th and W. 51st Streets. Also, remember to have your digital voucher on your phone ready to show in exchange for an admission ticket.

Get Backstage Door Tickets HERE.

You Might Also Like:

Should You Visit the New York City Library?

7 Best Places to Get Dessert in the Theater District in NYC

Let's Be Friends! Follow Me:

• 
• 
• 
•