Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
network. The tour changes daily but might include the
Today
show,
NBC Nightly News, Dateline NBC,
and/or
Saturday Night Live
sets.
Who knows? You may even run into Brian Williams or Meredith
Viera. Tours run every 15 to 30 minutes Monday through Saturday
from 8:30am to 5:30pm, Sunday from 9:30am to 4:30pm (later on
certain summer days); of course, you'll have a better chance of
encountering some real live action on a weekday. Tickets are $19 for
adults, $16 for seniors and children 6 to 12. You can reserve your
tickets in advance (reservations are recommended) or buy them right
up to tour time at the NBC Experience store, on Rockefeller Plaza
at 49th Street. They also offer a 60-minute Rockefeller Center Tour
Monday to Saturday on the hour from 11am to 5pm, and Sunday
11am to 3pm. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and chil-
dren 6 to 12; two-tour combination packages are available for $23.
Call
&
212/664-7174.
Radio City Music Hall
, 1260 Sixth Ave., at 50th Street
(
&
212/247-4777;
www.radiocity.com), is perhaps the most
impressive architectural feat of the complex. Designed by Donald
Deskey and opened in 1932, it's one of the largest indoor theaters,
with 6,200 seats. But its true grandeur derives from its magnificent
Art Deco appointments. The crowning touch is the stage's great
proscenium arch, which from the distant seats evokes a faraway sun
setting on the horizon of the sea. The men's and women's lounges are
also splendid. The theater hosts the annual
Christmas Spectacular,
starring the Rockettes. The illuminating 1-hour
Stage Door Tour
is
offered Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm, Sunday from
11am to 5pm; tickets are $17 for adults, $10 for children under 12.
Btwn 48th & 50th sts., from Fifth to Sixth aves.
&
212/332-6868.
www.rockefeller
center.com. Subway: B, D, F, V to 47th-50th sts./Rockefeller Center.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
It's been called a bun, a
snail, a concrete tornado, and even a giant wedding cake; bring your
kids, and they'll probably see it as New York's coolest opportunity for
skateboarding. Whatever description you choose to apply, Frank
Lloyd Wright's only New York building, completed in 1959, is best
summed up as a brilliant work of architecture—so consistently bril-
liant that it competes with the art for your attention. If you're look-
ing for the city's best modern art, head to MoMA or the Whitney
first; come to the Guggenheim to see the house.
But the restoration has no effect on what's inside, and it's easy to
see the bulk of what's on display in 2 to 4 hours. The museum's spi-
raling rotunda circles over a slowly inclined ramp that leads you past
