Tour Description
 A Christmas Walking Tour of Park Avenue, 5th Avenue and Rockefeller Center will light up your holiday season!
On this 75-minute tour the noted Christmas Historian Sibyl McCormac Groff, who coined the word Gothamtide, will explain how Christmas became the most important holiday towards the end of the 19th century due to New Yorkers such as Washington Irving, John Pintard, Clement Clark Moore and Thomas Nast.
Gothamtide decorations and festivities continue to build on traditions begun in the 19th century. The tour explains Gothamtide as the group weaves around from Park Avenue to Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center.
The Tour begins in the Park Avenue Plaza atrium nestled behind the Racquet Club, with many amenities - Starbucks (not open on the weekends), interesting shops including the new Dahesh museum gift shop, Chartwell Books and Neuchatel chocolates together with rest rooms, tables and chairs to relax in this festive space. At Christmas this atrium has the most intricate and amazing animated exhibits with Christmas music by the noted Mechanical designer Lou Nasti, who has been creating mechanical displays for forty years. The 2009 "The Bear’s Christmas" will feature different vignettes of Bears and other animated animals making presents, singing, skating, cooking and enjoying the holiday with moving parts popping up and background holiday music.
Tour Highlights:
- the development of the Christmas tree, lights, cards, gifts and entertainment
- holiday markets around the town
- the history of the lighted trees in the midst of Park Avenue and in front of the Seagrams building
- holiday displays in and on hotels, department stores and boutiques
- Christmas music written in New York
- strolling past Big Apple treasures like St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Saks Fifth Avenue and Cartier’s - and finally,
- the most famous Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center (not lit until the first week of December)!
2010 Tour Schedule
November 26 through December 31, 2010 - Thursday through Sunday at 5:30pm.
NOTE: December 24 tour begins at 4pm
Documents
You must print your tour voucher at the conclusion of your transaction. Please make sure you add nyctrip.com and NYCVPTours@nyctrip.com into your list of mailers from whom you can receive email.
Location and Directions
Tours depart from Park Avenue Plaza, 55 East 52nd Street (between Madison and Park Avenues).
Subway:
- E or V to 53rd and Lexington
- 6 to 51st and Lexington
Here's What Some of Our Past Tour Participants Have to Say ...
"Can I just say how much we all enjoyed the Christmas holiday walking tour with Sybil on December 2nd at 5.30pm, we were the 4 ladies from Yorkshire, England and it was a great walking tour, we saw so much that we would have missed without Sybil's knowledge, she really did a great job, hopefully we will be back again next year and look forward to meeting her again on another tour, once again thanks for a great night."
Jane, Elsi, Sylvia and Pat
"You definitely made the SPIRIT OF THE SEASON come alive for our family!...You are an awesome tour guide. You provided everything so vividly." Family – Louisiana
"Christmas in New York is not Christmas without going on Sibyl’s festive tour"
"Having given and attended many tours in my 15-year museum career, it was obvious to me Sibyl has mastered the ability to engage and inform any tour that comes along. She is uniquely able to bring architecture, art, history and Christmas to life!"
MA Candidate, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
Read more NYCVP testimonials
NOTE: Tour guide gratuity is not included. New York City Vacation Packages is not responsible for delays, non-operation of tour or accessibility to sites mentioned in the itinerary. Itinerary may be altered if required due to weather, traffic, and/or any other condition beyond the control of NYCVP, the tour guides and/or vendors. Tours may be cancelled in advance due to insufficient participation. Anyone not able to keep up with a normal and reasonable walking tour pace, or anyone getting lost, will be on their own. Liability is expressly limited to the amount paid by patrons for the Tour. The tour operates "rain or shine." No refunds are issued for no-shows or cancellations.
Ticket Delivery Information
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