radio city stage door tour review

Radio City Music Hall—Stage Door Tour

Erik Drost / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 

Want to get a behind-the-scenes look at Radio City Music Hall's beautiful art deco interiors? From visiting the private apartment of Samuel Lionel "Roxy" Rothafel to getting to talk to a Rockette, this tour offers a great chance to see this gorgeous building up-close and learn about its rich history.

Expert Review

Since opening in New York City in 1932, Radio City Music Hall has been well known for its beautiful art deco architecture. The 'Stage Door Tour' offers visitors a chance to explore this beautiful building accompanied by a knowledgeable, enthusiastic tour guide. Fully renovated in 1999, the Radio City Music Hall was restored to its original glory from floor to ceiling, with new carpeting featuring the original designs to restored gold leaf ceilings.

Our tour guide shared with our group the design ideas behind various aspects of the Music Hall. He led us through the Great Stage and the lobbies, to see the hydraulic elevators first-hand, the private apartment of Samuel Lionel "Roxy" Rothafel, and finally to meet a Rockette in person (yes, there is a chance to have your photo taken with a Rockette). We even headed into the women's lounge to see the detailed murals.

Unlike some other venue tours, the 'Stage Door Tour' of Radio City Music Hall offered access that would be impossible if we had purchased tickets to see a performance at Radio City, making it worthwhile for visitors who appreciate art deco architecture and design.

• See the beautiful art deco music hall
• Meet a Rockette
• Charming, enthusiastic tour guides
• Learn about the history of Radio City Music Hall
• Tour access can be limited if there is a performance

Description

• The Great Stage
• Hydraulic elevators
• Roxy's private apartment
• The tour lasts approximately an hour and is offered from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week.
• Stage Door Tour Price (as of 2019): $31, $27 for children under 12, students with id, and seniors over 65.
• Purchase same-day tickets at the Radio City Avenue Store adjacent to the Music Hall or in advance online .
• Closest Subway to Radio City Music Hall Tour: B/D/F/V to 47-50/Rockefeller Center
• The tour includes some stairs, but they can accommodate guests needing elevators.
• 95 percent of the tour is accessible by wheelchair, and they have wheelchairs they can loan to patrons.
• Admission included with the New York Pass.

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary services for review purposes. While it has not influenced this review, TripSavvy believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.

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Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour

Ever wanted to go behind the scenes of the world-famous Radio City Music Hall and see what really goes on? Then we have the right tour for you. Radio City Music Hall is a very famous Midtown Manhattan theater building and is part of   Rockefeller Center.

The Radio City Music Hall belongs to New York City. Just like yellow cabs, it’s what gives NYC some of its identity and aura. The theater itself opened in 1932 and has become an iconic landmark. The concert hall initially served as a cinema and later became one of the most prestigious concert halls in the world. Radio City Music Hall was designed by Edward Durell Stone and Donald Deskey.

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Table of Contents

Is the Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour Worth It?

We have been asked many times whether the Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour is worth it and have therefore taken the tour ourselves. The Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour starts every 30 minutes. The first tour starts at 9:30 in the morning and ends at 5:00 in the afternoon. Each one is about 75 minutes long with a bathroom break about 15-20 minutes into the tour.

During the Radio City Music Hall Stage Tour, you will learn all about the history of the world-famous music hall as well as the interior design. You’ll find out how the stage of Radio City Music Hall was built and what makes it so special. We found it incredibly exciting to visit this iconic building outside of a well-attended concert or show.

There is a lot of inside information shared with the visitors of the tour, which makes the tour really special and definitely makes you appreciate the venue even more.

Meet & Greet with the Rockettes

The Rockettes dance group is an integral part of Radio City Music Hall and has become world famous for their Christmas show, The  Radio City Christmas Spectacular. With the Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour, members on the tour are able to meet one of the Rockettes. They talk about their schedule and provide insight into the life of a Rockette. It’s not an easy job but for a lot of them, it’s a dream come true. They have to fully commit in order to be part of the dance group and we like the transparency in that. The tour also takes you to the Rockettes’ rehearsal floor. You’re also able to ask the Rockette questions after and even take a picture with them. Also, just for your information, there are no cameras allowed on this part of the tour.

Tickets for the Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour

You can easily buy tickets for the Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour online. This ticket will then be redeemed in the souvenirs shop next to the Radio City Music Hall in a voucher, which you will then show at the main entrance of the Radio City Music Hall.

With your online ticket, you can set a schedule for yourself for one day. You will then be able to experience the tour between  9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.  on that particular day.

Being a photographer and creative in general, New York City, I think is the perfect place to be. I moved to NYC from Boston in 2013 and never looked back. Loving New York has given me the opportunity to do what I love and share those images with you all.

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Radio City Music Hall Tour Experience

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Radio City Music Hall Tour Experience - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Radio City Stage Door Tour

The Radio City Stage Door Tour is an insider's experience of the renowned theater. The guided visit offers views of art deco masterpieces, the historic Great Stage and the possibility of meeting a Radio City Rockette!

“The Showplace of the Nation”, Radio City Music Hall. | Photo Courtesy of Radio City Music Hall

Stepping through the doors of “the Showplace of the Nation”, I’m immediately in awe. The art deco design of the elliptical Grand Foyer is illuminated by 10,000 Swarovski crystals taking the form of a Christmas tree. An Ezra Winter mural cascades up a four-story wall, just above the grand staircase to the mezzanine level. Two long, tubular chandeliers created by Edward F. Caldwell & Co. shine bright above. Entering this room is like traveling through time. And for me, it really is. Years since visiting the legendary Radio City Music Hall, I’m excited for what’s ahead on the Radio City Stage Door Tour.

The Grand Foyer and Ezra Winter mural at Radio City Music Hall. | Photo Courtesy of Radio City Music Hall

The tour begins atop the grand staircase in the mezzanine level. Here, the tour group learns the illustrious history of Rockefeller Center from its beginnings in 1932 to present day. Our guide points out the meticulous interior design work of Edward Durrell Stone and Donald Deskey; details visitors may otherwise miss, like the geometric incorporations of glass, aluminum, chrome and leather, or the textile work of designers Marguerita Mergentime and Ruth Reeves.

A mural on the mezzanine level. | Photo Courtesy of Radio City Music Hall

Running my hand against the smooth, red marble walls, the tour group ascends another set of stairs to what is known as the best viewing area. High above the theater, this level is reserved for special guests and offers a full view of the stage and its shimmering gold curtains. While up there, we’re lucky to witness the finale of the Christmas Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes !

What a view! From the level reserved for special guests. | Photo Courtesy of Radio City Music Hall

Next, it’s movie time! In a private room, the group grabs a seat in the original chairs from 1932 as we learn more about the history of Radio City and the Rockettes. Fun fact: The precision dance company, The Rockettes, was founded in Missouri in 1925 and discovered by a New York City showman, S.L. Rothafel after performing on Broadway.

The original seating from 1932. | Photo Courtesy of Radio City Music Hall

What’s better than seeing the Rockettes in action? Meeting one! After the short film, our group is led to a room to meet a Rockette for a Q&A, and photo op before viewing the rehearsal space. A sure highlight, and what seems like the perfect finale to an amazing tour, after meeting a Rockette there’s still more to see, like the secret Rockefeller apartment—still used today for private parties and luxury events, and the Rockette costume shop. Before heading to the exit, we make our way down a long hallway, lined with pictures of the Rockettes that date back to 1932.

S.L. Rothafel’s ‘secret’ apartment, used today for private, luxury events. | Photo Courtesy of Radio City Music Hall

Radio City Music Hall is truly unlike any other theater in New York City. Its pristine condition, painstaking design and hidden gems make it well worth a visit—especially on the Radio City Stage Door tour.

Radio City Stage Door Tour Information

The Radio City Stage Door Tour runs daily from 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., departing approximately every half hour* and lasting for approximately 75 minutes. The tour entrance is located at the Executive Office door on 50th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues (closer to 6th).

Adults tickets cost $31, children (12 & under), students (with valid ID) and seniors (65 and older) cost $27.

Tours sell out fast during the  Christmas Spectacular  season! Please note when you purchase a  Christmas Spectacular  ticket and add on a tour voucher, the voucher does not have an assigned tour time and tours are offered on a first come, first served basis. It is recommended reserving your tour time 24 hours in advance at the tour desk at Radio City, located on 51st street. If you purchased a Stage Door Tour ticket separately and not as an add-on to your  Christmas Spectacular  ticket, you already have a scheduled tour time.

Savings for groups 15+ available! For more information on group tickets, call 212.465.6080 or email  [email protected] .

* Tour content, prices, dates and times are subject to change without notice. Tours are offered on a first come, first served basis and are subject to availability. When an event is in progress there may be limited access to the seating area inside the Music Hall and the Hydraulics area. Furthermore, tours may only be able to view the Auditorium from a private viewing area.

Take Amtrak to Radio City Music Hall

Experience the Radio City Stage Door Tour via Amtrak to Penn Station in  New York City —Don’t forget to use the Amtrak  See New York and Save  15% discount !

From Penn Station, take the 1 subway train toward 215th Street to 50th Street-Broadway. Radio City Music Hall is about a 5-minute walk east along 50th Street from the 50th Street-Broadway station. Or, walk two (2) blocks north and one (1) block east to 34th Street-Herald Square Station and take the B, D, F or M to 47th-50th Street-Rockefeller Center. Radio City Music Hall is about a 2-minute walk north along 6th Avenue from the 47th-50th/Rockefeller Center station.

Uber, Lyft and New York City Taxi are all available from Penn Station, too.

Other Radio City Music Hall Tours

Radio City Art Deco Tour  – In addition to all the elements of the Stage Door Tour, this 80-minute specialized tour gives you and your group a more detailed examination of the interior design throughout Radio City Music Hall. Highlights of the Art Deco Tour include the magnificent Grand Foyer, the massive 1.8 million cubic feet auditorium, original aluminum statues, all eight elegant lounges and the impeccable Roxy Suite. Come experience Radio City Music Hall the way you’ve never experienced it before: through the eyes of one of the most progressive designers of the day—Donald Deskey.

Radio City Music Hall Stage Door VIP Tour  – A private tour for up to 20 people, the VIP tour is an extended version of the Radio City Stage Door Tour and includes at least one of the following bonus stops: Rehearsal halls, dressing rooms, a complete view of the Roxy Suite and the lighting booth/projection room.  *Dressing rooms will only be available for viewing on non-event days.

Radio City Educational Tour – The Radio City Educational Tour includes the Radio City Stage Door Tour plus a meet and greet with a member of our corporate or production team! The speaker will talk about their background and hold a Q&A session.

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Review: radio city stage door tour.

Every Week, Gray Line New York will be highlighting a “Partner of the Week” on our blog. We are going to provide a review for a new partner’s product and share our own insights and experiences. This week, our Partner of the Week is the  Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour

I wasn’t sure what to expect during the Radio City Stage Door Tour, but needless to say I was excited. I arrived at 50 th and 6 th Avenue, quickly went through security and the tour began right on time. I was satisfied with the organization of the check-in and security process because everyone was extremely nice and enthusiastic to get our group into the tour on time so there was virtually no waiting around.

Radio City Music Hall Main Lobby

This tour was a guided tour from start to finish with a small group of people. The tour guide first directed us into the Main Lobby of Radio City Music Hall. Here we learned all about the interior design of the lobby, how it came about and how it got its shape, color and design. From there, we walked down the stairs into the Grand Lounge. As you can see in the pictures below, the Grand Lounge has a darker feel to it with dim lighting. I thought that it was interesting to learn that in the 1930’s and 40’s, people use to come off of the subway, directly into this lounge. The darker colors and dim lighting were used to quiet down the guests, as opposed to the red and orange colors of the inviting Main Lobby.

We took an elevator to the Upper Level Seating and sat in the back rows of the theater to take it all in as a whole. From this seat, I was able to cherish the vast, unique beauty of the theater. One feature that caught my attention that the tour guide discussed here was the acoustics designed in the theater. He explained that there was not one bad seat in the house. In addition to no columns, the walls and ceiling are designed to clearly send sound from the stage all the way to the back row. From where we were sitting, we could clearly hear the workers on stage moving around.

Costume Room

After this, we were finally taken back stage to see things from behind the scenes. We were taken into the Roxy Suite, a VIP room where the performers and musicians hang out in before they perform. It felt cool and exciting to be in the same room that countless famous people have been. Also, with its colors and furniture, this room was one of my favorite features of the tour.

Down the hall from this suite was a screening room where I was given a chance to sit in original seating from the theater from 1932, and watched a short film on the history of Radio City Music Hall. A majority of the film focused on the formation of the world famous Rockettes. Right after, we were surprised with the opportunity to meet and talk to an actual Rockette.

The Roxie room

We continued our journey through hallways and stairs and came across the costume room that displayed clothes from Rockettes and other performers. It was cool to see where the costumes and clothes are made and designed, each in their own individual way. There was also a hallway near here that displayed a long timeline with information and pictures of the Rockettes and Radio City that went from 1927 leading up to today. The evolution was amazing to see laid out like that. But more importantly what I thought was fascinating was seeing how some of its history has not changed at all.

There is so much history and uniqueness in Radio City, which I never would have known before my visit. My fascination and wonder behind this theater only increased as the tour continued. I can definitely say I left there with more information than I thought possible. I have been to shows at Radio City in the past, but the Stage Door Tour offers a completely different experience.

• This tour is completely guided and lasts about an hour long
• Photos are welcome, so be sure to bring your cameras!
• This tour is especially good for music and theater fans because of the history
• There will be some minor stair climbing, but elevators will always be available
• You get a special opportunity to meet a real life Rockette. You might get a little starstruck, so think of some things you want to ask her before you begin taking the tour

To pre-purchase tickets for  the Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour , visit our website now:  Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour  Tickets

Review and photos by Megan Ryan

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Radio City Stage Door Tour

From all over the world, musicians, dancers, actors, and actresses alike dream their whole lives of making it to the stage at fabled Radio City Music Hall, and now you can, too, with the Radio City Stage Door Tour. This guided tour takes you behind the scenes of Radio City Music Hall . Along the way, you’ll learn about the history of the building, admire the structure’s architecture, glimpse private spaces typically reserved for performers, and even meet a Rockette!

History of Radio City Music Hall

Radio City Music Hall has its roots in Standard Oil fortune heir John D. Rockefeller, Jr.’s plan to reshape a portion of Midtown Manhattan that had once served as part of the campus of Columbia University into one of New York City’s most important commercial districts—the sprawling complex we know today as Rockefeller Center. After years of discussion and debate, it was decided that one of the centerpiece attractions of this massive development project would be a world-class theatre.

Ultimately, the structure of Radio City Music Hall would be laid out by the architect Edward Durell Stone, while the facility’s lavish interior was brough to life by the designer Donald Deskey. When Radio City Music Hall opened in December of 1932, its live performances were slow to catch on with a skeptical, Depression-era public, but the building itself was widely hailed as a success. Radio City Music Hall was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1978, and nearly a century after its debut continues to charm audiences year in and year out.

What You See on the Radio City Stage Door Tour

Not only have many of the past century’s greatest performers graced the stage at Radio City Music Hall, but the venue itself is considered a marvelous example of the Art Deco architectural style. Your Radio City Stage Door Tour will call attention to Radio City Music Hall’s various decorative flourishes, including the site’s unforgettable foyer, its “secret” apartment space, and of course, the legendary auditorium and stage. The whole tour winds up by providing guests the opportunity to enjoy a meet-and-greet experience with a Rockette.

The Radio City Stage Door Tour runs seven days a week, lasts approximately 75 minutes, and the availability of the tour is subject to change at any time. Always make sure to check the Radio City Music Hall official website in advance of your visit to guarantee whether or not the Stage Door Tour is scheduled to run during your desired time slot.

Radio City Music Hall is one of the most famous attractions that comprises the iconic Rockefeller Center complex—which itself is in turn one of Midtown Manhattan’s trademark destinations. As a result, when your Radio City Stage Door Tour concludes you’ll find yourself in the midst of a number of world-class dining and shopping options. Other nearby attractions include the Museum of Modern Art, Times Square, Central Park, and the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, just to name a few.

Tips for Taking the Radio City Stage Door Tour

• The Statue of Liberty is included on several money saving tourist passes including the  New York Pass ,  NY Explorer Pass  and Go New York All-Inclusive Pass
• The Radio City Stage Door Tour begins at the Radio City Executive Entrance, located at 61 West 50 th  Street, between 5 th  and 6 th  Avenues. If you must drive to Radio City Music Hall, you’ll find very expensive parking options in the area. When in doubt, though, take public transportation. Almost a half-dozen different train lines will stop just a couple blocks from the Executive Entrance.
• If you desire flexibility in your schedule, keep in mind that you may purchase walk-up tour tickets at the Radio City Music Hall Box Office, located at the corner of 6 th  Avenue and 50 th  Street. Tickets for each Radio City Stage Door Tour are available on a first-come, first-served basis for up to one hour before said tour departs.
• While the Radio City Stage Door Tour is conducted in English, guests may request follow-along guides in Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, and French.

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Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour Tickets

New York, NY

What are the box office phone numbers?

When is the box office open, what payment types are accepted, what are the parking options at radio city music hall stage door tour, is there accessible seating, are children allowed, radio city music hall stage door tour seating chart.

The map below does not reflect availability. Seating charts reflect the general layout for the venue at this time. For some events, the layout and specific seat locations may vary without notice.

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