Times Square Filming Locations — The City on Screen
Times Square is instantly recognizable on screen, but filmmakers can make it feel surprisingly unfamiliar. Compare the empty square of Vanilla Sky with the crowded modern city encountered by Captain America, then look at the billboards and people around you.
The most famous Times Square movie scenes
Vanilla Sky (2001) — the empty Times Square
Tom Cruise’s character finds himself in a deserted Times Square. The contrast with the busy square today is the point of this unsettling screen moment.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) — the time capsule
Steve Rogers wakes up 70 years in the future on the streets of a modern Times Square, overwhelmed by the billboards and the crowds — one of the most effective uses of the intersection in superhero cinema.
The V-J Day kiss (1945) — the most famous photo in Times Square
The sailor kissing the nurse on V-J Day was photographed right here, at the corner of Broadway and 7th Avenue. It became the defining image of the end of World War II — and it’s recreated by visitors every day.
Spider-Man, King Kong & I Am Legend
The Green Goblin attacks, King Kong’s 1933 and 2005 rampages, and Will Smith’s deserted New York in I Am Legend — all of them used Times Square as the backdrop for chaos.
Where to stand to recreate the scenes
The TKTS area near 47th Street and Broadway offers a broad view of the billboards. Use the pedestrian plazas for photos, keep crossings clear and follow local access restrictions. The view changes with the time of day; a photograph need not reproduce a film camera position exactly.
See it with AR — the smart-glasses tour
Times Square is part of our 14-stop NYC smart-glasses movie & TV history walking tour. At viewing stops, your guide connects Vanilla Sky and Captain America clips with the square around you. Choose provided smart glasses, your own compatible glasses, or phone/tablet viewing. Clips are shown on a screen; this is not a promise of precisely registered overlays.
Practical info
- Address: Times Square, Broadway & 7th Avenue, Manhattan
- Open: 24/7, free
- Subway: 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W, S to Times Square–42nd Street
- Best time for photos: after sunset for the neon, or 6–8am for fewer crowds
Frequently asked questions
Is Times Square worth visiting at night for filming locations?
The illuminated billboards give the public plazas a different appearance after dark. Stay in pedestrian areas and follow local access restrictions.
Can you go inside the buildings in Times Square for movie photos?
Most locations are exterior street corners. The TKTS red steps and the pedestrian plazas are public and free.
How long should I spend at Times Square?
30–60 minutes is enough for the classic photo spots and the surrounding billboards. Grand Central is another nearby Midtown movie-history landmark; allow additional time to walk there.
