Behind the Scenes at Radio City Music Hall

Growing up, I dreamed of one day visiting Radio City Music Hall. Not only is it home to the fabulous, high-kicking Rockettes, but it’s also a venue for concerts, movie premieres and more. (My 8-year-old self knew it as the giant movie theater Daddy Warbucks and Annie visit in one of my favorite childhood movies—Annie!) Little did I know that one day I would move to NYC, see the Christmas Spectacular every holiday season—and, as of last week, even get to know the theater’s innermost nooks and crannies.

When I was first contacted about the Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour, I’d never  heard of it. But being a history geek and Rockette lover, I thought I would like it. I loved it.

I arrived at the stage door one Saturday afternoon and was greeted by possibly the most friendly (and knowledgeable!) tour guide in NYC. Joyce has been giving tours at Radio City for over 10 years and it shows. She led me through the grand foyer down to the grand lounge, and then up to the highest balcony—all while telling me the story of the historic theater, which opened in 1932. She knew every detail about the hall, from the artists who created its numerous sculptures and paintings to the number of seats (5,931) and organ pipes (4,000) in the theater. And it was far from a boring history lesson. I was entertained and fascinated the entire time.

While we didn’t get to actually step onto the stage, we were able to visit many other parts of theater you wouldn’t normally see, like the famous Roxy Suite. We even got to peek inside the costume shop and meet a real-life Rockette!

The next time you’re in NYC and you’ve got an hour or so to spare, go on the tour. You’ll learn more than you could possibly imagine about this beautiful and iconic NYC landmark.

Check out my photos from the tour below!

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