Museums & Arts · Our pick in New York
Broadway: the back story
The back story
About Broadway: the back story
Broadway’s theatres are clustered in the Theater District around Times Square, and The Broadway League’s broadway.org lists what is playing now.
The theatres
The New Amsterdam, finished in 1903, is the oldest working Broadway theatre, and the Lyceum of 1903 is the oldest continually operating one (NYC Tourism). The St. James was designed by the architects of Grand Central.
Long-running shows
Open-ended runs on broadway.org include Chicago (Ambassador), The Lion King (Minskoff), Wicked (Gershwin), Aladdin (New Amsterdam), The Book of Mormon (Eugene O’Neill), Hamilton (Richard Rodgers), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Lyric), Hadestown (Walter Kerr), MJ (Neil Simon), The Great Gatsby (Broadway Theatre), The Outsiders (Bernard B. Jacobs) and Oh, Mary! (Lyceum).
Chicago, at the Ambassador, is the longest-running show on Broadway still playing.
Tickets
Buy from the official seller linked on each show’s website or at the theatre box office. TKTS by TDF sells same-day discount tickets in Times Square. Shows with closing dates, such as SIX, & Juliet and Stranger Things (all closing on 3 January 2027), are on our What’s On page.
Our advice: book the big musicals ahead, and try TKTS or the box office for plays.
Why it's on our list
- The theatres
- Long-running shows
- Tickets
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Broadway: the back story before you go.