mlm59

Our group of 7 will arrive at LGA at 9:30 on Friday, October 3. Return flight is at 4:00 Sunday, so we will have the rest of the day on Friday, Saturday and until the car picks up at 1:30 at the hotel on Sunday.

Our must sees include Ellis Island and a Broadway show. Trying to figure out how we will be sure to have time to do both. We have planned to drop our luggage at the hotel on Friday, purchase a 48 hour ticket for the Grayline bus (office is not far from our hotel) and then go straight to Battery Park. Will we have time to do the Ellis Island tour Friday afternoon? Are the lines really long at that time of day on Friday? After purchasing our Grayline ticket at their office at 777 Eighth Avenue should we take the subway as the quickest way to get to Battery Park? Is there a station close by?

We plan to buy tickets for a Broadway show at the TKTS booth. Even though it would be less hassle, some in our group don't want to buy tickets in advance. They want to see what is available and the going prices the day before or day of show. We plan to go to the TKTS booth in Times Square on Saturday morning. Do we need to get there early to get in line? I think I remember reading that it doesn't open until 10:00.

Another option is go to Battery Park first thing Saturday morning and hopfully getting on one of the first boats to Ellis Island. If we choose that option, we would go to the TKTS booth at the seaport on Friday afternoon and buy tickets for a Saturday show. However, we are concerned that we won't have enough time to enjoy our visit and get back for a matinee show. Do all matinees start at 2:00? How long will it take for the subway trip back from Battery Park to the Times Square Area and which station should we depart at?

We are also now considering seeing a show on Friday. Are there Friday matinees? Are the evening shows usually more expensive? Are tickets available at the TKTS booths on Friday for Friday evening shows? If so, what time does the booth open?

All advice is appreciated. As you can imagine, trying to coordinate a trip for 7 people can be challenging!

djkbooks

Recommend signing up at Playbill.com, Broadwaybox.com, Theatermania.com, etc. and checking the discount codes. With only 48 hours, do your really want to spend precious time in the TKTS line? Do you all have to attend the same show?

Ellis Island can consume half a day or more. See the website http://www.nps.gov/elis/ for details of the offerings there. You can purchase ferry tickets ahead of time online, which would save waiting in the ticket line. There may also be a line to board the boat, depending upon how busy it is that day, but they go out one after another. You cannot predict the crowds on any given day. You can see the schedule and purchase tickets at www.statueoflibertyferry.com

Gothampc

If you are going to Ellis Island from the Times Square area. You want to take the 1 or 9 train to South Ferry, the last stop on that train. Make sure that you are in one of the first five cars because South Ferry is a short platform. From Times Square, it will take approximately 15-20 minutes.

TKTS: When you get on line at 10, that is only for matinees. The line for evening performances begins between 11-12. If you go to the South Street Seaport branch, you must buy matinee tickets the day before the show. You can get complete information on TKTS at www.tdf.org and clicking on the TKTS link. If you want to see a Friday night show, you will probably want to be on the TKTS line about 12 noon. The booth opens at 3pm.

If you go to http://newyork.citysearch.com/feature/34843/ they usually list what has appeared on the TKTS board.

There are no Friday matinees.

HowardR

If you sign up at playbill.com, you can then run off a copy of the offer you want and take it directly to the box office. The tickets will cost a little more than at TKTS, but you wait waiting-in-line time.
The best time to get into the TKTS line on Saturday morning is around 9-9:15 and then wait. However, it seems to me you'd be smarter to to the TKTS booth in the Battery Park area on Friday afternoon for your Saturday tickets (or for Friday night). Then, you could get to Battery Park early Saturday morning and get on line for the boat to Ellis Island before the crowds come.
A correction of a previous post: At noontime on Saturday, TKTS is still selling matinee tickets and it would be tough to start a line for the evening tickets at that time.

Taquito

If you are buying a Grayline bus ticket including the Ellis Island tour, I would just hop on the Grayline tour bus down to Battery Park. That way you will have a guided tour of the sights along the way before getting on the boat. My advice would be to to the Ellis Island tour in the late morning or early afternoon. It's easily a half day tour as a previous poster mentioned. I think that trying to do the tour on Friday afternoon will not leave you enough time.

I agree with signing up on playbill or broadway.com for show tickets. If you plan to buy your show tickets from the TKTS booth, there is also one at the South Street Seaport in addtion to Times Sqaure. South Street Seaport is one of the the stops on the Grayline tour as well.

Have a great time in the City.

mclaurie

You've gotten good advice so far. You are much better off getting tickets through one of the discount websites mentioned (or as Howard suggests, print the discount code from the website & pick up tickets at the box office-you could do this on Fri when you arrive for a Sat show). However, if there are 7 in your party & you expect to all go to the same show (let alone sit together) I think your options at the TKTS booth will be slim or only for shows that aren't very good. I'd buy them now & not wait. Just keep in mind that not all the discount offers are good for Sat night performances.

I would not suggest doing Ellis Island & a matinee show on the same day. You'll feel rushed & anxious. Buy the tickets at a discount online now-either for Fri night & do Ellis Island on Sat leisurely-or get Sat. matinee tickets & do Ellis Island on Friday. Have fun!

kappyl

You may also want to look in the paper at the off broadway shows b/c they are fun, cheaper and good. DeLaGuarda is a great show. It's not a play but an acrobatic, musical event. It's in Union Square and there are 2 shows per night. I think 7P and 10P and they run about an hour and a half.

Also for Ellis Island you must rent the tape for your tour. It gives you all the info you could want.