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Yellowstone National Park Source (Photo)

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Yellowstone National Park Source (Photo)

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Photo Gallery: Classic Yellowstone -- National Geographic

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See pictures depicting the favorite moments and rich history of Yellowstone from the National Geographic archives.

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Yellowstone National Park Source (Information)

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Yellowstone National Park Source (Information)

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Yellowstone National Park was established on March 1, 1872.

Yellowstone is the world's first national park.

No area figures have been scientifically verified. Efforts to confirm the park's total area continue.

3,472 square miles (8,991 km2)

2,221,766 acres or 899,116 hectares.

63 air miles north to south (102 km)

54 air miles east to west (87 km)

96% in Wyoming, 3% in Montana, 1% in Idaho

Highest Point: 11,358 feet (3,462 m; Eagle Peak)

Lowest Point: 5,282 feet (1,610 m; Reese Creek)

Larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined

About 5% covered by water; 15% by grassland; and 80% by forests

Annual precipitation ranges from 10 inches (26 cm) at the north boundary to 80 inches (205 cm) in the southwest corner. Learn more about weather in Yellowstone.

Record High: 99ºF (37ºC), 2002 (Mammoth Hot Springs)

Record Low: -66ºF (-54ºC), 1933 (West Entrance, Riverside Station).

Average daily at Mammoth Hot Springs: January: 9ºF (-13ºC); July: 80ºF (27ºC)

Learn more about weather in Yellowstone.

National Park Service (January 2020)

Permanent: 386 total

Full time, year-round: 170

Career seasonal: 213

Part-time: 3

Term (variable duration): 4

Seasonal: 348

Concessioners
About 3,200 people work for concessioners in Yellowstone at summer peak.

Fiscal Year 2019 (in millions)
Total: $74.5
Federal Funding-
Congressional Annual Appropriations

Operations and staff (base): $40.9

Other Appropriations: $5.6

Other Funding:

Donations and Grants: $1.7

Fees: $19.2

Utilities & Agreements (Reimbursable): $6.0

Distribution of Budget

Park Support: 9% Includes human resources, contracting, budget and fnance, partnerships, telecommunications, and information technology.

Facility Operations and Maintenance: 44% Includes utilities, roads, trails, structures, historic preservation coordination, construction management.

Park Protection: 20% Includes law enforcement, emergency medical services, search and rescue, entrance station operations, structural fre activities.

Resource Stewardship: 17% Includes management operations and monitoring of natural and cultural resources, invasive species management, research coordination.

Visitor Services: 10% Includes interpretation and education, and park concessions management.

The park recorded more than 4 million visits in 2019; down 2.3% from 2018. The last time the park recorded fewer than 4 million annual recreational visits was in 2014, with 3.5 million visits. Detailed park visitation information is available at https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/
Top 10 Visitation Years
1. 2016 4,257,177
2. 2017 4,116,524
3. 2018 4,115,000
4. 2015 4,097,710
5. 2019 4,020,287
6. 2010 3,640,185
7. 2014 3,513,484
8. 2012 3,447,729
9. 2011 3,394,321
10. 2009 3,295,187

Read answers to many frequently asked questions.

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Park Facts - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Yellowstone National Park was established on March 1, 1872. Yellowstone is the world's first national park. No area figures have been scientifically verified. Efforts to confirm the park's total area continue. 3,472 square miles (8,991 km2) 2,221,766 acres or 899,116 hectares.

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Despite its glamorous architectural design with 102 floors, the empire state building has been keeping some wacky facts.

1. Construction Facts

During the initial constructing the building, there were five workers died during that process. In 1945, there was a B25 bomber plan that accidentally slammed the north side of the 78th and 79th floor. It made fourteen people died. Fortunately, the accident happens on Saturday where most of the office was empty. The surprising facts is that there was no significant damage that destroy the building which is why the Guinness World Book of Record put this building in their longest and most historical skyscraper.

2. Suicide Facts

For almost 30 years and so, there have been more than 30 people who committed their suicide by leaping from the highest floor. Therefore, the building management set up a secure fence in 1947 because there were five consecutive days and five persons who tried to jump.

Nevertheless, these facts happened in the past time where it already became a history. The purpose of this is to understand that there are many factors to make one skyscraper stand still until present times.

There is more than three to four million tourist who visits this place in a year that make us reveal some real untapped story of empire state building facts.

3. Decommissioned Observatory Deck Facts

In some press publication, there was a statement that conveyed the observatory deck closed in past time. The ambiguity news will be the connection that connect the 102nd floor to the observatory deck. What we see in these days, that the level has become a VIP lounge.

4. Private Zip Code Facts

It might be different in other countries and cities around the world, but in New York area - each skyscraper has its private zip code. The reason the native authority gave this as the regulation - it is because of the size of the place occupy a large number of people at the same time regardless of the function. Therefore, the Empire State has 10118 for its zip code.

Empire State Building "Secrets" Facts

Travelers only know that the outwards skin of information of each place without knowing the empire state building 'secret' facts.

5. Duration of Constructing Facts

This incredible skyscraper took only one year and 45 days for the period for constructing the whole floor until the opening day. The facts make it became the quickest building ever built in the early 90's era.

A website like www.docurex.com will provide you with the highest quality in the industry.

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Empire State Building Facts and History - Beautiful Tourism

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Despite its glamorous architectural design with 102 floors, the empire state building has been keeping some wacky facts. During the initial constructing the building, there were five workers died during that process. In 1945, there was a B25 bomber plan that accidentally slammed the north side of the 78th and 79th floor.

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Empire State Building Source (Information)

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Empire State Building Source (Information)

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In 2011, Cornell researchers analyzed millions of Flickr photos and concluded that the Empire State Building is the most photographed building in the world. Remember to tag your shots #EmpireStateBuilding.

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Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent Duffy Square, Times Square is a bowtie-shaped plaza five blocks long between 42nd and 47th Streets.

Times Square is brightly lit by numerous digital billboards and advertisements as well as businesses offering 24/7 service. One of the world's busiest pedestrian areas, it is also the hub of the Broadway Theater District and a major center of the world's entertainment industry. Times Square is one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, drawing an estimated 50 million visitors annually. Approximately 330,000 people pass through Times Square daily, many of them tourists, while over 460,000 pedestrians walk through Times Square on its busiest days. The Times Square-42nd Street and 42nd Street-Port Authority Bus Terminal stations have consistently ranked as the busiest in the New York City Subway system, transporting more than 200,000 passengers daily.

Formerly known as Longacre Square, Times Square was renamed in 1904 after The New York Times moved its headquarters to the then newly erected Times Building, now One Times Square. It is the site of the annual New Year's Eve ball drop, which began on December 31, 1907, and continues to attract over a million visitors to Times Square every year, in addition to a worldwide audience of one billion or more on various digital media platforms.

Times Square, specifically the intersection of Broadway and 42nd Street, is the eastern terminus of the Lincoln Highway, the first road across the United States for motorized vehicles. Times Square is sometimes referred to as "the Crossroads of the World" and "the heart of the Great White Way".

Times Square functions as a town square, but is not geometrically a square; it is closer in shape to a bowtie, with two triangles emanating roughly north and south from 45th Street, where Seventh Avenue intersects Broadway. The area is bounded by West 42nd street, West 47th street, 7th Avenue, and Broadway. Broadway runs diagonally, crossing through the horizontal and vertical street grid of Manhattan laid down by the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, and that intersection creates the "bowtie" shape of Times Square.

Times Square is the official name of the southern triangle, below 45th Street, but the northern triangle is officially Duffy Square. It was dedicated in 1937 to World War I chaplain Father Francis P. Duffy of the 69th New York Infantry Regiment, and is the site of a memorial to him. There is also a statue of composer and entertainer George M. Cohan, and the TKTS discount ticket booth for Broadway and off-Broadway theaters.

Broadway at 42nd Street in 1898

A crowd outside One Times Square follows the progress of the Jack Dempsey vs. Georges Carpentier boxing fight in 1921.

When Manhattan Island was first settled by the Dutch colonists, three small streams united near what is now the intersection of 10th Avenue and 40th Street. These three streams formed the "Great Kill" (Dutch: Grote Kil). From there the Great Kill wound through the low-lying Reed Valley, known for fish and waterfowl, and emptied into a deep bay in the Hudson River at the present 42nd Street. The name was retained in a tiny hamlet, Great Kill, that became a center for carriage-making, as the upland to the south and east became known as Longacre.

Before and after the American Revolution, the area belonged to John Morin Scott, a general of the New York militia, in which he served under George Washington. Scott's manor house was at what is currently 43rd Street, surrounded by countryside used for farming and breeding horses. In the first half of the 19th century, it became one of the prized possessions of John Jacob Astor, who made a second fortune selling off lots to hotels and other real estate concerns as the city rapidly spread uptown.

By 1872, the area had become the center of New York's horse carriage industry. The locality had not previously been given a name, and city authorities called it Longacre Square after Long Acre in London, where the horse and carriage trade was centered in that city. William Henry Vanderbilt owned and ran the American Horse Exchange there. In 1910, it became the Winter Garden Theatre.

As more profitable commerce and industrialization of Lower Manhattan pushed homes, theaters, and prostitution northward from the Tenderloin District, Longacre Square became nicknamed the Thieves Lair for its rollicking reputation as a low entertainment district. The first theater on the square, the Olympia, was built by cigar manufacturer and impresario Oscar Hammerstein I. According to Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898, "By the early 1890s this once sparsely settled stretch of Broadway was ablaze with electric light and thronged by crowds of middle- and upper-class theatre, restaurant and cafe patrons."

In 1904, New York Times publisher Adolph S. Ochs moved the newspaper's operations to a new skyscraper on 42nd Street at Longacre Square, on the site of the former Pabst Hotel, which had existed on the site for less than a decade since it opened in November 1899. Ochs persuaded Mayor George B. McClellan Jr. to construct a subway station there, and the area was renamed "Times Square" on April 8, 1904. Just three weeks later, the first electrified advertisement appeared on the side of a bank at the corner of 46th Street and Broadway. The north end later became Duffy Square, and the former Horse Exchange became the Winter Garden Theatre, constructed in 1911.

The New York Times moved to more spacious offices one block west of the square in 1913 and sold the building in 1961. The old Times Building was later named the Allied Chemical Building in 1963. Now known simply as One Times Square, it is famed for the Times Square Ball drop on its roof every New Year's Eve.

In 1913, the Lincoln Highway Association, headed by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, chose the intersection of 42nd Street and Broadway (at the southeast corner of Times Square) to be the Eastern Terminus of the Lincoln Highway. This was the first road across the United States, which originally ran 3,389 mi (5,454 km) coast to coast through 13 states to its western terminus in Lincoln Park in San Francisco.

Times Square grew dramatically after World War I. It became a cultural hub full of theatres, music halls, and upscale hotels.

Times Square quickly became New York's agora, a place to gather to await great tidings and to celebrate them, whether a World Series or a presidential election.

- James Traub, The Devil's Playground: A Century of Pleasure and Profit in Times Square

Advertising also grew significantly in the 1920s, growing from $25 million to $85 million over the decade. For example, the Wrigley Spearmint Gum sign, possibly the biggest electric sign "in the world," cost $9,000 per month to rent. Some contemporary critics, such as Thorstein Veblen and G. K. Chesterton, disliked the advertising at Times Square. Fritz Lang, after seeing Times Square in 1923, used it as inspiration for his dark industrial film Metropolis.

Entertainment icons such as Irving Berlin, Charlie Chaplin, and Fred Astaire were closely associated with Times Square in the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s. However, it was also during this period that the area began to be besieged by crime and corruption, in the form of gambling and prostitution; one case that garnered huge attention was the arrest and subsequent execution of police officer Charles Becker.

Crowds celebrating in Times Square on V-J Day (August 15, 1945)

The general atmosphere of Times Square changed with the onset of the Great Depression in the early 1930s. City residents moved uptown to cheaper neighborhoods, and many popular theaters closed, replaced by saloons, brothels, "burlesque halls, vaudeville stages, and dime houses". The area acquired a reputation as a dangerous and seedy neighborhood in the following decades.

Nevertheless, Times Square continued to be the site of the annual ball drop on New Year's Eve. The ball drop was placed on hiatus for New Year's Eve in 1942 and 1943 due to lighting restrictions during World War II. Instead, a moment of silence was observed at midnight in Times Square, accompanied by the sound of chimes played from sound trucks.

On May 8, 1945, a massive crowd celebrated Victory in Europe Day in Times Square; and on August 15, 1945, the largest crowd in the history of Times Square gathered to celebrate Victory over Japan Day. The victory itself was announced by a headline on the "zipper" news ticker at One Times Square, which read "OFFICIAL ***TRUMAN ANNOUNCES JAPANESE SURRENDER ***

From the 1960s to the early 1990s, the seediness of the area, especially due to its go-go bars, sex shops, peep shows, and adult theaters, became an infamous symbol of the city's decline. As early as 1960, 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues was described by The New York Times as "the 'worst' [block] in town". Later that decade, Times Square was depicted in Midnight Cowboy as gritty, depraved, and desperate. Conditions only worsened in the 1970s and 1980s, as did the crime in the rest of the city. In the mid-1980s, the area bounded by 40th and 50th Streets and Seventh and Ninth Avenues saw over 15,000 crime complaints per year. The block of 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues had 2,300 crimes per year in 1984, of which one-fifth were felonies.

In this era, formerly elegant movie theaters began to show porn, and hustlers were common. The area was so abandoned at one point during the time that the entire Times Square area paid the city only $6 million in property taxes (about $13 million in 2021).

In the 1980s, a commercial building boom began in the western parts of Midtown as part of a long-term development plan developed under mayors Ed Koch and David Dinkins. These included office buildings such as 1540 Broadway, 1585 Broadway, and 750 Seventh Avenue, as well as hotels such as the Macklowe Hotel, Marriott Marquis, Crowne Plaza, and DoubleTree Suites. By 1986, New York City Planning Commission (CPC) was considering enacting regulations that would have forced new buildings along Times Square to include bright signage as well as deep setbacks. The CPC adopted a planning regulation in 1987, which required large new developments in Times Square to set aside about 5 percent of their space for "entertainment uses". The regulation also required new buildings on Times Square to include large, bright signs. The buildings at 1540 Broadway, 1585 Broadway, and 750 Seventh Avenue were completed at with the beginning of the early 1990s recession, when 14.5 percent of Manhattan office space was vacant. Furthermore, some 9 ⁶ sq ft (840,000 m ²) of office space in the western section of Midtown had been developed in the 1980s, of which only half had been leased. Consequently, 1540 Broadway was completely empty, while 1585 Broadway and 750 Seventh Avenue had one tenant each, despite the buildings having over 2 ⁶ sq ft (190,000 m ²) of office space between them. Entertainment conglomerate Bertelsmann bought 1540 Broadway in 1992, spurring a revival of Times Square in the early 1990s. This was hastened when financial firm Morgan Stanley bought 1585 Broadway in 1993, followed by 750 Seventh Avenue in 1994.

42nd Street Redevelopment, further revitalization

The pace, extensive transit connectivity, and theatrical tradition of 42nd Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, have made this one of the best known streets in the Times Square neighborhood and the Broadway Theater District.

The Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC), an agency of the New York state government, had proposed redeveloping the area around a portion of West 42nd Street in 1981. Four towers designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee were to be built around 42nd Street's intersections with Broadway and Seventh Avenue. These towers would have been redeveloped by George Klein of Park Tower Realty, though the Prudential Insurance Company of America joined the project in 1986. Furthermore, as part of the West Midtown special zoning district created in 1982, the New York City government had allowed new buildings in Times Square to be developed with an increased floor area ratio. To ensure the area would not be darkened at nightfall, the city passed zoning regulations that encouraged developers to add large, bright signs on their buildings.

In 1990, the State of New York took possession of six of the nine historic theaters on 42nd Street, and the New 42nd Street non-profit organization was appointed to oversee their restoration and maintenance. The theaters underwent renovation for Broadway shows, conversion for commercial purposes, or demolition. Opposition to the towers on Times Square, along with Prudential and Park Tower's inability to secure tenants for the proposed buildings, led government officials to allow Prudential and Park Tower to postpone the project in 1992. By then, Prudential had spent $300 million on condemning the sites through eminent domain. The partners retained the right to develop the sites in the future, and the ESDC's zoning guidelines remained in effect. In exchange for being permitted to delay construction of the sites until 2002, Prudential and Park Tower were compelled to add stores and install large signage on the existing buildings.

In 1992, the Times Square Alliance (formerly the Times Square Business Improvement District, or "BID" for short), a coalition of city government and local businesses dedicated to improving the quality of commerce and cleanliness in the district, started operations in the area. In 1998, the alliance opened a tourist information center in the former Embassy Theatre at 1560 Broadway; the information center operated until 2014.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium are two of the newer attractions on the redeveloped 42nd Street.

In the mid-1990s, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani led an effort to clean up the area, an effort that is described by Steve Macek in Urban Nightmares: The Media, the Right, and the Moral Panic Over the City: Security was increased, pornographic theatres were closed, and "undesirable" low-rent residents were pressured to relocate, and then more tourist-friendly attractions and upscale establishments were opened. Advocates of the remodeling claim that the neighborhood is safer and cleaner. Detractors have countered that the changes have homogenized or "Disneyfied" the character of Times Square and have unfairly targeted lower-income New Yorkers from nearby neighborhoods such as Hell's Kitchen. The changes were shaped in large part by the actions of The Walt Disney Company, which bought and restored the New Amsterdam Theatre after several attempts at redevelopment had failed. As part of a contract with Disney, officials from the city and state evicted the pornographic theaters and contracted with Madame Tussauds and AMC Theatres to move onto 42nd Street. This spurred the construction of new office towers, hotels, and tourist attractions in the area.

Prudential and Klein dissolved their partnership for the four office-building sites at Times Square's southern end in 1996. The same year, Douglas Durst acquired the site at the northeast corner of Broadway and 42nd Street, and he developed 4 Times Square there. The northwest corner of Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street was taken by Reuters, which enlisted Rudin Management as its development partner and built 3 Times Square on that corner; that building opened in 2001. In 1998, a joint venture of Klein, The Blackstone Group, and Boston Properties won the right to acquire the sites at the southwest and southeast corners of 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue for $330 million. 5 Times Square was completed on the southwest-corner site in 2002, and Times Square Tower opened on the southeast-corner site in 2004.

Times Square now boasts attractions such as ABC's Times Square Studios, where Good Morning America is broadcast live; competing Hershey's and M&M's stores across the street from each other, and multiple multiplex movie theaters. Additionally, the area contains restaurants such as the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, a seafood establishment; Planet Hollywood Restaurant and Bar, a theme restaurant; and Carmine's, serving Italian cuisine. It has also attracted several large financial, publishing, and media firms to set up headquarters in the area. A larger presence of police has improved the safety of the area.

The theatres of Broadway and the huge number of animated neon and LED signs have been one of New York's iconic images as well as a symbol of the intensely urban aspects of Manhattan. Since 1987 such signage has been mandated by zoning ordinances that require building owners to display illuminated signs, the only district in New York City with this requirement. The neighborhood has a minimum limit for lighting instead of the standard maximum limit. The density of illuminated signs in Times Square rivals that in Las Vegas. Officially, signs in Times Square are called "spectaculars", and the largest of them are called " jumbotrons". This signage ordinance was implemented in accordance with guidelines set in a revitalization program that New York Governor Mario Cuomo implemented in 1993.

The "Naked Cowboy" has been a fixture on Times Square for decades.

Notable signage includes the Toshiba billboard directly under the NYE ball drop, the curved seven-story NASDAQ sign at the NASDAQ MarketSite at 4 Times Square on 43rd Street, and the curved Coca-Cola sign located underneath another large LED display owned and operated by Samsung. Both the Coca-Cola sign and Samsung LED displays were built by LED display manufacturer Daktronics. Times Square's first environmentally friendly billboard powered by wind and solar energy was first lit on December 4, 2008. On completion, the 20 Times Square development will host the largest LED signage in Times Square at 18,000 square feet. The display will be 1,000 square feet larger than the Times Square Walgreens display and one of the largest video-capable screens in the world.

In 2002, New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani administered the oath of office to the city's next mayor, Michael Bloomberg, at Times Square after midnight on January 1 as part of the 2001-02 New Year's celebration. Approximately 500,000 revelers attended. Security was high following the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, with more than 7,000 New York City police officers on duty in the Square, twice the number for an ordinary year.

Looking southeast at TKTS ticket booth on a sunny afternoon in Times Square

Times Square started hosting other major annual events in the 2000s. Since 2002, the summer solstice has been marked by "Mind over Madness", a mass yoga event involving up to 15,000 people. Tim Tompkins, a co-founder of the event, said part of its appeal was "finding stillness and calm amid the city rush on the longest day of the year". Architect Mark Foster Gage proposed and designed the original Times Square Valentine's Day heart in 2009. Since then, designing the heart has become an annual competition.

In February 2011, Times Square became smoke-free as New York extended the outdoors smoking ban to the area. The measure imposed a $50 fine for any person caught smoking within the area. From January 29 to February 1, 2014, a "Super Bowl Boulevard" was held on Broadway, especially in Times Square, between 34th and 47th Streets, as part of Super Bowl XLVIII. The boulevard contained activities such as autographs, a 60 ft (18 m)-high toboggan run, and photographs with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The area was under increased security and witnessed over 400,000 people during the period.

In October 2022, casino operator Caesars Entertainment and commercial property developer SL Green submitted a joint proposal to open a casino at 1515 Broadway, along Times Square. The New York state government has yet to act on the proposal.

On February 26, 2009, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that traffic lanes along Broadway from 42nd Street to 47th Street would be de-mapped starting Memorial Day 2009 and transformed into pedestrian plazas as a trial until at least the end of the year. The same was done in Herald Square from 33rd to 35th Street. The results were to be closely monitored to determine if the project was successful and should be extended. Bloomberg also stated that he believed the street shutdown would make New York more livable by reducing pollution, cutting down on pedestrian-vehicle accidents, and helping traffic flow more smoothly through the Midtown street grid.

The pedestrian plaza project was originally opposed by local businesses, who thought that closing the street to cars would hurt business. The original seats put out for pedestrians were inexpensive multicolored plastic lawn chairs, a source of amusement to many New Yorkers; they lasted from the onset of the plaza transformation until August 14, 2009, when they were ceremoniously bundled together in an installation christened Now You See It, Now You Don't by the artist Jason Peters, and shortly afterward were replaced by sturdier metal furniture. Although the plaza had mixed results on traffic in the area, injuries to motorists and pedestrians decreased, fewer pedestrians were walking in the road, and the number of pedestrians in Times Square increased. On February 11, 2010, Bloomberg announced that the pedestrian plazas would become permanent.

The city started rebuilding the plaza in 2010, hiring the design and landscaping firm Snøhetta to permanently replace Broadway's roadway with custom-made granite pavers and benches. By December 2013, the first phase of the Times Square pedestrian plaza had been completed at the southern end of the square in time for the Times Square Ball drop on New Year's Eve. The project was originally intended to be completed by the end of 2015. The entire project was finally completed just before New Year's Eve 2016. Some safety bollards were also installed as part of the renovation to prevent vehicular attacks or collisions on the sidewalk. After a 2017 vehicle-ramming attack, there were calls to install more bollards along Times Square.

Times Square's pedestrian plaza is frequented by topless women (with painted breasts) called " desnudas", as well as costumed characters, who typically panhandle for tips. The pedestrian plaza became a source of controversy in the summer of 2015 because of a large number of complaints about the topless women and panhandling characters. Although neither of these activities was illegal, opponents believed that the panhandlers' presence was detrimental to the quality of life in the area. There were calls from Police Commissioner Bratton and Mayor Bill de Blasio to remove the plaza, although Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer opposed the proposal. In June 2016, work started on "pedestrian flow zones" where no one was allowed to loiter, as well as "activity zones" where costumed characters were allowed to perform.

There have been several incidents in Times Square:

On May 18, 2017, a vehicle-ramming attack at Times Square killed one person and injured 22 others.

On August 7, 2019, shortly after consecutive mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, a backfiring motorcycle resulted in a stampede due to the sound being mistaken for gunfire; the stampede injured at least twelve people.

On May 8, 2021, a dispute between a group of men led to a shooting in which three bystanders were wounded, including a four-year-old girl.

On June 27, 2021, a dispute between a group of street vendors led to a shooting in which a 21-year-old bystander was wounded.

On December 31, 2022, three officers with the New York City Police Department were wounded in a machete attack that occurred during New Year's Eve celebrations in Times Square. The suspect, a 19-year-old male from Maine, was also wounded before being taken into custody. Investigators looked into jihadist writings purportedly posted by the suspect before he traveled to New York City.

Times Square is the most visited place globally with 360,000 pedestrian visitors a day, amounting to over 131 million a year. As of 2013, it had a greater attendance than each of the Disney theme parks worldwide, with 128,794,000 visitors between March 2012 and February 2013, versus 126,479,000 for the Walt Disney World theme parks in Bay Lake, Florida, in 2012. Even excluding residents from the visitor count, Times Square is the world's second most visited tourist attraction, behind the Las Vegas Strip. The high level of pedestrian traffic has resulted in $4.8 billion in annual retail, entertainment, and hotel sales, with 22 cents out of every dollar spent by visitors in New York City being spent within Times Square.

The Times Square Ball in 2007

Times Square is the site of the annual New Year's Eve ball drop. About one million revelers crowd Times Square for the New Year's Eve celebrations, more than twice the usual number of visitors the area usually receives daily. However, for the millennium celebration on December 31, 1999, published reports stated approximately two million people overflowed Times Square, flowing from Sixth Avenue to Eighth Avenue and back on Broadway and Seventh Avenue to 59th Street, making it the largest gathering in Times Square since August 1945 during celebrations marking the end of World War II.

On December 31, 1907, a ball signifying New Year's Day was first dropped at Times Square, and the Square has held the main New Year's celebration in New York City ever since. On that night, hundreds of thousands of people congregate to watch the Waterford Crystal ball being lowered on a pole atop the building, marking the start of the new year. It replaced a lavish fireworks display from the top of the building that was held from 1904 to 1906 but stopped by city officials because of the danger of fire. Beginning in 1908, and for more than eighty years thereafter, Times Square sign maker Artkraft Strauss was responsible for the ball-lowering. During World War II, a minute of silence, followed by a recording of church bells pealing, replaced the ball drop because of wartime blackout restrictions. Today, Countdown Entertainment and One Times Square handle the New Year's Eve event in conjunction with the Times Square Alliance. A new energy-efficient LED ball debuted for the arrival of 2008, which was the centennial of the Times Square ball drop. The 2008-09 ball is larger and has become a permanent installation as a year-round attraction, being used for celebrations on days such as Valentine's Day and Halloween.

The New Year's Eve celebrations are usually overseen by thousands of police officers. Aluminum barriers are erected to accommodate spectators; for the 2020 celebration, attended by a million people, barriers were erected from 38th to 59th Street and from Sixth to Eighth Avenue. Typically, the celebrations create large amounts of waste. The New York City Department of Sanitation estimated that by 8 a.m. on New Year's Day 2014, it had cleared over 50 short tons (45 long tons; 45 t) of trash from the New Year's celebration, using 190 workers from their crews and the Times Square Alliance.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City during 2020 reduced the number of people traveling to Times Square. About 108,000 pedestrians visited Times Square each day in late 2020 compared to the 380,000 before the pandemic. From March to October 2020, 26 of the area's 46 hotels closed, as well as 39 of 151 stores and 84 of 162 restaurants. Times Square was closed to the public for New Year's Day 2021 and observers were dispersed into enclosures measuring 8 by 8 ft (2.4 by 2.4 m).

Times Square is a busy intersection of art and commerce, where scores of advertisements - electric, neon and illuminated signs and "zipper" news crawls - vie for viewers' attention. Notable examples include:

Contemporary artists regularly perform on Times Square. Examples include test patterns[times square] by Ryoji Ikeda and Continuum by Krista Kim.

Times Square looking north from 44th Street

An immediately recognizable location, Times Square has been featured countless times in literature, films, video games, music videos, and on television.

The seediness of the area was featured prominently in such films as Midnight Cowboy (1969), (1971), and Taxi Driver (1976). The area was shown in the 1980 film Times Square, which featured a punk rock/ new wave soundtrack. It was also depicted in the 2011 movie New Year's Eve. The area also appeared on The Amazing Race as the starting location in a race around the world in the first episode of the show's 25th season, as well as on the sixth season of the Israeli edition of The Amazing Race with teams finishing their second leg in Times Square.

Times Square has been fictionally attacked and destroyed in several movies, including , when a solar flare destroys New York City; Deep Impact, when a tsunami created from a meteor impact destroys New York City; the 1998 film , where Godzilla is chased through the square; the Ghostbusters movies; Stephen King's , where the intersection is overcome by total anarchy; Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. It was also seen in the festival battle scene in the 2002 film , and a stand-off in the later film The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Films and TV shows have also employed the opposite tactic, depicting the typically bustling area as eerily still, such as in Vanilla Sky, as well as the post-apocalyptic , in which Will Smith and his dog go hunting for deer in the deserted urban canyon. In the pilot episode of the TV series , Times Square is completely emptied due to an abandoned bag being suspected to be a bomb.

Times Square also has featured prominently in video games. For instance, in Grand Theft Auto IV, a recreation of the Times Square area referred to in-game as "Star Junction", is included in the game's fictional " Liberty City" setting. Times Square is also shown in Battlefield 3, where the final fight with the main antagonist takes place, where the player must stop him from detonating a nuclear bomb in the square; and , in which player must fight off attacking alien forces to assist U.S. Marines in evacuating the area. Gran Turismo 4 also features Times Square both as a photo spot and as a part of the New York city circuit which also includes Central Park.

Brown, H. (1922) Valentine's Manual of Old New York. Valentine.

Fazio, W. (2000) Times Square, Children's Press. ISBN 0-516-26530-X

Friedman, J. (1993) Tales of Times Square Feral House. ISBN 0-922915-17-2

Leach, William (1993). Land of Desire. New York: Pantheon Books. ISBN 978-0307761149.

Stern, Robert A. M.; Fishman, David; Tilove, Jacob (2006). New York 2000: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Bicentennial and the Millennium. New York: Monacelli Press. ISBN 978-1-58093-177-9. OCLC 70267065. OL 22741487M.

Taylor, W. (1996) Inventing Times Square, Johns Hopkins U. Press. ISBN 0-8018-5337-0

Traub, James (2004) The Devil's Playground: A Century of Pleasure and Profit in Times Square New York: Random House. ISBN 0-375-50788-4

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Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent Duffy Square, Times Square is a bowtie-shaped plaza five blocks long between 42nd and 47th Streets.

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The most-visited tourist attraction in the world receives over 40 million annual visitors each year, with approximately 300,000 visitors each day. From star-studded Broadway shows to world famous stores and restaurants, "The Crossroads of the World" is the hottest place in town. Be sure to check out these live cameras from Times Square.

As with the 20 Things You Didn't Know About Central Park post, you may already know some of these items, but hopefully you'll pick up a few new facts.

1. Times Square has it's very own Visitor Center and Museum, which is free to the public. It's housed in the famous Embassy Theater, which is the world's first newsreel theater. At one time, it was the only US theater managed and staffed solely by women. Visit their New Year's Eve Wishing Well to write a wish on a piece of confetti, which will be released to the world on New Years Eve. Learn all about the history of Times Square in this 6,000 sq. ft. mini-museum. Take a glance at some of the costumes from NYC's most famous Broadway shows. See the New Year's Eve Ball from 2007, which simulates the New Year's Eve Countdown every hour.

3. On New Year's Eve, close to a million people congregrate to celebrate the 'Dropping of the Ball'. The ball was actually replaced by an energy efficient ball in 2008 and it is 12 feet in diameter and weighs 11,875 pounds. The ball has the capability to showcase over 16 million vibrant colors and billions of patterns, giving it a beautiful kaleidoscope effect.

4. The world famous ball drops from a pole atop the 25-story One Times Square building and the ball is timed to reach the bottom of the pole at precisely 12 midnight, New Year's Day.
In the Time Square neighborhood there are 40 theaters including 22 landmark Broadway theaters.
5. Times Square's NASDAQ sign cost over $37 million to build and it's the largest LED sign in the world, at 37-feet high. There are approximately 50 super signs advertising everything from clothing to food products to banks. In 1917 the first large electric display billboard was installed. Eleven years later, the first running electric sign was lit for the first time, to announce Herbert Hoover's victory in the Presidential elections. The billboards have become such a tourist attraction for the area, that the zoning now requires the buildings to be covered with billboards and it costs between $1.1 million and $4 million a year if you want to buy one. Anyone want to sponsor one for US City Traveler?!

6. The 1929 stock market crash led to the area being replaced with pornographic "peep shows." In 1913, it was estimated that 150,000 daily visits to prostitutes took place in Times Square. In the thirties, the Great Depression led to a sharp decline in theater attendance. Many businesses had to close down, and they were quickly replaced by strip teases and and peep shows. But after the Second World War, the Theater District was booming once again and yet again, by the end of the sixties, the area started to go downhill and by the mid-seventies, tourists just avoided Times square, which had become a dirty, crime-ridden and drug-infested place.

7. New York City began a slow but steady push to clean up Times Square in the 1990s, which was led by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. In fact, people referred to this as the 'Disneyfication'. Why, one might ask? Well in the 1980s redevelopment proposals didn't get too far off the ground, but when the Walt Disney Company opened a Disney store on Times Square in the 90's, families once again flocked to this former hot spot. Today, it's once again a thriving must-see tourist destination.

8. In 2011, Times Square became 100% smoke free. The measure fines any person smoking within the area a fee of $50. Smoke down the block and save that money for a taxi.
Times Square's shape is actually not that of a square but rather a bow tie, formed by the intersection of Seventh Avenue, 42nd Street and Broadway in Midtown Manhattan.
9. The first Times Square New Year's Eve celebration was held in 1903 when a New York Times newspaper office decided to celebrate the company's opening in Times Square. So it was actually named after the newspaper itself. Approximately 200,000 people attended the 1903 event and it was considered such a fantastic way to ring in the New Year that by 1904, going to Times Square to celebrate was a new tradition. In 1907, the firework show was replaced by an electrically lit ball which was lowered down a flagpole to symbolize the very second midnight hit and 1908 was officially declared.

The Times Square Ball has been dropped every single New Year's Eve since, except for 1942 and 1943 in accordance of wartime blackouts. The original New Year's Eve Ball contained 100 light bulbs and descended down a 141 foot pole while the current version has a computerized multi-colored LED lighting system and an outer surface made of highly-reflective triangle-shaped crystal panels that descends down a 475 foot pole. The ball is on display all year.

10. The ball was actually made by "Waterford Crystal," a glassworks company that is located in the county of Waterford, Republic of Ireland. While it is a little ironic that this great American landmark wasn't made in these great states, Waterford Crystal is proud to call the Times Square Ball one of its most famous products, having made the 2,668 crystals that adorn it.

46% of Americans pick Times Square as the #1 place to celebrate New Year's Eve, while 56% of Americans will be watching the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration on TV, with over 100,000,000 U.S. television viewers and over one billion television viewers worldwide. Over 275 broadcasters worldwide carry the event.

11. Times Square is home to MTV's headquarters and ABC's 'Good Morning America' is broadcast in front of a live audience from its office at 44th and Broadway. There are a variety of Broadway shows and well over 100 restaurants and shops in the area, including their flagship, super-sized 100,000 sq. ft. Toys"R"Us, which has a 60-ft indoor ferris wheel. They also have a 2 story doll house, a five-ton, 20 ft. high animatronic T-Rex, and they host a variety of characters like Barney and Spider-Man, along with celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens and Miranda Cosgrove. They offer 45-minute private walking tours that offer a behind-the-scenes look at the "world's greatest toy store." It was the world's largest toy store when it opened in 2001. The Toys"R"US company also operates the FAO Schwarz toy brand, which includes their famous NYC toy store on fifth avenue, which is where kids can play on the giant piano from the Tom Hanks "Big" movie (they are actually currently considering leaving this iconic location).

12. Th Times Square Applebee's rakes in over $13 million a year, making it the highest grossing location of any Applebee's in the world. The highest grossing restaurant in all of NYC is called Smith & Wollensky, which makes over $25 million a year - it's the 3rd Highest Grossing Restaurant In America.

One of Times Square's most unique restaurants is called Ellen's Stardust Diner and it is the home of the singing waitstaff! The sining begins at breakfast and runs late into the night and ranges from classics to today's latest hits. This retro 1950s themed diner offers a diverse selection of American cuisine. Or you can get the feel of dining with the stars at the famous Times Square Hard Rock Cafe (which is actually open for breakfast!), it's where you can dine while admiring memorabilia from The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Billy Joel, Madonna, Gwen Stefani and Elvis Presley.

13. It's home to 6 massive hotels, with countless others just steps away. The hip, super trendy W Times Square (rates start at $469 a night) offers amazing views with all of the latest 21st century decor. Renaissance Hotel Times Square (rates start at $279 a night) is among the cheapest, while the Sheraton New York (rates start at $299 a night) recently underwent a massive $160 million renovation and offers a nice complimentary breakfast to its guests. The Doubletree Guest Suites (rates start at $314) is the only all-suites hotel on Broadway, which has 460 spacious rooms, offers warm complimentary cookies to each of it's guests ( as it has for the past 25 years) and welcomes guests to their popular 24-hour fitness and business centers. Crowne Plaza Times Square (rates start at $314 a night) has nearly 800 guest rooms in this prominent location.

Lastly, one of my favorites is the famous Marriott Marquis Hotel (rates start at $332 a night), which was built in 1985 and has become famous for it's massive 45-story lobby. Floors 37-49 actually aren't open to guests because they are used as offices. Parking costs $55 a day - that's the price of a motel in many parts of the country! But this hotel's most famous aspect brings us to our next fun fact.

But my favorite is the Yotel New York (rooms from $149), featuring an ultramodern atmosphere as you check in at touch-screen kiosks similar to those found at airports, but only a bazillion times cooler. Guestrooms are decked out with purple mood lighting, near-silent heating and cooling systems, a Techno Wall fitted with a flat-screen LCD TV, lots of power points for laptops and other devices, Wi-Fi, an iPod or MP3 connection for playing music through the TV speakers and a motorized bed that expands to full size at the push of a button. The hotel's tech de resistance is the world's first-ever robotic luggage handler. A 15-foot robotic arm towering in the lobby behind a glass window, the Yobot picks up your luggage and safely stores it in a wall of drawers before or after check-in. It's just 2 blocks West of Times Square.

14. Dine at the Marriott Marquis' restaurant is called " The View." It's the only revolving restaurant in all of New York, offering panoramic, 360 degree views of the city skyline. Some of their signature American cuisine specials from their 3-course prix-fixe (which is $79 a person + tax & gratuity) include the Sunchoke Tortellini, Wild Boar Chop and Lamb Ribeye.
TKTS Times Square is the ultimate NYC ticket shop.
15. Pictured above is the TKTS booth in Times Square, which sells day-of-performance show tickets at discounts of 20-50% off their face value! They alse sell full-price tickets to future performances and shows that are not discounted. They first opened in 1973 (they recently celebrated their 40th anniversary!) and now also have 2 other locations around town. The ticket booth you see above actually cost $19 million to build! Over $50 million tickets have been sold. They actually release new tickets throughout the day, with more tickets typically available within a few hours of showtime.

16. New York's Madame Tussauds wax museum let's you get a snapshot with over 200 of your favorite celebs. These include Obama, Miley Cryus, Justin Bieber, Madonna and my favorites - Paris Hilton and Kim K! It's located right off the square, on 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth.

17. Take some time out to tour NBC studios or catch a taping of "Saturday Night Live" or "Dateline NBC" (although you'll have to make reservations well in advance). The NBC tour gives you a behind the scenes look at the studios of shows like the Today show, The Dr. Oz Show and MSNBC. You can also purchase some of your favorite TV show memorabilia at the building on 49th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.

18. You may run into the Naked Cowboy, Times Square's most famous entertainer who can often be seen wearing nothing but cowboy boots, a hat and briefs, along with a guitar placed around his midsection. He actually ran for president in 2010 to represent the US Tea Party Movement. He even has his own website where he sells a "Fear God Hate Sin" DVD, Naked Cowboy Underwear and even an $800 guitar!

19. Planet Hollywood Times Square recently hosted Miley Cyrus for a CD signing. New York's only Planet Hollywood, which is a chain that became famous from cool memorabilia and big-name Hollywood owners like Arnold Schwarzenegger, recently decided to split is three-story size in half, to make way for a new Buca di Beppo italian restaurant.

20. Look out for bogus super hero and sesame street creatures all over the place wanting to take photos with your kids. They go around in "ratchet" lookin' sub par costumes, many of which, I think Walt himself would be rather ashamed of. One of the worst parts is that they demand a payback and will even go after you demanding more money, totally ruining the moment for you. Just say "hey kids, look over there, I think that's Justinieber" and turn around and flip the bird, stand your ground and make a run for it so your kids don't have to see how mommy and daddy Get into a fight with some greedy ball of fur! I recommend just staying away from them at all costs and visiting the real guys in the nearby Disney or Toys"R"Us stores instead.

Which of these surprised you the most? We would love to hear from you in the comments.

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12

Taylor Goldblatt

After years of research, travel, and dreams, I have created this website for people like you who want to experience the things that only America can offer. My passion is to explore and share America's greatest destinations and attractions. Follow me on Twitter @USCityTraveler for additional travel tips and ideas.

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20 Things You Didn't Know About Times Square

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The most-visited tourist attraction in the world receives over 40 million annual visitors each year, with approximately 300,000 visitors each day. From star-studded Broadway shows to world famous stores and restaurants, 'The Crossroads of the World' is the hottest place in town. Be sure to check out these live cameras from Times Square.

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Ballparks of Baseball - Your Guide to Major League Baseball Stadiums

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Boston, MA

In today's society some of the best things are ones that change little and remain basically the same as they have for decades. Fenway Park is an example of this as the Boston Red Sox have remained committed to staying at this classic ballpark that they have called home since 1912. It is the oldest major league ballpark in use and still retains the same feel and characteristics as it did when it opened. The history of the Red Sox dates to 1901 when they became a charter member of the American League. Instead of opting to play at the Boston Braves home, South End Grounds, the Red Sox, then known as the Americans (1901-1907), built Huntington Avenue Grounds on site of a wasteland in 1901. This rickety wooden ballpark had a seating capacity of just over 11,000 and was home to the team for a decade. Due to the possibility of fires and embarrassment to both the team and the City of Boston, Red Sox owner, John Taylor, decided to build a new ballpark to replace Huntington Avenue Grounds. Taylor, a real estate magnet, sold himself a parcel of land in "The Fens" of Boston as a site for a new ballpark. Construction of the ballpark began in September 1911 and led to an increase in the value of the team, leading Taylor to sell the team to Jim McAleer and Robert McRoy.

It took only one year for the ballpark to be built and on April 20, 1912 the Red Sox played their first game at Fenway Park against the New York Highlanders (Yankees). Named after its location, Fenway Park had a seating capacity of 27,000 with the main steel and concrete grandstand extending from behind homeplate down the baselines connecting with wooden bleachers in the outfield. Original dimensions were 321 ft. (left), 488 ft. (center), and 314 ft. (right), with Duffy's Cliff, a 10 foot embankment in front of the left field fence.

World Series: 1912, '15, '16, '18, '46, 67, '75, '86, 2004, '07, '13

All Star Game: 1946, '61, '99

Carl Yastrzmski 3,000th hit on September 12, 1979.

Carlton Fisk's 12th inning homerun in the 1975 World Series.

Hall of Famer Ted Williams

Roger Clemens' 20 strikeouts in 1986.

1999 & 2000 Cy Young winner Pedro Martinez.

2010 NHL Classic between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers on January 1, 2010.

The 1920s were a low-point for the Red Sox and Fenway Park. On December 26, 1919 Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees and throughout the first half of the 1920s many of the Red Sox's star players were traded. Fire struck Fenway Park in May 1926 destroying the wooden bleachers in left foul line. This area was not rebuilt until 1933 when Thomas A. Yawkey purchased the Red Sox. After the 1933 baseball season, Fenway Park was extensively renovated. Duffy's Cliff was removed, wooden grandstands in right and center field were replaced by concrete stands and the entire grandstand was enlarged increasing the seating capacity to 33,817. The most significant feature added to the ballpark was the 37 foot high wall in left field. The wall was covered with advertisements and at the base of the wall was a hand operated scoreboard. A tragic fire in January 1934 destroyed most of the construction but the ballpark was complete and free of damage when it reopened on April 17, 1934. In 1936, a 23 foot net was placed on the left field wall to prevent baseballs from breaking windows in nearby shops.

Before the start of the 1940 season, the right field wall was moved in 20 feet shortening the outfield fence from 325 to 302 feet in right field and 402 to 380 feet in right-center field. Bullpens for the Red Sox and the visiting team were placed in the area created between the stands and the outfield wall, replacing the original ones in foul territory. The "Green Monster" was created in 1947 when the advertisements were removed from the left field wall and it was painted dark green. On June 13, 1947 the first Red Sox night game was played at Fenway Park when the team beat the Chicago White Sox.

For almost three decades there were few changes at Fenway Park. After the 1975 season a new $1.5 million electronic scoreboard was erected behind the bleachers in centerfield and the press box was enlarged, enclosed in glass and air-conditioned. The same year, the tin that made up the "Green Monster" was replaced by a hard plastic surface. In the early 1980s 44 luxury boxes were added at the ballpark, down the first and third base lines. Additional seating was also placed along the right-field roof, creating a small upper deck of several rows. In 1988 a new color video/scoreboard was installed replacing the one installed in 1975. Also, the existing pressbox was replaced with luxury boxes, known as the 600 Club, and the press area was rebuilt above the 600 Club.

Fenway Park took on its modern day look beginning in 2002 when John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino purchased the Red Sox. Prior to the team being sold, there had been discussions of building a new Fenway Park. However the new ownership group was committed to preserving and improving Fenway Park. Since 2003, there have been numerous improvements and upgrades completed at the ballpark. The famous Green Monster seats, 250 bar style seats, were added atop the Green Monster in left field enabling fans to view Fenway Park in a different way than the past. In 2004 the Red Sox added additional seats atop the roof in right field. Two years later, the once enclosed 606 Club, located behind homeplate, was opened and features 406 open-air seats. An additional 400 club seats were added above this area and pavilion level seats, named the State Street Pavilion, were added along the baselines increasing the seating capacity to nearly 38,000. Before the 2008 season, the next phase of upgrades at Fenway Park was completed. This included the expansion of the State Street Pavilion with 800 new seats and the new Coca-Cola Club, located where the left field foul line meets the Green Monster. The latest renovations at Fenway Park, completed before the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons, involved replacing and refurbishing seats in the lower bowl. The original 1912 seating bowl was also repaired and waterproofed. In addition, the seating area along the right field roof was expanded and repaired to seat 575 fans. Prior to the start of the 2011 season, a new 38'x100′ HD video/scoreboard was installed above the center-field bleachers. The current capacity at Fenway Park is now 37,221 during day games and 37,673 during night games. The seating capacity varies because a tarp is used during afternoon games in dead centerfield to provide a backdrop for hitters. The Red Sox have stated that the seating capacity of Fenway Park will not exceed 40,000 anytime in the future.

Although Fenway Park is the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, it is one of America's most beloved ballparks. The enthusiastic and exciting atmosphere outside of Fenway Park before games is truly unique and cannot be found anywhere else. Yawkey Way is closed prior to every game so fans can mingle and enjoy live music, great food and the company of other Red Sox fans outside Fenway Park. Inside, Fenway Park's interior is full of character with its small intimate seating capacity, the Green Monster and manual scoreboard in left field, the lone red seat in right field where the longest homerun ever hit, 502 feet by Ted Williams, and the retired numbers of greats on the right field facade. It doesn't hurt that the Red Sox have been one of the best teams in Major League Baseball over the past decade winning three World Series Championships in 2004, 2007 and 2013. The 2013 World Series was even more special to Red Sox fans as the team clinched the championship at Fenway Park for the first time since 1918.

Fenway Park Pictures

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Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox's ballpark - Ballparks of Baseball

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In today's society some of the best things are ones that change little and remain basically the same as they have for decades. Fenway Park is an example of this as the Boston Red Sox have remained committed to staying at this classic ballpark that they have called home since 1912.

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The Golden Gate Bridge links the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula to Marin County. This suspension bridge is an iconic symbol of San Francisco, California. It spans the Golden Gate, the part of San Francisco Bay that opens to the Pacific Ocean.

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On a sunny day, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge glows an orangey-red on the backdrop of a bright blue sky. Although clear weather is no guarantee, taking in views of this impressive structure makes the short list for many trips to the Bay Area. Good news is that glimpses of the bridge can be found from many a hilltop in the city's northern neighborhoods. But for those who want a better look, here are tips for making the most of a visit:

1. Recreate that classic scene from the "Full House" opening credits with a drive across the bridge -- convertible optional, but encouraged. Visitors beware, though: After the switch from cash to 100% electronic tolling, it's best to pay the $6.25 toll online in advance at Bayareafastrak.org. Don't panic if you cross without paying though; the tolling system will take a picture of your license plate and send a bill. Or if your rental car is enabled with PlatePass, you'll pay a PlatePass usage fee, plus the cost of the toll.

2. Burn off that delicious brunch with a walk on the bridge. Although the walk across and back is about three miles, there's no mandate you keep walking, so feel free to turn back at any point. After all, you're on vacation.

3. If walking the bridge doesn't strike your fancy, consider biking across instead. Rent some wheels from one of many companies in the Fisherman's Wharf area and take off. After crossing the bridge, aim for the picturesque towns of Sausalito or Tiburon, from which you can hop on a ferry for a scenic ride (including more bridge views!) back to San Francisco.

4. On the north side of the bridge, skip crowded Vista Point and head west to the more rugged Marin Headlands. On a clear day, this is a great place to snap your own classic pictures of the iconic Golden Gate with the city of San Francisco in the background.

5. Keep driving through the headlands, and you'll reach Point Bonita Lighthouse, an active lighthouse set on the southwestern tip of Marin County. Cross a newly rebuilt suspension footbridge to the lighthouse and take in more views of the Golden Gate.

6. If you're feeling like a splurge, reserve a table at one of the few upscale restaurants that boast views of the bridge. Choices include Greens Restaurant, a vegetarian restaurant in Fort Mason, and The Caprice, an option in scenic Tiburon.

7. Got a four-legged friend in tow? Although you can't walk dogs across the bridge, they're welcome at Crissy Field, an active park and beach area in the Presidio with views of the iconic structure. Grab a picnic lunch in the nearby Marina neighborhood and head out for an afternoon by the water.

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A Local's Tips for Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge

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On a sunny day, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge glows an orangey-red on the backdrop of a bright blue sky. Although clear weather is no guarantee, taking in views of this impressive structure makes the short list for many trips to the Bay Area.

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Fenway Park is one of the most beloved sports stadiums in the nation, and definitely holds a special place in the heart of every Red Sox fan. Check out these lesser-known facts about Boston's favorite stadium.

Do you know any other cool facts about Fenway? Let us know!

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13 Fascinating Things You Probably Didn't Know About Fenway Park In Massachusetts

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Fenway Park is one of the most beloved sports stadiums in the nation, and definitely holds a special place in the heart of every Red Sox fan. Check out these lesser-known facts about Boston's favorite stadium. Do you know any other cool facts about Fenway? Let us know!