Hidden above the crowds of Times Square is an experience that most visitors don’t even know exists.
A few days before New Year’s Eve, I stepped inside One Times Square to see New York City’s brand-new Constellation Ball up close.
When most people think about New Year’s Eve in New York City, they think about the famous ball drop. What many people don’t realize is that in 2025, Times Square unveiled an entirely new ball design for the first time in nearly two decades.
As someone who has spent multiple New Year’s Eves celebrating in Times Square, I was curious to see whether the replacement for the iconic crystal ball would live up to expectations.
A few days before the new year, I traveled into Manhattan with my sister Tiffany and her boyfriend to do something I’ve never done before: step inside One Times Square and see New York City’s brand-new Constellation Ball for myself.
The previous crystal ball was iconic. For years, it had been featured on television screens around the world as millions of people counted down to midnight.
I had so many memories associated with that famous triangular patterned ball that my immediate reaction to hearing about its replacement was a sense of disappointment.
The new ball was announced on November 25, 2025. In the days and weeks that followed, more information about the new ball began to emerge.
Known as the “Constellation Ball“, this new version introduced in 2025 features thousands of circular Waterford crystals in varying sizes, creating a much more vibrant and animated appearance than its predecessor which had triangular shaped crystals introduced back in 1999. Not only is it brighter and more colorful, but it transforms the ball from a simple symbol into something of an experience.
This is now the ninth Ball to be the focal point of the annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop Celebration. It measures 12.5 feet in diameter and weighs 12,350 pounds, with 5,280 crystals and LED light pucks. The Ball also features new modernized technology, with state-of-the-art lighting, motion, and control system, as well as a new signature sound and interactive capabilities. Its real-time audio system creates reactive and generative designs based on music or other audio input.
The crystals themselves are particularly interesting. Each year, their decorative caps are replaced with a new design representing the coming year. The retired crystals are then made available for purchase, allowing visitors to own an actual piece of New Year’s Eve history. (More on this later!)
A couple of days before New Year’s Eve, on December 29th, the three of us made our way into Manhattan and headed to One Times Square.
The tickets were easy to purchase online, and I actually bought mine just a few hours before our visit, that same day. It cost just over $50.00 for a single ticket.
Once inside, we made our way up to the observation deck overlooking Times Square: the Times Square Skywalk.
I was blown away.
It felt strange seeing Times Square from the opposite perspective. Normally, you’re standing on the street looking up at the ball. That’s exactly how I had spent the prior two New Year’s Eves: one time viewing it from Olive Garden and another time from Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.! Here, I was standing so close to the new Constellation Ball and looking out across one of the most famous intersections on Earth.
In that moment, a feeling rushed over me.
The world loves New York City.
I love New York City.
People travel from every corner of the globe just to experience Times Square. Looking out over the lights, billboards, and crowds below, it was hard not to feel like you were on top of the world.
One thing that immediately caught my attention was Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., visible from high above the square. Just a few days later, I would be back in Times Square celebrating New Year’s Eve there with my sister and parents. Seeing it from the observation deck made the upcoming celebration feel even more real, and I found myself getting excited about what was still to come.
Watch this video to see a different perspective of just how close Bubba Gump Shrimp truly is to the Ball Drop!
For your comparison, I also show the location of Olive Garden.
From up there, the three of us spent some time exploring the observation areas and looking down at the city below.
We even spotted Ryan Seacrest during a live broadcast!
It was around that time we began to make a slightly disappointing discovery.
Because it was only a day or two before New Year’s Eve, visitors were no longer allowed to get close to the ball itself. I’m not sure whether crews were actively preparing it for the celebration or whether access was simply restricted as the event approached due to heightened security, but either way, that part was a letdown…. ☹️
After all, we had specifically gone there to see the brand-new ball up close…
So if you’re thinking of trying this experience in the future, keep the timing of your visit in mind. If you want to see the ball, don’t schedule it too close to New Year’s Eve or you’ll risk having access to that area restricted, like it was for us. ⚠️
Thankfully, we could still view it through a nearby window, which was closer than I had ever been to it before. Still, it wasn’t quite what I expected since all of the promotional photos showed visitors standing directly in front of it, practically touching it and unscrewing caps for purchase with their own hands. That was definitely a very bold “Expectations vs Reality” moment for us when we finally grasped that our visit was going to be VERY different from what we thought we were getting.
Still, it’s understandable that they’d need to maybe perform maintenance/tests and also protect one of the world’s most iconic symbols just day’s before its big debut.
Regardless, our tickets still included plenty of other things to enjoy: insane views of the city below, photo ops with the giant 2026 numerals, and confetti (you should all know by now how much I love confetti.)
After soaking in the views from every side of the building, we were absolutely freezing (we went on one of the coldest days of the year!) so we headed back inside and lined up for photos with the giant “2026” (26) numerals displayed inside.
That photo opportunity felt special too.
Those numbers only exist for a brief moment before becoming part of history. Standing beside them just days before the start of a new year made the approaching celebration feel real in a way it hadn’t before.
After taking photos of one another, we wandered over to a small souvenir display.
That’s when Tiffany’s boyfriend surprised her by purchasing one of the retired crystals from the ball.
The 2025 Infinite Edition Waterford Crystals, which came in 3 different sizes, included: “Infinite Joy,” “Infinite Light,” and “Infinite Beginnings.”
Here’s how the crystals were priced in 2025:
Infinity Joy (4 inches) – $150
Infinite Light (3 inches) – $125
Infinite Beginnings (1.5 inches) – $50
I was so happy for her.
Since the crystals are taken from the ball itself, they’re all inherently limited edition as there’s a fixed number of each of spots on the ball for each size, and they’re replaced annually with a new design.
- Number of 1.5 inch Infinite Beginnings crystals: 1,020
- Number of 3 inch Infinite Light crystals: 2,840
- Number of 4 inch Infinite Joy crystals: 1,420
Out of all the souvenirs you can buy in New York City, owning an actual piece of the Times Square Ball has to be one of the most unique. She now owns a limited-edition crystal from the first year the new Constellation Ball made its debut. That’s so awesome!
That’s got to be good luck or something, right?
Visitors could choose from several crystal sizes as well as different display options, including a cloth pouch or a wooden presentation box.
Tiffany chose the wooden box.
By the time we left, the whole experience had made the upcoming holiday feel much closer.
The countdown wasn’t something happening in the future anymore. It felt like New Year’s Eve had already begun.
Times Square was already coming alive.
The energy was building, the excitement was growing, and the city was preparing for one of its biggest nights of the year.
So, have you ever seen the New Year’s Eve Ball up close?
Is visiting One Times Square something you would consider doing?
If you’ve been, I’d love to hear about your experience.
