If you've ever seen a photo of Times Square, you've seen TKTS — the glowing red glass staircase at Father Duffy Square, with a line of people snaking out from underneath it. Under those steps is a little box office that has been quietly saving theatergoers money since 1973.
Who runs it
TKTS is operated by the Theatre Development Fund (TDF), a nonprofit whose whole mission is getting more people into theater seats. That's an important detail: TKTS isn't a reseller flipping tickets for profit. It's the official, show-sanctioned way to sell same-day inventory that would otherwise go empty — which is why the discounts are legit and why producers are happy to put tickets there.
What "same-day" means
The deal at TKTS is simple: shows hand over unsold seats for that day's performances, and the booth sells them at 20% to 50% off. Because it's same-day, the board is a live snapshot of what didn't sell — which makes it a fascinating read. A show that's always on the board is telling you something about its demand; a show that never appears is a genuine hot ticket. We've been recording that board every day, so you can browse the TKTS price history and see the patterns for yourself.
Where the booths are
There are two you'll care about:
- Times Square — the famous one, with the most shows and the longest (but fastest-moving) line.
- Lincoln Center — a calmer, often overlooked spot uptown with shorter lines for the same discounts.
Hours shift with the show calendar — matinee tickets go on sale earlier on two-show days. We keep a live open/closed status and the addresses on The Booth page.
How to read the board like a local
The board lists each available show with its discount percentage. A few habits that help:
- Have a few backups. Your dream show might not be discounted today, but three others you'd happily see will be.
- Plays are your friend. Straight plays and star vehicles discount more often than the family-friendly mega-musicals.
- Midweek wins. Tuesday–Thursday and slow weeks mean a fuller board and deeper cuts. (More on that in how to get cheap Broadway tickets.)
The bottom line
TKTS is the most dependable discount in town: no lottery luck required, no shady middleman, just up to half off a seat that was going to sit empty anyway. Pair it with a quick check of our price history beforehand and you'll walk up to that red staircase knowing exactly what to expect.