Today, FAO Schwarz opened the doors of its new flagship location in New York City. The toy store spans two and a half levels with more than 20,000 square feet of signature toys, interactive experiences, and shops.
The store hosted a grand opening event Thursday night, with guests including Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, Whoopi Goldberg, Bethenny Frankel, and more. This morning, the store opened to the public following an official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The new store, designed by Chute Gerdeman, capitalizes on the Art Deco architecture of its new home but also amplifies memories of FAO experiences from years past. FAO Schwarz toy soldiers stand outside of the 49th street entrance, outfitted in new uniforms designed by international supermodel Gigi Hadid.
The Rockefeller Plaza entrance features a 27-foot tall rocket ship, sponsored by Build-A-Bear. At the 49th Street entrance, guests can see FAO’s iconic three-story, three-dimensional clock tower. Past the entrances, the store includes 200 FAO Schwarz-branded toys as well as products from more than 15 toy brands.
The famous FAO Schwarz dance-on piano, sponsored by Hape, is located on the second floor. The new piano is reflected on the ceiling above, as professional piano dancers perform shows throughout the year and teach visitors of all ages and skill levels how to dance and play songs.
The store also houses a variety of in-store experiences, including the FAO Raceway, where shoppers can work alongside trained mechanics to build R/C cars piece-by-piece. There is also an FAO Schwarz Baby Doll Adoption Experience and FAO Schweetz, with more than 2,150 square feel of candy installations operated by candy retailer IT’SUGAR.
Additional one-of-a-kind experiences and other retail partners include an Alex Spa (Alex Toys), Cricket Island (Bunnies By The Bay), Build-A-Bear Workshop, Discovery #mindblown (Discovery Toys), Hape Music, Hasbro, Marvin’s Magic, Barbie/Mattel, Melissa & Doug, Ravensburger/BRIO, Steiff, and Swarovski.
FAO Schwarz will have over 140 hand-picked employees. Personal Shoppers are also on hand, and there will be events and additional programming in 2019.
