10 Giant Menorahs That Will Light Up for Hanukkah in NYC

The eight nights of Hanukkah have begun! That means menorahs all over New York City are aglow. This year, in the wake of attacks on the Jewish community abroad, menorah lighting celebrations here in New York City are shining brighter as symbols of resilience and hope. From Brooklyn to the Bronx, we’ve rounded up the most exciting giant menorahs that will light up throughout the next eight evenings.

1. Grand Army Plaza, Manhattan

The World’s Largest Menorah can be found at Manhattan’s Grand Army Plaza in front of the Plaza Hotel. Certified by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2006, the menorah stretches up 32 feet, the maximum height a menorah is allowed to be. What puts this menorah over the limit is the extended shamash, or middle candle, which brings its total height to 36 feet.

The golden menorah was designed by artist Yaakov Agam and first lit up in the 1970s. According to a sign at the site, Agam’s design was inspired by drawings created by the Rambam (Maimonides) of the original menorah in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem. It weighs a whopping 4,000 pounds and is assembled on-site every year.

2. South Street Seaport

A giant 6-foot-tall menorah made out of LEGOs was unveiled at the South Street Seaport's Pier 17. New this year, the lighting of the LEGO menorah was celebrated with LEGO workshops, yummy treats, live music, and arts and crafts.

You can also find a second site-specific menorah created for the South Street Seaport in 2022 by artist and Chasidic Rabbi, Yitzchok Moully on the Heineken Riverdeck. That 15-foot stainless steel menorah is meant to evoke the image of a ship’s sail. Moully has been creating Hanukkah-inspired art for years in different cities across the country.

3. Brooklyn Grand Army Plaza

Before the Manhattan menorah was officially designated as the world’s largest, it had a competitor at Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza. The Brooklyn menorah is the borough’s largest, topping out at the highest permissible height of 32 feet. The giant menorah towers over Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Public Library. The lighting of the menorah is accompanied by live music and hot latkes!

4. Bowling Green

The first menorah lighting at Bowling Green took place in 1997. That year, a menorah designed by Arturo DiModica, sculptor of Wall Street’s Charging Bull statue, was put on display. The menorah was made of bronze and reached 15 feet high. Real candles topped its 8 posts. Unfortunately, when the menorah was to be lit the next year, it was missing!

The lost menorah remained a mystery for over twenty years until it popped up on the auction block in Long Island in 2019. A battle over who rightly owned the menorah ensued. The original sculpture never returned to Bowling Green, but it was replaced in the early 2000s, and Hanukkah festivities continue at this historic downtown site every year!

5. New York Stock Exchange

Outside the New York Stock Exchange Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza are all represented. You’ll find the menorah and kinara tucked under the brightly lit Christmas tree on Broad Street.

6 & 7. World Trade Center

There’s not just one, but two giant menorahs at the World Trade Center! At the PATH Station, you’ll find a large white menorah lit up in partnership with the Port Authority WTC and Bris Avrohom of Hillside, New Jersey. This glowing symbol of the Jewish holiday debuted in 2019.

Another giant menorah at the World Trade Center pays homage to the Twin Towers. Designed by Michael and Bonnie Berkowicz, the menorah features a piece of structural steel from the towers. You can see the menorah inside the Oculus, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, designed by Santiago Calatrava.

You can see another exciting example of Calatrava’s work at the nearby St. Nicholas Church. The original structure of this Greek Orthodox congregation was destroyed in the 9/11 attacks.

8. Gantry Plaza State Park

The Gantry Plaza State Park menorah might have the best view of all New York City’s giant menorahs! Located along the East River in the Hunters Point section of Long Island City, the giant illuminated menorah stands in front of a stunning view of the midtown Manhattan skyline. This year, the final night of Hanukkah will be celebrated with a gelt drop and acrobatic performances. Find more menorahs in Queens here!

9. Bell Monument in Riverdale

Under the shadow of the historic Bell Monument in Riverdale in the Bronx, a giant menorah will be set aglow. Of course, there will be donuts, latkes, and live music!

10. Bryant Park

Chabad of Midtown will light multiple large menorahs around Manhattan over the next eight nights. There is one in Bryant Park, one in Times Square, and a giant one made of ice in Pershing Square near Grand Central Terminal. You can see the full list of locations here.