If you’ve ever dreamed of galavanting around a closed toy store at night like Buddy the Elf, you can now make that dream a reality with an overnight stay inside Manhattan’s iconic toy store, FAO Schwarz in Rockefeller Center. Just one lucky family will have the opportunity to book a one-night stay inside the whimsical FAO Schwarz Airbnb Christmas suite decked out with plush, cozy furnishings, sugary sweets, and of course, the best toys!
Photograph Courtesy of Airbnb
Your chance to snag this opportunity comes at 12:00pm ET on December 15th. That is when the listing will go live. For just $25, four guests will have free rein of the entire 20,000-square-foot store. Whoever wins the stay will also get a shopping spree courtesy of Airbnb and a feast of FAO “schweetz.” The stay will also include a series of once-in-a-lifetime activities such as a music lesson on the store’s iconic Giant Dance On Piano, a Build-A-Bear workshop session, an opportunity to build your own remote-controlled car, and an immersive science experiment guided by an FAO Schwarz professor.
Photograph Courtesy of Airbnb
The Airbnb suite has been designed for maximum fun and holiday coziness. The bedrooms feature bunk beds with slides, giant stuffed animals, a sleigh shaped bed, and a warm fireplace. The living room boasts amazing views of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, a giant dance on piano like the one featured in Big, and a telescope for the ultimate people-watching. Toys are everywhere!
The FAO Schwarz dining room, Photograph Courtesy of Airbnb
This one-time, one-night stay will take place on December 21. A real FAO Schwarz toy soldier will remain masked and six feet apart from the group throughout. All booking rules are in strict adherence to local COVID-19 guidelines. Even if you don’t win the big prize of booking a stay, you can take part in one of FAO Schwarz’ Airbnb Online Experiences. These events include a magic lesson with FAO Schwarz’ Professor Abracadabra, a crash-course in chemistry with Professor Atlas, or a holiday book reading with an FAO Schwarz toy soldier. You can find all of the experiences here!
Nicole Saraniero is the Insider-in-Chief at Untapped New York, leading our Untapped New York Insiders membership program. Nicole graduated from Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Science in Televis
Photograph Courtesy of Airbnb