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A visit to NBC is a fantastic way to spend some time in New York City, especially if want to see the studios and get a look behind the scenes. The NBC Tour is really cool and you get to see studios that aren't in use, like Conan O' Brien and Saturday Night Live. It is a fun and informative tour. You can also try to be an audience member by doing standby for the shows that day or call in advance to get free tickets(Conan books about 6 months in advance). It is pretty common to see famous celebs in the lobby, so be on the lookout if you are interested in that. And check out the Studio Store as well, it is fun to browse in- prices are expensive. more

The NBC Studio tour is interesting. You get to see the sets if they are not taping at the time of your tour. On my tour saw the Saturday Night Live studio, Conan O’Brien studio, and a few other studios. You also learn facts on the tour. For example, the Saturday Night Live studio was a sound stage built with the correct acoustics for an orchestra. Bands playing on the show should sound really good because of this. The NBC experience store has overpriced souvenirs that have NBC associated logos on them. Sometimes you can be lucky enough to catch a sale where the prices are cut down to decent prices. HDTVs are scattered throughout the store and you can see how real the images look. On the top floor you can pretend to do the weather or go on a wild desk ride with Conan via blue screen technology. You can call in for Conan tickets by calling (212) 664-3056. Tickets are usually booked two months in advanced. I recently went to a taping and enjoyed it very much. The ticket process is very smooth. After you call in for tickets you get a confirmation email. On the day of the taping come to the studio around 3pm and show the NBC page your email. You will get your tickets and do not need to return to the studio until 4:15pm -4:25pm. Tickets are numbered according to when you picked them up from the page, so you don’t have to worry about losing your spot. After that you go through metal detectors and go up to the studio. Depending on the day or things being promoted on the show you may get free stuff. I was lucky enough to get a free Conan O’Brien Show T-Shirt on the day I went. January is the best time to get tickets since tourism is down at that time. If you wander around Rockefeller Center at that time you probably will come across several NBC pages trying to convince people to be an audience member in a particular show. One time I saw three shows in one day! more

The studio tour of NBC is fun and educational. You can see the sets where many of the daytime talk shows are taped. You can also see some of the history of the network here- from historic artifacts to interesting stories. The studio tour is cheap enough- about $10/person. My favorite thing about here though is the chance you can have to see a taping- I sent away for tickets to Conan O'brien's late night show and went with a couple of my friends to see this for free. It was definitely a fun experience- and stand by tickets for current tapings are available the days of most shows. Fun! more

OK, it's a bit pricy, but this is NYC and you just have to experience TV and it's history, because it's what makes NYC Unique. I've been on this tour a number of times over the years. The tour guides will take you through the current studios, mostly the ones that are not in use at the moment, and will walk you through the TV experience, showing you slices of history, memorabilia and you might even catch a glimpse of a famous personality wandering the halls! The store is very pricy, always have been and unless you are really going the full tourist thing here, you may want to pass. But do ask at the desk for what shows may have tickets available for that day, or do yourself a favor and write ahead to your favorite show for tickets to tapings so you can emerse yourself in the full TV land experience. A good look at TV studio land and another great NYC experience. more

It is actually fun to walk into the NBC store and look around once, but there's really nothing anyone would really want to buy. $13 mugs, $30 t-shirts with a huge picture of Screech from Saved by the Bell, and other similar tools to make the average tourist look like a walking TV advertisement are all there. Skip the store and get tickets to Conan O'Brien. more

At NBC studios you can get a unique behind the scenes tour for under $20. The tour lasts a bit over an hour. You get to see the studio where they film Saturday Night Live. You also get to see soundstages for news programs. While you're there you may also see famous people or be invited to a taping. After the tour, you can find all sorts of gifts to buy featuring your favorite NBC tv shows and actors. If you go to the city, absolutely put this on your list of things to do. more