Roto, a leading planning & design-build firm, has designed and built a series of exhibits for Times Travel, a new immersive experience at One Times Square that explores the history of both Times Square and the New Year’s Eve Ball.
First constructed as New York Times' headquarters in 1904, One Times Square has hosted the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball Drop Celebration since 1907.
In its latest transformation, building owner Jamestown, an international real estate investment manager, has reimagined the property as a contemporary destination for entertainment, technology, history, and art.
The experience includes the Times Square Skywalk, which offers panoramic river-to-river viewsImage courtesy of Roto
Drawing on its extensive creative and engineering experience, Roto was appointed in 2024 to serve as exhibit designer and builder for Times Travel, alongside BHVR, which led content and design.
Joseph Wisne, founding partner and chief creative officer of Roto, says: "Most people will never stand in Times Square when the New Year’s Eve Ball drops.
"Our goal for TimesTravel was to close that gap, to give visitors the same rush, the same hope for what's ahead, that a million strangers feel together every New Year's Eve."
Delfin Ortiz, general manager of One Times Square, says: "Roto has been an important partner in bringing our vision for Times Travel to life.
"Their experience in creating immersive attractions allowed us to transform more than a century of history at One Times Square into something visitors can actually step into and experience.
"From the evolution of Times Square to the energy and excitement of New Year’s Eve, Roto helped us create an experience that makes this iconic building and its history accessible in an entirely new way."
Visitors can experience the New Year's Eve Ball Drop Celebration in The Eternal Midnight exhibitImage courtesy of Roto
Journey through time
Highlight exhibits include the Cellar Crystal Core, which uses a mix of motion-activated photo portals and virtual storytelling to share 'memories' of One Times Square, while in the Times Machine, a tech-enabled glass elevator offers a high-speed journey through Times Square's history.
With the Building One Times Square exhibit, visitors can experience the construction of One Times Square from the perspective of Adolph Ochs, its first owner, and the workers who made the 26-storey building.
Then, in An Airship Above Manhattan, they can soar above the city and see the sights of the 1930's, and in Decades of Change, take a virtual taxi through the history of Broadway.
The Eternal Midnight exhibit presents the New Year's Eve Ball Drop from both the viewpoint of partygoers from the past century and a virtual zipline through Times Square.
The 'Big Ball' originally weighed 11,875 pounds and was used from 2008 to 2025
Image courtesy of Roto
Visitors can see a replica of the original 1907 Ball and the recently retired 'Big Ball' that was in service from 2008 to 2025. As this 12-foot-wide icon was too big to display, Roto cut it down to a quarter of its original size and surrounded it with mirrors to evoke its full splendour.
Eternal Midnight also includes the Confetti Wishbox. Here, guests write a wish for the coming year on a piece of confetti, which is added to a swirling exhibit that recreates the look and feel of confetti falling.
The experience finishes with the Times Square Skywalk, a 360-degree viewing deck with river-to-river views, and a glass walkway 19 storeys above the Times Square plazas.
Roto's approach to Times Travel reflects the ethos behind Prototype: The Experimental Museum in Ohio, where new exhibition technology is developed, and visitors help shape future innovations.
The experience includes LED screens from SNA Displays, supplier of One Times Square's exterior LED displays, and AV design and integration from Synapse.
Last month, Roto was named among Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2026.
