How to Get to the Ghostbusters Firehouse from Times Square (And the Wrong Way We Did It First)
Let me paint you a picture. Jude and I step off the subway, phones in hand, and immediately get an alert about a shooting. We come up the stairs and it is right across the street – police already there, body covered. Around us, everyone is just walking past like it is a Tuesday. Because in that part of New York, apparently it is. We quietly walk an extra block to go around it, hearts a little pounding, and look at each other like – okay. We have also gotten off at completely the wrong stop.
We had gotten off at the wrong stop.
This is the story of how we eventually found the Ghostbusters firehouse, why I am telling you to take the 1 train and get off at Franklin Street, and why Canal Street – while genuinely a New York experience in its own right – is not where you want to start your Ghostbusters pilgrimage.
First, What IS the Ghostbusters Firehouse?
If you are a Ghostbusters fan, you already know. But just in case: Hook and Ladder Company 8 is a real, fully functioning FDNY fire station located at 14 North Moore Street at its intersection with Varick Street in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan. It was used as the exterior of the Ghostbusters headquarters in the 1984 film – chosen, reportedly, because writer and actor Dan Aykroyd knew and loved the area. The building was built in 1903 in the Beaux-Arts style, and it is absolutely gorgeous in person. The Ghostbusters logo is painted on the sidewalk out front. The full-size Ghostbusters sign hangs above the main entrance. Real firefighters work inside. It is one of those places that genuinely delivers on the hype.
We had to go. We are those people.
The Wrong Way: Canal Street (A.K.A. How We Ended Up in the Fake Purse Zone)
Okay so when Google Maps said to take the subway downtown, we did not look closely enough at which stop to get off at, and we ended up at Canal Street instead of Franklin Street. These are only one stop apart on the 1 train but they are very different vibes.
Canal Street, if you have never been, is famous for one very specific thing: it has become notorious as a destination for tourists to visit shops selling counterfeit designer goods – fake Gucci, fake Louis Vuitton, fake Prada – at a fraction of the retail price. Vendors with bags draped up their arms, people whispering brand names at you as you walk by, absolute hustle energy, and a lot of people all at once. It is loud and chaotic and actually kind of fascinating in a “this is very New York” way – but it was not what we were expecting when we came up out of the subway aiming for a beautiful Tribeca street and a beloved movie landmark.
And then, literally as we stepped off the subway, our phones buzzed with an alert about a shooting. We came up the stairs and it was right across the street from where we exited – police already there, body covered. We walked one extra block down to go around it and stay out of the way, and honestly the most surreal part was that it was completely business as usual for everyone around us. People just walking past, going about their day, nobody stopping. Very New York in a way that is hard to explain until you experience it.
I am not going to be dramatic and I am not trying to fearmonger – we were fine, we just quietly walked around it – but I also want to be honest that it happened because that is what this blog is. Real trips, real moments, not just the pretty parts. We collected ourselves, kept walking, and headed toward Tribeca, and as soon as we did the neighborhood completely transformed.
And that is the thing about New York that still gets me – the way it can change block by block. Within a few minutes of walking we went from the full Canal Street chaos to the beautiful, quiet, cobblestone streets of Tribeca, with its cast-iron buildings and independent restaurants and the kind of architectural beauty that makes you understand why people love this city so fiercely. It was stunning. And then we turned onto North Moore Street and saw the firehouse.
The Right Way: Take the 1 Train to Franklin Street
So here is the actual correct way to do this trip from the Hyatt in Times Square, which is right at Times Square and connected directly to the subway:
Step 1: Head to the Times Square-42nd Street subway station. From the Hyatt Regency at Times Square, it is a very short walk – the station entrance is right there on 42nd Street.
Step 2: Take the 1 train downtown (toward South Ferry). This is important – you want the 1 train specifically, not the 2 or 3 which are express trains that skip some stops.
Step 3: Ride it for about 8 stops and get off at Franklin Street. The whole ride is around 13 minutes and costs $3.25. Do not get off at Canal Street – that is one stop too early and that is how you end up in the fake purse zone when you wanted Tribeca.
Step 4: Exit at Franklin Street and walk about 2 minutes. The firehouse is literally right there – exit toward Varick Street, turn right onto North Moore Street, and you will see it. There are even part-time high-exit turnstiles one block north at both corners of Varick and North Moore Streets, which essentially deposits you steps from the firehouse.
Google Maps will confirm all of this – just type in “Hook and Ladder 8” or “Ghostbusters Firehouse NYC” and set it to transit mode. It will say 1 train, Franklin Street, 13 minutes. That is the one. Screenshot it before you go underground as always.
What to Expect When You Get There
The firehouse is still a fully active FDNY station, so visitors are not allowed inside – but the exterior is the whole point anyway, and the firefighters often open the doors allowing fans to see inside when they are not on a call.
What you will definitely see: the iconic red doors, the Ghostbusters logo painted on the sidewalk, and the full-size Ghostbusters sign donated by fans that now hangs prominently above the main entrance year-round. The Beaux-Arts facade is gorgeous and immediately recognizable if you have seen the films. The whole thing is smaller than you might expect from the movies, but in the best way – it feels intimate and real and very much like a New York neighborhood firehouse that happens to be one of the most iconic buildings in cinema history.
If you get lucky timing-wise and the crew is around and not on a call, they sometimes allow fans in to look around. You can purchase t-shirts and patches from the firefighters if they are available inside – there is no guaranteed gift shop situation, so if buying merchandise matters to you, just know it depends on whether the crew is around. If they are not, the nearest FDNY official store is near Rockefeller Center.
Worth knowing: Taylor Swift owns her Tribeca penthouse and townhouse at 155 and 153 Franklin Street – literally the same street you walk up from the subway, and 90 Bedford Street – the iconic Friends apartment building exterior – is also nearby. So if you are doing a pop culture tour of lower Manhattan, this area is genuinely loaded.
The Neighborhood: Tribeca Is Worth Your Time
One thing we did not expect was how much we would love just walking around Tribeca after seeing the firehouse. This is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Manhattan – cobblestone streets, gorgeous cast-iron and brick architecture, tree-lined blocks, excellent restaurants, and a general vibe of “very expensive but in an understated way.” It is nothing like Times Square, which after a few days can start to feel like a lot. Tribeca feels like a breath of fresh air.
If you have the time, wander for a bit after you get your firehouse photos. Grab a coffee, walk down to Hudson Street, explore a little. It is the kind of neighborhood where you end up taking approximately 40 more photos than you planned to because everything looks like a movie set – which, in the case of North Moore Street specifically, it literally is.
On the Way Back
We figured this out on the return trip and it made everything easier: rather than walking back to Franklin Street, look for the 1 train entrance at Varick and North Moore Street, which is basically right outside the firehouse. Tap your card, hop on the 1 train going uptown, ride it back to Times Square. Door to door it is maybe 15 minutes and $3.25. No Uber required.
The whole roundtrip cost us $6.50 each. Keep that in your back pocket for the next time someone tells you NYC is too expensive to get around.
Quick Summary: Times Square Hyatt to Ghostbusters Firehouse
- Train: 1 train downtown from Times Square-42nd Street
- Stop: Franklin Street – NOT Canal Street (one stop too early)
- Travel time: About 13 minutes
- Cost: $3.25 each way
- Walk from station: About 2 minutes to 14 North Moore Street
- Neighborhood: Tribeca – gorgeous, walkable, very worth exploring
- What to bring: Camera, some cash if you want merchandise, and a willingness to feel like a tourist in the absolute best way
The JB Roams Way: Our Final Take
The Ghostbusters firehouse is genuinely worth making the trip for, even if you are not a superfan. It is one of those NYC landmarks that delivers in person – the building is beautiful, the neighborhood is stunning, and standing on that sidewalk with the Ghostbusters logo under your feet and the sign above the door is one of those full-circle movie moments that just gets you.
Take the 1 train. Get off at Franklin Street. Walk two minutes. That is it.
And if you do somehow end up at Canal Street first – look, it is not the end of the world. Keep walking toward Tribeca. The neighborhood gets beautiful fast. We promise.
That is the JB Roams way.
FAQ: Getting to the Ghostbusters Firehouse from Times Square
What subway goes to the Ghostbusters firehouse in NYC? Take the 1 train downtown from Times Square-42nd Street and get off at Franklin Street. It is about 13 minutes and $3.25. Walk two minutes toward Varick Street and North Moore Street and you are there.
What station is closest to Hook and Ladder 8? Franklin Street on the 1 train is the closest and most convenient station. It puts you about a 2-minute walk from the firehouse at 14 North Moore Street in Tribeca.
Can you go inside the Ghostbusters firehouse? It is an active FDNY firehouse so you cannot just walk in, but the firefighters sometimes open the doors for fans when they are not on a call. The exterior – the Ghostbusters sign, the red doors, the logo on the sidewalk – is the main attraction and totally accessible.
Can you buy Ghostbusters merchandise at Hook and Ladder 8? Sometimes. If the crew is available they sell t-shirts and patches. There is no guaranteed gift shop or set hours for merchandise, so it depends on the day. If they are not selling, the FDNY official store near Rockefeller Center is your best bet.
Is Tribeca safe to visit? Yes, Tribeca is one of the safest and most upscale neighborhoods in Manhattan. It is quiet, beautiful, and very walkable.
What is near the Ghostbusters firehouse? Tribeca itself is gorgeous and worth exploring. Taylor Swift’s Tribeca penthouse and townhouse are at 155 and 153 Franklin Street – the exact street you walk up from the subway station, and the Friends apartment building exterior is at 90 Bedford Street – making this area a solid pop culture walking tour all on its own.
Hook and Ladder Company 8 | 14 North Moore Street, New York, NY 10013 | Active FDNY firehouse – exterior visits welcome | Nearest subway: Franklin Street (1 train)
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