Which New York City landmark drops a ball during the Times Square New Year's Eve countdown?

One Times Square is the New York City landmark that drops the ball during the Times Square New Year's Eve countdown.

The building was constructed as the headquarters of The New York Times and originally became known as the Times Building. It stands at the intersection commonly called Times Square, where Broadway and Seventh Avenue meet in Midtown Manhattan. The building's prominent position made its roof ideal for the original 1907 ball-drop event.

The ball is lowered from a flagpole near the top of One Times Square shortly before midnight. The building itself has changed uses and undergone redevelopment, but its role in the annual ceremony has remained central. Large electronic billboards now surround it, creating the bright setting associated with the broadcast.

The nearby square is not the same thing as the building. Times Square is a public commercial district, while One Times Square is the specific structure from which the ball descends. This distinction explains why descriptions that simply say “Times Square drops the ball” are convenient but less precise.