Film Shoots

Thank you for your interest in filming in Madison Square Park. One of the nation’s oldest public parks, Madison Square Park is maintained through a public/private partnership between New York City Parks & Recreation and Madison Square Park Conservancy.

Madison Square Park welcomes tens of thousands of visitors each day. In hosting film shoots our primary concerns are avoiding disruption of park visitors and assuring that no damage is done to the park.

To assure the success of your project in the park, you must abide by the following guidelines:

A film request application must be submitted below
Applications are reviewed and a Conservancy representative will contact you to review the application and, most likely, request an on-site meeting.

• Upon gaining the Conservancy’s permission to film, a permit must then be obtained in advance from the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME). The Conservancy will notify MOME of its consent. Shoots that are completely handheld (with the exception of a tripod for a camera) and do not claim exclusive use of an area not required to obtain a MOME permit.
• Film shoots should not restrict pedestrian flow. Any closing of paths or areas of the park must be approved in advance.
• Filming in the playground is prohibited.
• Flying drone is prohibited per FAA regulation.
• Filming on the hardscape areas circling the park’s two water features (fountain at south end; reflecting pool at the north end) is prohibited.
• No people or equipment are permitted in the garden beds.
• Equipment resting or being tied to fence, lamp post, bench is prohibited.
• Use of the lawns is prohibited.
• Shoots that solicit the participation of park patrons are prohibited.
• Shooting at the Shake Shack or in/near its seating area is prohibited unless permission is granted by Conservancy and Shake Shack Inc. in advance.
• No activity is permitted that may result in damage to a tree. The attaching of any object to all trees is prohibited.
• Generator trucks (or any other vehicles) are prohibited in the park.
• Remove all trash and debris. Camera and other equipment must be kept orderly.
• Vehicles are not permitted in the park for film shoots.
• Certificate of Insurance must be provided.
• A donation to the Madison Square Park Conservancy will be requested.
• Overtime or a site restoration fee will be invoiced if necessary.

Due to the high volume of inquires, please allow 3 to 5 business days to respond.