FAO Schwarz, Legendary Toy Store, Returns to New York Just in Time for Holidays

The line was down the block for the famed store's comeback.

FAO Schwarz reopened its doors in New York City after closing its flagship Fifth Avenue store in 2015. 

When the store closed three years ago, it was owned by Toys R Us, which declared bankruptcy and shuttered its doors in June. Since then, FAO Schwarz was purchased by a new owner and reopened at its new location at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan on Friday morning. 

Customers lined up around the block in the slush following the previous night’s snowstorm in order to be the first to enter the store. 

The two-and-a-half story store is a toy heaven for kids. 

Opening day featured a magician performing tricks, as well as the famous walking piano made popular by the 1988 Tom Hanks film “Big.” The store’s clock is also back as are the massive toy soldiers who greet you on the way in. 

The store’s objective, aside from selling toys, is to make the space an interactive experience. 

David Conn, CEO of FAO Schwarz's new parent company, ThreeSixty Group, told CNBC that the store can “deliver theater and can drive customers.” 

"We think this transcends even just toys," Conn said. "We joke around ... we were experiential before it was cool to be experiential."

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