Thousands of people will pack into Times Square on New Year’s Eve to watch the ball drop at midnight to witness the iconic moment. If you’re one of those revelers, there are a number of things to be aware of before commuting over to the “crossroads of the world.” The celebration is fre e and open to everyone on a first-come, first-served basis; no tickets are needed. When you get to Times Square, the best access points to reach the viewing areas are at 49th Street, 52nd Street and 56th Street, all from 6th and 8th avenues. Here’s the list of banned items for Wednesday night: Backpacks Large bags Umbrellas Lawn chairs or other folding chairs Picnic blankets Large coolers Alcohol Traveling around Manhattan by car? The NYPD has released its street closures to ring in the new year. On-street parking will be extremely limited in midtown Manhattan throughout the day on Wednesday, and people are advised to take mass transit. The Times Square website provides the best subway station to use to arrive on Wednesday. And maybe most important to know — there are NO portable restrooms in Times Square during the New Year’s Eve celebration. Plan ahead! More New Year's Eve New Year's Eve Dec 28 What to know about getting to and from NYC New Year's Eve fun on mass transit Holidays Dec 26 Times Square to feature patriotic ball drop for New Year's Eve, kicking off U.S.'s 250th birthday Fun facts about the New Year’s Eve ball drop To impress your guests, here are some fun facts about the famous New Year’s Eve tradition, according to the official Times Square website. The ball is 12 feet in diameter and weighs 11,875 pounds. It’s covered in more than 2,600 crystal triangles, with each sparkling pattern representing a different virtue: love, wisdom, happiness, goodwill, harmony, serenity, kindness, wonder, fortitude and imagination. The New Year’s Eve ball first fell in 1907, welcoming 1908, though Times Square celebrations began at least three years earlier. The first ball was made of iron, wood and lightbulbs. The ball was lowered every year since except for 1942 and 1943, during the wartime “dimout” of New York City, a method of defense during World War II. “Time-balls” precede the Times Square New Year’s Eve tradition. Balls have been “dropped” since at least the 1830s at England’s Royal Observatory at Greenwich, where a ball dropped at a set hour every day for captains to set their navigation tools. ...read more read less