Sixty-five years ago, in 1946, the first Macy's Flower Show began as a fragrance festival at the Union Square store in San Francisco. Since then, the Union Square store has celebrated Flower Show every year.
In 1953, the Macy's Flower Show made its debut at Herald Square in New York City. The show consisted of fresh floral bouquets on display throughout the store.
Due to the rising cost of maintaining cut flowers, Macy's Herald Square made the decision to stop doing the Flower Show after the 1966 show.
In 1974, the Macy's Flower Show returned to Herald Square, with the live garden setting design that's still used today. Potted flowers and plants were used, which stay in bloom longer and are more cost-effective than cut flowers.
Since 1974, the Flower Show has only been staged on the Main Floor in the Herald Square store.
From 1974-1979, the Flower Show consisted mainly of spring flowers, such as roses, tulips and daffodils.
In 1980, the Macy's Flower Show created specialty gardens, such as the Orchid Garden and the East Asian Garden, which utilized flowers and plant material from all over the world. By 1990, there were seven specialty gardens in the Macy's Flower Show.
The Broadway Entrance into the Herald Square Flower Show has seen many different treatments over the years. In the 1970s, beautiful fountains greeted customers entering through the Broadway doors. In the 1980s, gazebos were used. In the 1990s, Estate Gates with small gardens were on display. In 2002, Robin Hall, SVP of Macy's Events, decided the entry treatment should go with the theme of the show. That year, a hand-planted, topiary globe represented "A World Of Flowers," and since that time, a mythical, topiary fish (complete with koi pond below it), a beehive and a replica of the Macy's Herald Square building (made out of organic materials) have graced the Broadway entrance.
The Macy's Flower Show has been the host of many special events over the years. In 1989 and 1990, the Daytime Emmy nominations were announced live from the Macy's Flower Show. Audrey Hepburn opened the 1990 Flower Show. From 1991-1994, the "Today Show" broadcast live from the Macy's Flower Show.
