Conde Nast Traveler:

Thanks to a virtual tour created by Google, you can revel in the best of Fifth Avenue’s festive store displays without even leaving your couch, courtesy of its ‘Window Wonderland’ experience.

The tradition of New York’s department stores competing for the best Christmas windows goes back some 150 years, with Macy’s kicking it all off when it realized that it could lure in more customers with an extravagant display. Naturally, other establishments quickly followed suit, and nowadays, every brand from Ralph Lauren to Barney’s decks out their halls (er, windows), with millions of tourists flocking to New York each year to admire the scenes. In a very 2016 spin on the annual festivities, Google has stitched together hundreds upon hundreds of images that capture 18 of Manhattan’s best decorated storefronts, in turn creating a panoramic experience (consider it a more sophisticated version of its street view feature) that can be viewed via your phone, tablet, computer or even virtual reality headset by simply going to the website.

I’ve known about these Christmas windows since I was a kid in Nova Scotia so I loved going to them when I lived near New York City. There’s nothing like seeing them in person but this site is the next best thing.