A few years ago, I was browsing the merch from Saturday Night Live at Rockefeller Center’s The Shop at NBC Studios when an oddity caught my eye. At first glance, I thought it was crumpled-up packaging tossed into a tray from restocking memorabilia. But there was an intriguing ickiness to the six concentric circles with salmon-colored centers surrounded by little kernels of white foam.

Taking a step back, I gasped. I couldn’t believe what I was standing in front of. It was the (in)famous namesake for “Airport Sushi,” the 2020 John Mulaney-fronted musical pitting LaGuardia against Broadway hits. At that moment, I realized this store on the ground floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza was so much more than just a place to buy products from favorite NBC shows; it also doubles as a museum that has props and costumes sprinkled throughout.

Over the years, I’ve ended up coming to The Shop on Saturday nights to queue up for the SNL standby line, as well as exiting into it after tapings of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers. It’s also the meeting spot for The Tour at NBC Studios, which I’ve gone on a couple of times as well.

The Shop at NBC Studios has an important role: It greets visitors right inside the Sixth Avenue entrance and serves as the ultimate fan hub for all things NBCUniversal. Here’s what you can expect inside.

Find Merch from Your Favorite NBC Show

Going inside 30 Rockefeller Center is already like being inside a piece of television history. Since 1933, this has been home to NBC Operations, called a “world center” when a 10-story, 40,000-square-foot studio was built inside. Iconic shows like Howdy Doody and Kraft Television Theater were filmed here in 1947, with Today joining in 1952, The Tonight Show in 1957, SNL in 1975, and Late Night in 2014.

Merch from all four of those on-air shows is available at The Shop, from the Today Vintage Tee and the Tonight Show Big Apple Tee to the SNL51 Crewneck, and the Corrections Mug (that one’s for you, Jackals!). You’ll even find a selection of books written by NBC stars—like Jimmy Fallon’s picture book Papa Doesn’t Do Anything! and Colin Jost’s memoir, A Very Punchable Face.

Since NBC’s legacy stretches far beyond the shows filmed at Rockefeller Center, the store is also stocked with goodies from the network’s biggest hits over the decades—like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Friends, Law & Order, Parks and Recreation, The Golden Girls, and The Office. (Note to self: Add Friends Clue, Parks & Rec Monopoly, and The Office Guess Who to my holiday game night wish list.)

Plus, look for limited-edition items, like the weekly SNL concert tees featuring the name of the host and musical guest during its season. I even managed to snag a commemorative SNL golden ticket during its 50th season, which was engraved on the spot. Collector’s items, like personalizable and signed products, may even be available, so keep an eye out for merch drops.

Hot tip: Studio audience members, tour guests, and those attending an activation will get a 10% off card for The Shop.

Explore the Gateway to NBC Studios

Beyond the merch, The Shop at NBC Studios itself also serves as the actual gateway to the studios. Those looking to try their chances at a last-minute seat for the live audience shows can pick up standby cards in The Shop that will indicate their place in line. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and The Kelly Clarkson Show hand out cards starting at 8am on show days. The SNL process requires a virtual line on Thursday and an outdoor line on Friday, before lining up at The Shop on Saturday. Due to an always-evolving production schedule, be sure to check 1iota.com for exact filming dates for The Kelly Clarkson Show, Late Night, and The Tonight Show.

Standby audience members line up in the back left corner of The Shop from Sixth Avenue, and then are escorted through a back door and a security check before heading up the stairs and into the main lobby, as NBC Pages fill in empty seats from this group.

For those who don’t want to take their chances, there’s also The Tour at NBC Studios, which offers visitors a behind-the-scenes guided tour most days of the week, pending production schedules. Pre-booking is recommended, and general admission tickets are $48. Tickets for children 8 to 17, seniors 65 and older, and military personnel are $42, plus tax. (Even SNL’s Bowen Yang took the tour years before he joined the show.)

With all of these being hot sets, no two tours are the same. Typically, each lasts about 75 to 90 minutes, and will include a chance to step inside the studios of shows that aren’t filming that day. I’ve been on the tour twice, and our group went into SNL’s Studio 8H, Late Night’s Studio 8G, The Tonight Show’s 6B, and The Kelly Clarkson Show in 6A.

Meet the Stars

Not only is The Shop at NBC Studios a gateway to the shows, but it’s itself a celebrity hotspot. This summer, a pop-up Love Island photo booth offers free digital photos. I took my nieces, and they both posed like little pros on the exact wicker couch that Taylor Williams and Clarke Carraway also took pics on.

Other recent events have included book signings with Savannah Guthrie, Giggly Squad duo Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo, and the one and only Kenan Thompson.

Earlier this year, there were also events with SNL crew members, like photographer Mary Ellen Matthews and costume designer Tom Broecker, that provided behind-the-scenes insight into the show’s five-decade legacy. Even the Vince Lombardi trophy made an appearance earlier this month. Most recently, the cast of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale also stopped by for a meet & greet with excited fans.

But really, there’s always a reason to pop into The Shop. Right in the center, you’ll spot two mannequins dressed in a series of rotating iconic costumes. I’ve seen Kenan Thompson’s “Diner Lobster” claw-y jacket, Tom Hanks’ David S. Pumpkins suit, and even Will Ferrell’s “More Cowbell” V-neck top, jeans, and belt buckle. Jimmy Fallon’s suit from when he played Harry Styles, as well as the dress he wore for a John Legend and Ariana Grande Lip-Sync Battle, have also been on display.