‘Good Morning America’ Says Goodbye to Times Square Studio After 26 Years

That’s a wrap on Good Morning America‘s tenure in Times Square!

On Friday, June 13, the popular morning show aired its final episode in its home studio of nearly 26 years. When it returns to air, it will do so from a new home in the Robert A. Iger building, which is Walt Disney Company’s new New York City headquarters at 7 Hudson Square.

To mark the occasion, the team lined up an exciting final show featuring an appearance from Alicia Keys and a performance from the cast of her Broadway show Hell’s Kitchen.

“It’s a celebration,” Keys said about the opportunity to appear on the show again for what GMA co-anchor Lara Spencer referred to as GMA‘s “last bow” in Times Square. The cast of Hell’s Kitchen belted out a medley of classic hits “Girl on Fire” and “No One,” delivering vocals and emotions.

The anchors also featured some segments exploring the new area in Manhattan that will become their home away from home.

As a surprise, they organized a special goodbye to stagehand and prop master Gary Minor, who is retiring. The group was joined onstage by Minor’s family and fellow crew members for an emotional moment.

Minor returend the favor by gifting the anchors with bobbleheads modeled after him.

The move comes just a few months shy of the show’s 26th anniversary in Times Square. The first episode from inside the iconic studio aired on Sept. 13, 1999. Prior to that, GMA aired at the ABC News headquarters, where it first premiered in 1975.

GMA is the final show to make the move to the new headquarters. It follows The View, The Tamron Hall Show and Live with Kelly and Mark.

The View was the first to take over its new home. The long-running series moved into an elaborately designed set when its 28th season premiered on Sept. 3, 2024.

PEOPLE got an exclusive first look at the luxurious studio space back in September and spoke with executive producer Brian Teta about the exciting move.

“I’ve been in television for 25 years and it’s one of the only times where I’ve been shown the plans for something and it’s not only met the original vision, but really exceeded it.” he gushed. “It’s really terrific.”

Teta acknowledged that he had some reservations about the plans for the studio. However, he was left beyond impressed, saying, “It’s really just such a phenomenal marvel of engineering and such a credit to the people who designed this, the crew who installed it, and everybody else involved.”

The Tamron Hall Show moved in January 2025, and Live with Kelly and Mark followed in April.

“I got to tell you, I lost a lot of money to Mark Consuelos because I did not think we would be here today,” co-host Kelly Ripa said during the show’s April 14 episode, their first in the new space. “I owe you a lot of money for sure.”

Meanwhile, Consuelos praised the set’s sound system, saying, “It sounds like a stadium!”

The big move was first announced in 2023.

“Good Morning America is defined by the strength of our team in front of and behind the camera, quality of our reporting, and the long, trusted relationship with our viewers. Moving all ABC Newsteams to our new state-of-the-art building was a strategic decision that will allow for more collaboration and innovation,” an ABC News spokesperson said in a statement shared by Deadline in October of that year.

In the days leading up to GMA‘s departure, the team fondly recollected their experiences working in the center of an iconic N.Y.C. landmark.

“Forgive us if we get a little sentimental this week,” cohost Michael Strahan said during the Monday, May 9 episode.

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Each day this week, the show featured segments that allowed the cast to share some of their favorite memories from their time in the studio.

“I just remember thinking, I’m a little girl from Mississippi, and I’m working in Times Square. It’s just so majestic,” Robin Roberts shared about her first day on set. “I just remember the energy and looking around going, ‘This is our home.’ All these years later it still feels that way.”

Meteorologist Ginger Zee also had an awed response to the location, saying, “My first time in Times Square coming to this studio was magical. I mean truly, I pulled up and the stop light on 44th, I just remember looking up and thinking, ‘This cannot be my life.’ ”

Meanwhile, Spencer shared her first experience on the set, which came when she was invited on by Diane Sawyer to do a segment on gift wrapping. There was only one problem with the offer — Spencer was horrible at wrapping gifts.

“I didn’t want to say no,” she admitted. “This is the moment, right? So I followed my mom’s mantra, ‘Fake it ’til you make it, baby.’ ”

George Stephanopoulos recalled being gifted an alarm clock permanently set to go off at 3:30 a.m. during his first day as host.

The group looked back on special moments that took place on the set, ranging from reunions, pregnancy announcements and weddings to concerts, interviews, Halloween costumes and elaborate extra sets that expanded onto the streets outside.

Roberts remembered being moved by hearing Keys perform “Empire State of Mind” in one of N.Y.C.’s hubs; Stephanopoulos was wowed by Taylor Swift.

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Some memories were even more sentimental.

“My ultimate favorite moment has got to be the day Robin came back from her bone marrow transplant. It was just the most emotional, happy, joyous moment I ever experienced on set,” Stephanopoulos shared, referring to her return to the show in 2013.

She agreed, saying, “That was a really, really special moment because I wasn’t sure when I left 174 days before if I would be back. So to be back and to be just embraced as I was was really, really special.”

“This is our home,” Spencer said. “We are here all the time. We treat it like [you’re] going past your brother or sister’s bedroom.”

As for the new set, it’s still a bit of a mystery to the group.

During the Wednesday, June 10 episode, they shared a clip of the set coming together. It featured a flurry of activity and countless boxes that would be unpacked to create a new home.

“We actually don’t know very much about the set,” Spencer admitted, later joking that they might “suddenly pop up on The View” after getting lost.

Stephanopoulos also made a request: “If anyone misses coming to set one morning, please give us a pardon. It’s a massive building. You need IDs to go everywhere.”

They offered a glimpse at the space during the June 13 episode, but it will largely remain a mystery until the first episode airs on June 16.

No matter what, the group is clearly excited to get back to work and make new memories.

“It never gets old to say, ‘Good morning, America,” Roberts said.