On October 28th, 1858, Rowland Hussey Macy opened the doors of his dry good store on 14th St. and Sixth Avenue. He later acquired partners, moved up to a location on 18th and Broadway, in the posh ‘Ladies’ Mile’ shopping district, then died a few years later. But his legacy lives on with Macy’s turning 150 years old today. The department store, eventually coming under new ownership and relocating to its iconic Herald Square home, has become ingrained in popular culture by way of movies like Miracle On 34th Street, sponsoring the Grucci firework displays, and especially the annual Thanksgiving Day parades. Since 1924, the retailer has been frightening entertaining the city’s residents with surreal floats. We assembled some of the stranger characters to hover down Broadway, plus some bonus historic photos of the city after the jump.

Felix the Cat

Harold the Baseball Player

Thief of Baghdad

Elsie War Bonds

Daschund

Kermit

Clown Heads

14th St. location

Herald Square with Empire State Building in background

Herald Square

Vintage Macys’s Ad

Elsie War Bonds billboard