Herpes simplex virus capsids are assembled and packaged in the nucleus and move by diffusion through the nucleoplasm to the nuclear envelope for egress. Analyzing their motion provides knowledge not only on capsid transport but also on the properties of the nuclear environment during infection. We have utilized live-cell imaging and single-particle tracking, to characterize both capsid motion relative to the host chromatin and chromatin mobility.  The data indicate that the chromatin marginalized toward the nuclear envelope presented a restrictive barrier to capsid mobility. However, later in the infection, this barrier became more permissive and the probability of capsids entering the chromatin increased. Thus, although chromatin marginalization initially restricted capsid transport to the nuclear envelope, a structural reorganization of the chromatin counteracted that to promote capsid transport later.