Empire State Building

For nearly 40 years the Empire State Building was the tallest in the world, and it remains the most beloved silhouette on the New York skyline, partly because you can see it from almost everywhere, and partly because its Art Deco detailing is genuinely beautiful in a way later glass towers aren't. There are two observation decks: the open-air 86th floor, where you stand among the crowds and the wind with the whole city laid out below, and the smaller, glass-enclosed 102nd floor near the very top, which costs extra.

The 86th floor is the one most people mean when they picture the view, it's where countless films end. Go for the open air rather than paying up for the 102nd unless you specifically want the higher, calmer vantage. The lobby itself, with its restored ceiling mural, is worth a few minutes before you ascend.

Don't miss

• The open-air 86th-floor observatory, the classic 360° New York view
• The Art Deco lobby with its restored aluminium-and-gold ceiling mural
• Sunset slots, when Manhattan turns gold and then lights up beneath you
• The building's nightly tower lighting, colour-themed for holidays and events
• The newer interactive exhibits on the way up, covering the construction and the building in pop culture

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Empire State Building

Cheapest way inNew York City 90-Minute Cruise: Lady Liberty, Bridges and Skyline4.5★ · 2,273 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$30 per personSee dates →Most bookedNYC Empire State Building Observation Deck Ticket4.4★ · 7,287 travelers1–2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$48 per personSee dates →Top ratedStatue of Liberty and New York City Skyline Sightseeing Cruise4.8★ · 833 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$79 per personSee dates →

Good for

How travelers rate it

Know before you go

• Sunset slots sell out first, if that's your goal, book several days ahead.
• The 102nd floor is enclosed glass; the 86th is open air. Pay the upgrade only if you want the extra height, not a better photo.
• Security screening is airport-style; travel light.
• Late-night entry has the shortest lines and a stunning lit-up skyline.

A bit of history

Built in just 410 days during the Great Depression and opened in 1931, the Empire State Building was a symbol of American ambition at a moment when the economy had collapsed. For its first years much of the office space sat empty, locals nicknamed it the "Empty State Building", but the observation decks turned a profit from day one and have ever since.