Empire State Building

Following the destruction of the Twin Towers, it became the sixth tallest building in New York after the One World Trade Center, Central Park Tower, One Vanderbilt, 432 Park Avenue, and 30 Hudson Yards. The Empire State building has 102 floors and a height of 1250 feet (381 m), or 1,454 feet (443 m) with its antenna spire included.

The building was erected in record time, taking 410 days to complete. Despite the Great Depression, over 3,000 workers were hired for the construction in 1930, building 4 floors and a half per week.

Visiting its Observation Decks

The Empire State Building has two observation decks, the first on the 86th floor, offering 360º degree views of the city, and the second on the 102nd floor. Going to the first observation deck costs US$ 42 and going to the second costs an extra US$ 30.

The building attracts nearly 4 million visitors a year, and since it was first built over 100 million people have gone up to its observation decks. For this reason, the queues to access its viewpoints are sometimes never-ending. Not even the inauguration of the One World Trade Center has affected its popularity. 

Avoid the Long Queues

The best way to avoid the endless lines is to pre-book your tickets in advance. You can buy them online and download them on your smartphone or print them out. The tickets are valid for any day and time, so there is no risk in buying them in advance. 

Skip the Line Empire State Building Tickets

If you prefer to get them on the spot, we recommend you visit this landmark first thing in the morning, as soon as it opens, since it's when there are fewer queues. Visiting hours begin at 8 am and the last lift up to the observation decks is at 1:15 am. 

NY Skyride

The NY Skyride is a motion simulator tour of Manhattan’s most famous sites. It's located inside the Empire State Building.

Although the Empire State Building, they say is one of Manhattan's top attractions, we definitely do not recommend the simulator tour. It's overly expensive (US$ 36) and frankly a waste of time, even if you have the New York Pass.