Your admission ticket takes you to the 86th-floor, at 1,050 feet (320 meters) and the glass-enclosed area is reached by high-speed automatic elevators. From the Observation Deck, you'll be treated to spectacular indoor and outdoor views of Manhattan including Central Park, Times Square, the Flatiron Building, Brooklyn Bridge, Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty and so much more.
Highlights
- Skip the long lines with the Express Pass admission ticket
- Amazing views of Manhattan from the 86th-floor observatory of the Empire State Building
- 360-degree panoramic views on each side of the building from the outdoor promenade
- High-powered binoculars
- Option to tour with audio accompaniment
- Flexible voucher redemption policy - visit on any day within a year of date originally selected - plan your visit around the weather!
Recent Photos of this Tour
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563Love above the city!!Photo by: Cheryl B03 2012 -
538Taylor and the Big Apple!Photo by: Cheryl B03 2012 -
NYCLooking southPhoto by: John Paul RUSA, 08 2009 -
The familySee the suicide bars.Photo by: DARRELL LUSA, 07 2008 -
View from the Empire State ...View from the 86th floor -- see the Statue of Liberty in the distance!Photo by: LAURA CUSA, 02 2008 -
Observation Deck ViewLooking South - Freedom Tower nearing completionPhoto by: Susan K04 2013 -
Grandiose!En haut de l'Empire State BuildingPhoto by: annie t04 2013 -
View at nightEmpire state building viewsPhoto by: Alison LUnited Kingdom, 03 2013 -
NYC at nightspectacular night view of the NYC from the observation deck of Empire State BuildingPhoto by: Randunu03 2013 -
Our View!Taken with my Nikon 1. One of many great shots of Manhattan!Photo by: Samuel W11 2012 -
Oct 20th 2012 early morning - ...empire state building south viewPhoto by: MisterdimplemanNetherlands, 10 2012 -
Oct 20th 2012 early morningempire state building north viewPhoto by: MisterdimplemanNetherlands, 10 2012 -
Chrysler Building From The ...Chrysler Building From The Empire StatePhoto by: Richard B10 2012 -
005Hard to get me near the edgePhoto by: chimochimo10 2012 -
012Must see Empire StatePhoto by: chimochimo10 2012 -
IMG_2424Grandchildren were awed by the site of the Statue of LibertyPhoto by: SAMUEL B07 2012 -
Zero VisibilityThat is zero visibility on the 86th floor.Photo by: Suhail K05 2012 -
100_3416Looking south toward lower Manhattan. You can see the new Freedom Towers being erected in the background.Photo by: Donna B04 2012 -
100_3414A look down from the 86th observation floor.Photo by: Donna B04 2012 -
552see the brightness of Times Square from the 86th floor!Photo by: Cheryl B03 2012 -
Useful Information
Empire State Building Observatory
There are 3 lines at the observatory: the security line (required for all visitors), the ticket line and the elevator line. You will be required to join the ticket line to exchange vouchers on arrival.
Skip the Line Admission (Optional Upgrade - available only on peak dates)
Speed past the lines on your way to the tallest point in Manhattan! Your "Express Pass" voucher will enable you to proceed directly to the front of every line, saving valuable time to do all the other things New York is famous for. Don't spend your valuable holiday time waiting in line - there's no faster way to the top!
Express Pass is especially valuable from Memorial Day through Labor Day, from Thanksgiving until New Year's any time of day and all holiday weekends. Other times of year the Express Pass is recommended for planned visits between 11am and 2pm, and one hour before and after sunset. Limited numbers of Express Passes are sold, so maximum wait times are around 7 minutes. Typical wait time is under 1 minute. Specific wait times cannot be guaranteed, only front of line privileges.
Please see below for all ticketing options and inclusions. Voucher can be redeemed within a year of date originally selected - plan your visit around the weather!
Reviewed by Robert D, May 2013
A must see classic New York Experience, well recommended but I still had to wait in the regular ticket queue at ESB for the Viator printed voucher to be 'cashed in' for proper tickets. The 2 dollar saving was probably not worth it especially as you have to select your date with Viator. Whilst we were at the ticket booth we went for the $15 extra ticket to get you to the 102nd floor. We went up around 6pm in the evening in May and there were maybe 10 people in the ticket queue. Plan to spend some hours here, it takes about an hour just to get through all the mazes of lines including security, tickets, elevators and waiting to get a good spot once you are up there. So we missed the sunset! Worth it though. Bring a camera but leave the tripod, it's not allowed up there. We did top of the rock too which is a bit more relaxed, both offer unique views but ESB is much higher.
Reviewed by SANDRA A, May 2013
Myself and my daughter went up at around 8:30am on a clear, very windy day and the views over the city were nothing short of spectacular. Having visited the Top of the Rock on a previous trip, I much prefered the Empire State Building.
