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ESB in the News
Find out information about past events related to the ESB in our "ESB in the news" archive.

Books and Videos
We have hand-picked reference materials and history books about the ESB so you can find all the information you want about America’s favorite landmark.

ESB in the Movies
Find out what great movies used the ESB as a backdrop. Movies such as Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally and An Affair to Remember – to see what other movies the ESB makes appearances in click on the link above.

Monument of the millennium
Empire State Building Designated Skyscraper of the Millennium by ASCE

Famous Visitors
The world's famous have come to admire the unmatched view from the Empire State Building's Observatory.

Group Tours
Get the information you need to plan your own group tour.

 


 

Observatory

 
 

Anything this good is worth the wait! What more can be said about a feeling, a thrill and a memory that stays with you for the rest of your life. A person once said, "You can live in New York all your life, but until you see it from the top of the Empire State Building, you haven't seen the city."

This is a great place to bring the family - and an especially amazing place to witness the wonder in a child's eyes the first time he gazes from horizon to horizon taking in this metropolis of millions.

Browse the fantastic gift shop and feel free to spend as much time as you like. This is a truly amazing place.

86th Floor Observatory:
The 86th floor Observatory, 1,050 feet (320 meters), reached by high speed, automatic elevators, has both a glass-enclosed area, which is heated in winter and cooled in summer, and spacious outdoor promenades on all four sides of the Building. High powered binoculars are available on the promenades for the convenience of visitors at a minimal cost. The 86th floor observatory is handicap accessible.

102nd Floor Observatory:
102nd Floor Observatory tickets are only sold upon arrival at the Empire State Building at a cost of $15.00 in addition to regular admission tickets.

Observatory Hours:
Open daily 365 days a year.
8:00AM to 2:00AM to 7 days a week. Last elevators go up at 1:15AM.

IMPORTANT: Security And Visitor Information

Admission Prices at the Building:
ESB Express Pass $41.52 (+$3.48 Tx)
Adults (13-61) $18.45 (+$1.55 Tx)
Child (6-12) $12.92 (+$1.08 Tx)
Senior (62+) $16.61 (+$1.39 Tx)
ESB Audio Tour $7.38 (+$.62 Tx)
Military in Uniform Free
Toddlers (5 or younger) Free

NOTE: 102nd Floor Observatory tickets are only sold upon arrival at the Empire State Building at a cost of $15.00 in addition to regular admission tickets.

Military personnel are admitted free when in full uniform.

Toddlers (5 or younger) are admitted free when accompanied by an adult
ticket holder.

Information on group rates can be obtained by faxing a request to the Group Sales Office at (212) 947-1360 or by visiting the Observatory ticket office on the 2nd floor of the building.

ESB Express Pass:
The lines at the Empire State Building Observatory are as legendary as the building itself. The line actually consists of 3 different lines. The first one is the security line that everyone must go through. Next comes the ticket line. Visitors with pre-purchased tickets can skip this line which can save a considerable amount of time during our busiest times. The 3rd and last line is for the elevators that take you to the Observatory.

While we have been told that anything this good is worth the wait, we have also heard laments that some people missed out on being able to visit the Empire State Building Observatory because they just didn’t have enough time to see and do everything while in NYC. Now you can. By purchasing an Express Pass you will automatically be moved to the front of each and every line.

Need more time for shopping or seeing a show? Perhaps there’s a restaurant that you just have to experience? Express Pass is the answer for you. It gives you enough time to do it all in the city that never sleeps.

ESB Observatory Audio Tour:
The high point (no pun intended) of every visit to the Observatory is, of course, the spectacular 360-degree view of the Big Apple and the metropolitan area. Now, we’re going to make that experience even more exciting and rewarding with an audio tour and corresponding signage so that visitors will know exactly what they are seeing from every vantage point on the observation deck.

Narrating the tour is Tony, a fictional, but nonetheless authentic, native New Yorker born 50 years ago in Chelsea, an area of Manhattan not yet the hot, trendy neighborhood it is today. The tour is written from Tony’s point of view and is filled with his colorful, amusing and informative observations about his favorite city . . . and his favorite building.

To complement the audio tour and enable visitors to have better close-up views of what Tony is describing, we have installed more powerful binoculars on the outside deck of the Observatory.

Tickets are available for the audio tour at the ticket office located on the 2nd floor of the building.

Shops, Restaurants, and Services:
See a list of shops, restaurants, and services located in the ESB.

Location:
Fifth Avenue at 34th Street

Getting There:
Click Here for directions to ESB.

Customer Service:
For additional information please contact The Empire State Building through our Online Customer Service .

 

 


Purchase Tickets Online Now!
Purchase Tickets Online Now!
  Purchase your tickets online, it's easy and convenient. You can either print your tickets online or have them delivered right to your door step.

Take the ESB Tour
Take the ESB Tour
  Can't make it to New York? See the Empire State Building inside and out through the ESB Launch Tour.

Kids Art Gallery
Kids Art Gallery
  Check out the many drawings and coloring pages submitted to the ESB by kids from all over. Click here to view the artwork and to find out how you can send in your very own.

New York Sites
New York Sites
  Click here to learn about some of NY's other landmarks.

  • Brooklyn Bridge
  • Central Park
  • Chrysler Building
  • Liberty Island
  • Ellis Island
  • Madison Square Garden
  • Shea Stadium
  • USS Intrepid

  • Tower Lights
    Tower Lights
      View the lighting schedule for the Tower Lights and what each color scheme represents.

    Did You Know?


    The building is 1,453 feet, 8 9/16 inches from the base to the top of the lightning rod. There are 1,860 steps from street level to the 102nd floor.


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    The Empire State Building is located at 350 Fifth Avenue, between 33rd and 34th Streets, in midtown Manhattan.
    New York, NY 10118


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