Empire State
Building
CityPASS Empire State Building ticket includes general admission (86th Floor Observatory) and one audio tour.
Tower
The Empire State Building Tower, the tallest point in the city, was once used as a mooring mast for Air Blimps. Metro Networks now monitor the busy traffic in the metro area from high atop the tower.
The ESB is struck by lightning about 100 times per year. It is designed to serve as a lightning rod for the surrounding area.
86th Floor Observatory
The 86th Floor Observatory (1,050 feet/320 meters) has indoor and outdoor viewing.
A glass-enclosed area is heated in winter and cooled in summer; all four sides of the building have open-air promenades.
Lobby
The Lobby greets visitors with its classic 1930 Art Deco style.
There are also several art exhibits for all to view in the lobby, including the addition of items from Fay Wray's private collection of photographs, posters and King Kong memorabilia permanently displayed in two lobby showcase windows.
History
The Empire State Building is cemented in both New York and U.S. history.
Built during the Depression, the building was the center of a competition between Walter Chrysler (Chrysler Corp.) and John Jakob Raskob (creator of General Motors) to see who could build the tallest building.
ESB Observatory Audio Tour
An audio tour included in CityPASS admission will tell you what you’re viewing – from every vantage point.
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.
Binoculars
Millions of Empire State Building visitors over the past 70 years have thrilled to the views captured through these binoculars.
Tower Lights
Empire State Building lights are famous. They are a bright beacon of celebration, remembrance, and tribute.
National holidays display as red, white and blue. Valentine’s Day lights are red, pink and white. St. Patrick’s Day warrants green, green, green. Thanksgiving tower colors are red, orange and yellow. Christmas glows red, green and green.
Check the colors for your visit.
Share the View
Romance is part of the Empire State Building mystique. Sleepless in Seattle, An Affair to Remember, King Kong... Hollywood has been leaning on this tower to spell romance for years.
Begin your own romantic legends here.
VIDEO
Soaring above Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building is the city’s most famous landmark. You can see the city, rivers, Central Park and up to five states. Open daily 8 a.m.-2 a.m. hours appeal to early birds and night owls.
How to enter using your CityPASS ticket: After clearing the security line, bypass the main ticket line; present your New York CityPASS ticket at second floor access points. Exchange your e-ticket for a CityPASS booklet at the main ticket windows. Present CityPASS again at the audio tour kiosk on the 2nd floor for a free audio tour.
Note: During busy times, you may encounter a line outside the front door. For comfort and security, there’s a limit on the number of people waiting inside at one time. Once inside, CityPASS holders may skip the regular Empire State Building ticket lines and proceed directly to the high speed elevator line. For more information, visit ESB's Security and Visitor Information.
Advice for Visitors
- Shortest wait times every day are between 8 a.m.-11 a.m., 2 p.m.-5 p.m., or after 9 p.m.
- Live music most weekend nights after 9 p.m.
- Observatory is open until 2 a.m. every night for spectacular skyline and night sky views.
- Keep the kids entertained with the ESB Kids website.
Upgrades for CityPASS Holders
- 102nd Floor Observatory: additional $15 per person.
- Upgrade to Express Pass for an additional $25. Purchase from any employee to move to the front of each line.
- High power binoculars available on promenades at minimal cost.
| $79 | $59 |
|
|
The Purchase is Simple.
Buy Now, Save 45%.
New York CityPASS booklets may also be purchased for the same low price at all New York CityPASS attractions.
Save 45% on Empire State Building and 5 other must-see New York Attractions
We value your privacy.
Empire State Building Details
| Website: | esbnyc.com |
|---|---|
| Phone: | (877) NYC-VIEW |
| Hours: |
Daily, 8 a.m.-2 a.m. Last elevator ascends at 1:15 a.m. (45 minutes before close) Special holiday hours apply, Details |
| Location: |
350 Fifth Avenue and 34th Street |
| Dining: | Two restaurants, a sushi bar and three coffee shops Details |
|---|---|
| Strollers: | Strollers permitted in elevators. |
| Accessibility: | The observatory is wheelchair accessible. Use 34th St. entrance between Bank of America and Hallmark. (Note: The 34th Street Handicap Entrance is open only M-F till 6 p.m. Use Main Entrance for all other times.) |
| Self-Guide: | ESB Observatory Audio Tour included in CityPASS admission. |
