The New York City skyline is famous across the globe, familiar to many from its myriad appearances in movies and on TV. With architectural styles ranging from the ornate and historic to the sleekly modern, the City’s buildings have long been one of NYC’s most potent draws—and visiting an observatory is one of the most thrilling ways to take in the view.
The City has five such attractions, each with its own history, design and vantage points. They’re located in different Manhattan neighborhoods and can serve as the centerpiece to any number of sightseeing itineraries. SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, The Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, One World Observatory and Edge at Hudson Yards offer visitors and locals a rush of adrenaline, plenty of photo ops and the chance to create memories with the world’s most impressive skyline as your backdrop. Read on for details and accessibility information, and then plan your visit—and be sure to snap plenty of pictures once you reach your sky-high destination.
Courtesy, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
NYC’s newest observatory is a stunning multilevel experience towering high above Grand Central Terminal. This immersive attraction combines expansive skyline views with mirrored floors, interactive art installations and glass skyboxes that make visitors feel as though they’re floating above Manhattan. It’s a full-sensory delight—all suspended 1,100 feet over Madison Avenue.
Among the experiences is Transcendence, a soaring two-story space with mirrored floors and ceilings that creates the illusion of boundlessness. Nearby is Affinity, a room filled with floating silver balloons that respond to guests’ movements—often cited as one of SUMMIT’s most joyful moments. In Unity, visitors see themselves reflected as part of a collective cloudscape on a massive digital screen. Then there’s Levitation, in which glass skyboxes invite guests to experience the City from a daring perspective.
Quiet moments are available at Reflect, an art installation by Yayoi Kusama that offers a space to pause and soak in the serenity of the artwork’s shifting patterns. On the top floor of the experience, you’ll find Après, an indoor café with an adjacent outdoor bar and wraparound terrace, featuring magnificent views that stretch up to 80 miles on a clear day.
For an elevated visit, guests can book the attraction’s Premium Experience , which includes expedited entry, skip-the-line access to SUMMIT’s most sought-after spaces, a 90-minute guided tour across all three floors and a digital photo package. For even more thrills, add Ascent, a ride in the world’s largest external all-glass elevator that climbs an additional 120 feet above the observatory for unmatched views. (Both experiences are available for an additional fee.)
Instagrammable Moment
Don’t miss a playful shot in Affinity, the balloon-filled room.
Accessibility Tips
• While the observatory includes immersive and sensory-rich environments, guests can choose how they experience each space tailored to the individual. Extensive information is listed on their website.
• You may request a Guest Ambassador to guide you throughout your entire visit.
• Guests may request a Sighted Guide or ASL Tour three weeks in advance.
• All levels of the observatory are accessible via elevators.
• Wheelchair users can access all areas, including mirrored floors, exhibits and outdoor terraces.
• Manual wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Sensory kits containing manipulative objects, sunglasses, earplugs or headphones are available.
• Portions of the experience feature flashing lights, immersive visuals and sounds; guests with sensory sensitivities may request earplugs or noise-canceling headphones.
• The flashing lights and sounds in the elevators are optional and can be turned off.
• Staff members are trained and available to assist throughout the experience.
• Accessible restrooms with changing tables are on each floor. There is an accessible, gender-neutral, family restroom.
• There are some seating options throughout the observatory.
• Guide dogs are welcome. But please note that the floor-to-ceiling mirrors might be disorienting for some service animals.
• Strollers are allowed.
• Early mornings and evenings tend to be a bit quieter and less crowded.
Empire State Building Observatory. Photo: Julienne Schaer
Empire State Building Observatory
Since its opening in 1931, the Empire State Building has come to stand for NYC’s signature qualities of innovation and ambition. Today, visitors can step into the stunning Fifth Avenue lobby and be transported back in time: the interior details reference the art-deco era, with its brilliantly restored 23-karat-gold ceiling. Before reaching the observation decks, guests can explore a series of immersive exhibits highlighting the building’s innovative construction, history and significance to pop culture. These inspired, digitally enhanced offerings include a simulation of the original Otis elevators and the opportunity to pose inside King Kong’s giant hand. On the 80th floor, you’ll find the building’s classic viewfinders, the Artistry in Light exhibit and more; head up to the iconic 86th floor for breathtaking 360-degree views of New York City and beyond. For an additional fee, reserve tickets to ride a new-generation Otis elevator up to the 102nd floor and view the inside of the tower’s mast. The glass-enclosed observatory offers impressive views of the skyline from 1,250 feet above street level. Exit the building through the expansive gift shop on the second floor.
Instagrammable Moment
Take a photo inside King Kong’s hand or with New York City’s best view as your backdrop.
Accessibility Tips
• The observatory is accessible via elevators and ramps.
• Accessible restrooms with changing tables are located on the 2nd, 80th and 86th floors.
• The outdoor viewing area is wheelchair accessible; however, a portion of it is compact.
• Lowered viewing walls and binoculars make experiencing the view accessible for all.
• Seating areas are available on the 2nd, 80th and 86th floors.
• Guide dogs are welcome.
• Outdoor areas are heated during colder months.
• Strollers are permitted throughout the attraction.
Top of the Rock. Photo: Elizabeth Bick
Top of the Rock
The Rockefeller Center Observation Deck, atop the historic 30 Rock building, offers spectacular views of Midtown landmarks, including the Empire State Building and Central Park. Opened in 1933, the attraction was inspired by the grand ocean liners of the early 20th century, and its fixtures are appropriately luxurious. Begin your visit beneath the dazzling Swarovski chandelier before continuing to the newly redesigned Welcome Gallery, where you can discover interactive exhibits and a detailed 10-foot model of Rockefeller Center. A short film introduces you to the rich history and future vision of the site. On the 69th floor, the Beam Experience lets you re-create the famous 1932 photo Lunch Atop a Skyscraper. Strapped onto a steel beam, you're lifted 12 feet into the air and rotated 180 degrees for a panoramic photo and thrilling perspective. (Note: This experience is not accessible for someone who can’t transfer from a wheelchair.). Enjoy your ride up in the Sky Shuttle—ascending 850 feet in less than a minute—and be sure to look up for the time capsule photo show on the elevator’s ceiling. Once you’re upstairs, choose from indoor and outdoor spaces on the 67th, 69th and 70th floors to soak in breathtaking views, Top of the Rock offers the largest open-air viewing area of any observatory in New York City. On the 70th floor, Skylift offers a floating sensation as you step onto a circular, open-air glass platform that gently rises three stories above the rooftop. Gift shops can be found on the concourse level and on the 69th floor.
Instagrammable Moment
The classic Midtown skyline shot featuring the Empire State Building can be taken from either the 69th or 70th floor. Skylift lets you float above the rooftop on a glass platform making it perfect for a dramatic skyline photo.
Accessibility Tips
• The observatory’s three floors are accessible via elevators.
• There is a large indoor seating area and benches for outdoor seating.
• Accessible restrooms with changing tables are available on the mezzanine level and 66th floor.
• Strollers are allowed but must be collapsible.
• Guide dogs are welcome.
• Digital transcripts are available upon request for the multisensory film shown in the Welcome Gallery; inquire with staff for assistance.
• The Beam Experience is not wheelchair accessible. However, enhanced accommodations are available for guests with disabilities, including guests with amputations. Guests with access needs must be accompanied by a supervising adult during the experience.
• Wheelchairs, walkers, canes and scooters are permitted on Skylift.
One World Observatory. Photo: Tagger Yancey IV
One World Observatory
Piercing the Lower Manhattan skyline is One World Trade Center, shimmering home to One World Observatory. The building holds the record as the tallest in the United States and is the focal point of this revitalized neighborhood. Built following the devastating loss of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, One World Trade symbolizes NYC’s signature resilience and invincible spirit. Access to the observatory inside comes via 47-second elevator ride up to the 102nd floor; a time-lapse video, shown on the interior walls of the elevators, displays a rendering of the past 500 years of Lower Manhattan’s development. The attraction offers plenty of digital-savvy tools for exploration. City Pulse, for instance, is an installation of two 14-foot rings built from overlapping LCD screens that connects guests with close-up views of landmarks and neighborhoods and offers personalized recommendations. The observatory spans the 100th to 102nd floors; the Discovery Level on the 100th is the most spacious and offers 360-degree views of iconic buildings, bridges, surrounding waterways and panoramic views of the City and beyond. The observatory has a casual café, restaurant and bar, as well as a gift shop.
Instagrammable Moment
Take photos with the City’s bridges and Statue of Liberty as a backdrop.
Accessibility Tips
• The observatory’s three floors are accessible via elevators, and there are ramps that can be used in lieu of steps within each floor.
• There are a few seats within the viewing area available to visitors.
• There are accessible restrooms with changing tables.
• Guide dogs are welcome.
• Strollers are allowed but must be folded when using the elevator and escalator.
• Braille materials are available for some exhibits. To access them, inquire at guest services.
• ASL interpreters can be arranged in advance, requiring at least two weeks’ notice.
Edge NYC. Photo: Walter Wlodarczyk
Edge
One of the skyline’s newest additions, this triangular observation deck rises more than 1,100 feet and juts out from the building nearly 80 feet over the West Side’s Hudson Yards. Thanks in part to its open-air platform, Edge has already become one the City’s most popular vantage points. Near its fourth-floor entrance in The Shops at Hudson Yards, the attraction offers a series of multimedia displays on the neighborhood’s clean-energy initiatives and Edge’s groundbreaking engineering feats above a working rail yard. During the 52-second elevator ride up into the clouds—and on an overcast day, that description can be interpreted literally—visitors watch a video depicting the area’s construction. Even with two floors to enjoy and a spacious indoor observatory, many visitors make a beeline to the outdoor deck for the attraction’s showstoppers: a glass floor revealing the buzzing city below and the Eastern Point, where one guest at a time can lean out between angled glass walls to take in the sights. Edge offers expansive views of downtown and New York Harbor, including the Statue of Liberty, all the way up to the George Washington Bridge. A restaurant, bar and gift shop are on hand.
Instagrammable Moment
Don’t miss the small platform at the top of the Skyline Seats, which allows for sweeping views of downtown Manhattan, plus the glass floor and the Eastern Point (for guests brave enough to seek them out).
Accessilibity Tips
• The observatory’s two floors are accessible via elevators.
• An accessible family restroom with a changing table is available.
• Strollers are allowed but must be folded when using the elevator and escalator.
• Guide dogs are welcome.
• Seating is allowed on the Skyline Seats.
• An assistive listening and handheld captioning device is available throughout the digital portion of the experience. The attraction recommends you bring your own headphones or induction loop for the device, which has a standard headphone jack. This service is available from Guest Services on the fourth floor on a first-come, first-served basis.
General Information to Know Before You Go
• Each observatory requires a reserved timed ticket for entry. Purchase yours online ahead of time to avoid lines.
• There are security checkpoints and several entry lines at each location with no seating option available.
• Observatories tend to be busier during weekends and at sunset.
• Dress appropriately: it tends to be colder at the top of the open-air observatories.
