Not the biggest waste of time ever but pretty close. Just got out of our 8th line to get on the elevator down, an hour and a half after we got into line. Absolutely not worth $36 and the employees are not helpful whatsoever. They just yell instructions that are usually incorrect.
Not a bad view of NY. Obviously, there's a big line and it's a bit of a tourist trap with the photos and the gift store but it is definitely something you should do at least once in your life. If you're afraid of heights...maybe sit this one out.
I have always wanted to visit the empire state building and was not disappointed fantastic building beautiful views of the city
My first visit.. Manhatten sky line looks awesome...Empire state exhibits and information is presented professionally.
Really nice building inside and fantastic views across New York.
Great place, make sure to book observation deck online for a better view
What an amazing view when being up there! At night, be sure to have a jacket as it can be freaking cold up there.
If you do not visit this place when you go to NY you have failed your mission. From here you can easily see why NYC is the greatest city in the world.
I am so impressed with the night view of this building but it was really uncomfortable that there was nowhere to sit down.
This place is UNBELIEVABLE it's all about the STAFF , CAN'T STAND THESE DAMN KIOSKS
Unfortunately, the 102nd floor was closed but the 86th floor view was spectacular. We arrived 15 minutes before sunset so saw the city in daylight. Over the next 45 minutes all the building lights came on and we saw the city lights!
I decided to go there around 10 pm on weekday and it s a right decision. It was not that busy but still a lot of people. The weather there can be windy and foggy sometimes, however, I recommend setting the camera into night mode then you can get some good pictures with NY city light.
A bit pricey but the views are great on a nice day! My son loves visiting!
Perfect place to start when in New York. Get the tickets for the 86th floor and the 102nd floor.
Cool videos and effects while traveling to the top. Lots to see and do along the way to the final view. Went to 86th floor and it was plenty high enough for a gorgeous view. Heated outdoor viewing area kept us very comfortable and the binocular stands are free to use. Large gift shop for trinkets. etc. Worth the ticket price for the experience!
NYC classic, beautiful out door terrace with great views, art deco favorite, open late and like to get VIP to avoid annoying lines.
One of those places everyone should see once in their life if they're close by. But older folks be aware the elevator moves at such a high speed going up and back down again it can kick loose calcium deposits in your ears which will make you dizzy for several weeks afterwards
Must do thing in New York went up at night as better photo opportunities with the city lit up. Word of warning it gets really windy so wrap up warm
It s good place to visit, but you will bot be able to go to tue higher floors and ticket is 39$ for adults, which I think is incredibly expensive, that s why I did not buy it. However if you have a money I guess it will worth it, as 80+ floors has an incredible view of the city, I d rather recommend to visit during the evening to see night view of the city
Do not go to the 102nd floor (top deck). My family & I purchased tickets to all the floors, however we regret getting or upgrading ($37 for regular admission +$20 to get up to top deck or 102nd floor) tickets to the 102 floor. It was tiny, enclosed, cramped, and disappointing. The 80th floor is info & exhibit about this building. Tip: save time by walking up or down 6 floors instead of waiting in line for the elevators to our from the 86th floor.
The 86 floor main observatory deck is open & worth a see. We all thought this was much better & impressive than the expensive, dismal room up twenty more floors. They don't issue refunds. They take like $2 off for military discount which you have to walk to a kiosk with a live person to help you with. Most of the employees here are not great or are ok. There was one lovely older African American gentleman who manned the elevator heading up to the 102nd floor. The young woman who manned the elevator at the very top was nice to offer to take our picture. Tip 2 - if you're going to buy souvenirs, there was a booth right outside that sold touristy stuff for much cheaper. Tip 3 - I recommend going when there's daylight or arriving at the 86th floor before the sun sets because at night, when we went, the lights were pretty but it was difficult to tell anything apart. Couldn't find central park at night.
If you want to save money & don't care to go to any of the above floors, the 1st floor is free & has some pretty cool stuff where you can take pictures with a small version of this building.
One of the "must do" in New York. I would recommend the end of the day to enjoy the sunset and later on the illuminated Manhattan.
It's pretty tall, but I usually only go to the basement.
Love that they included an exhibit of the building and its history before being taken up to the viewing gallery. It definitely was a value add, because views from the top was underwhelming.
Would help if there were signs to tell guests what they were looking at in certain directions.
Spectacular views. But the viewing deck is small and not the biggest.
Amazing staff and such an Amazon ng experience. I loved going up to the 102nd floor
There's a reason it's an iconic landmark in New York City!
Such a fun experience and there was not much of a wait. I love the bellboy attire that employees wear. Also, the views are hard to beat! You must go there!
The view overlooking the city is just breath taking, especially at night. My close friend brought me here for my birthday and the experience was just so amazing.
While I enjoyed the views and architecture, the crowd control was poor. I felt a bit like cattle being shuffled into various packed lanes and observation points. There were limited bathrooms, the place seemed perpetually busy, and the staff were not clear on where to convert the CityPass into tickets. I think the machines were out of order, however, I am not sure...no clarification from the staff. My family and I enjoy the CityPass, and wish there was an option to choose another venue. I would highly recommend the Top of the Rock Experience, but not the Empire State Building.
It's a good experience to see the NY City from the top of the building
good thing my boyfriend already bought the ticket beforehand (the city pass) so it was rather fast to go in aside from their tight security, it went well. It was really worth it to go up there and see NY from the top on a daytime.
The building is very nice on the interior and the exterior. The exterior is reflective of the 1930s era and looks much different than the newer towers in the city. It is a unique feature of the NYC skyline. The price of admission of $35 is fair I think, however, once you reach the 86th floor terrace, you are hit with another option of paying an additional $20 to go up to the 102nd floor spire. I was under the impression that the initial ticket was all you needed to access everything. I dislike how underhanded this tactic was and did not visit the top spire.
The terrace on the 86th floor though was very nice as it was open air, quite different from the many other skyscrapers that I have been to before.
Nice, but the view from top of the rock is much more amazing. The "museum" on the 80th floor is just ok. You have to pay like 20 dollars more to get to the last floor.
Very good experience especially at night. Amazing how they completed it so quickly. It really is a spectle you want to see. Go early or late to avoid the crowds. The entrance to the observatory is not clear. Go to 34th street. Save time by not cueing for a lift. Go up the stairs. Fully recommend to go to the top and outside. Staff were vety friendly and hospitable. Well worth a visit. Buy an explorer task or New York pass beforehand.
It's tall. I suggest buying g tickets ahead of time. Most folks go to the 86th floor. You will first be taken to the 80th floor. There you will find information about the building and those who built it. There are views from the 80th. You can choose to walk up the 6 flights of stairs and skip the line to take the elevator. Breathtaking views from the observation deck. There is a gift shop inside.
So cool, worth the visit. We went at 1am, the lines were not bad then. The best time to go is either first thing or really late.
Pleasant tourist experience. Staff is usually helpful and cheerful. Great view of the city, though you have to work your way around lots of other people. Gorgeous views at night! Don't bother with the gift shop - most little gift shops on the street sell the same things for cheaper.
The place is amazing but 35$ is just soooo expensive. And if you had 25$ just for the picture... its ridiculously tooo expensive...
Slightly disappointed! Was not allowed to take my tripod to the 3 floors I was visiting & 2 floors were indoors which really hampered photography! You still must visit while in Manhattan but I enjoyed my 2 trips to the Top of the Rock more! Better views and was allowed to take my tripod day and night! The video in the ceiling of the lift on the journey up TotR was fascinating! Expected more from Empire State!
A misty night on top of the Empire State Building. You can see the MetLife building (where Grand Central Terminal is located) and the Chrysler building shinning brightly to the right. New York always have interesting vantage points both from the ground and on top and it s always worth visiting observations decks. But go during non-peak hours to avoid long lines, that would be early in the morning or like when I took this picture; at midnight.
Must visit during night. New York City looks beautiful at night..
Plenty of staff guiding along the way. Views are amazing. Gift shop inside for basic trinkets. Open very late (1-2Am) I believe. Downside, tickets are expensive. Starting at $37 per person. Gift shop is not very cheap either. Worth visiting the iconic building but plan on spending some cash.
Were there very late at night. No crowds or lines. Amazing view.
Cue's cue's and more cue's. The building and views are stunning though.
You will wait on long lines, but it is worth it. The views are incredible. Can't miss stop in NYC.
You can't go to NYC and not go up to the Empire State Building. The views from the observation level are breathtaking.
I love being here! It s been a long time since my last visit, and I just love the architecture and stylings of this structure. My favourite in New York!
It was a great experience! Being on top of New York City makes you realize how big this place truly is. It was an amazing experience that you can't not do if you are here in New York.
Empire State Building should be in your must visit list while traveling to New York, If you purchase the city pass then you have free entry here.
Way too many people let in at once. Severe safety concerns. Don't risk it.
$125. for 2 people to ride to the top of the Empire State building is outrageous. Didn't really want to go, although it was a fantastic view from up there!
It was very good. Staff were very friendly and helpful and very organised.
The cost is about 55 dollars per person including taxes but the view is phenomenal.
My dream came true when i got in NY and on the top of Empire state. Stunning views, love the city. Hopefully will be back soon
It is hard to believe that it was built almost 90 years ago and it took just over a year to build it! It took longer to build a shoping center near me. Also very nice at the top and it is impressive that you can stay on the top till very late - 2am
Great Place to be. Always have to decide if we are going up there with family or friwnds at night or day. I can ABSOLUTELY recommend both. And the Museum you are walking thru automatically is very interesting
I put 5 stars because... what's not to like with awe. However, I paid $78 for two, when the website indicated about 1/2 that. I didn't realize until after they ran my card! Careful!
It snowed at the top while it was completely dry at ground level. Stunning views on a clear day and great history tour on the way up, well worth a visit!
the Empire state building is one of the best places to get the most fantastic view of NYC. the elevator ride is very shaky, but what would you expect from something that is very old? the view from outside is amazing, but very windy, and it doesn't hurt to get a very short view. we got fast passes in advance, and it really helps actually. which I would recommend if you are ever going to travel to NYC.
Impressive and spectacular.... was there already many years ago.. it did not loose on attraction the 1930 emotional skyscraper
Went on a cold December's night to the 86th floor. Great views of the city. Even had some heating outside. An incredible building which is featured in lots of films!
Incredible experience. Went there for the first time. Definitely recommend. Lots of installations besides the charming view that we all go for!
Well worth the visit. Spectacular views. Be prepared to queue.
We had city passes and as soon as we reached the security checks, we got scanned and got a stamp saying "no view", without telling us about that or giving us the option of leaving (we were not in a rush and we could have come back with a better weather). So cloudy, couldn't even see the building in front.
You cannot see how cloudy is from the ground floor, so always ask how is the view before entering if you don't want to waste your money and get disappointed.
My all time favorite landmark in the Big Apple! I lived in Queens for 53 years of my life and i have been to the Empire State Building many times! The view at the top is spectacular and the staff are great!!!!
Nice but pretty expensive and they encourage you to spend more with super expensive pictures
The 3th time in here..
I'll never get tired of it. This time..no waiting lines.. if you can take 6 floors on the steps.. you will do a quickly exciting tour
This was not worth the money. We waited in line after line after line. After 1.5 hours we were only at the 79th floor waiting in another line, when we had to give up. There was no air conditioning and it became unbearable. There was no organization and little staff directing people. It is was to think that when foreign tourists visit the United States, they see this. What a mess!
Fantastic views went here at night time as it is open very late. Luckily we had the city pass which allowed us to see the views from the Rock during the day. I would say visit Empire State at night as the views from this building will give you 360 degree views of cityscape. The rock at night is quite close to central park which would end up just looking like a dark patch in your photographs.
It is a bit pricey; but, well worth it for the views. The staff were extremely nice and professional. It is an amazing way to see the city, even more so at night. It is a must see when visiting NYC. In fact, I would venture to say no first trip to NYC would be complete without taking the ide to the top of the Empire State Building.
We went using the city pass at night. We arrived around 9:30 PM on a Friday night, and it wasn t very busy. The elevator ride and little museum they have is pretty fun. I was worried about not being able to get good pictures at night, but they actually turned out quite nicely. Since it was cold, they also had the heaters outside which was a nice touch. I think it s definitely worth it if you want a good view of New York. Take some good pictures while your at the top, since they charge you $36 for the fake ugly green screen one. The things in the gift shop were actually priced ok for a super touristy Manhattan attraction though
Very nice view. But very expensive. About 40 dollars to go up. And 22 more to see the top!
Great place to visit. Lines are long but they run fast, people working there are really nice and friendly. I bought the city pass and I was able to go twice in the day (night bonus)
The view is wonderful!
The quintessential New York City tourist attraction. Currently, it is the second largest tower in NYC. But the real wonder of the Empire State Building is the observatory deck which is highly suggested to long time NYC residents like myself. As a building tenant, you get half off tickets. Once you get to the 86th floor--the observatory deck offers stunning views of NYC from every direction. The management company has done a great job in permitting viewers to stay as long as they like. The metal gate ensures that you can walk to the edge without the fear of heights. Absolutely amazing to identify the outer boroughs and other sights all within miles.
Must see attraction for you, friends and relatives.
