A New York vacation is not complete without visiting the world’s most famous building – Empire State Building.
The historic structure isn’t just about the stunning views from its observatories.
In this article, we share what to expect inside during your Empire State Building tour.
Table of contents
Can you go inside the Empire State Building?
Yes, even if you don’t work in one of the many offices in the Empire State Building, you can enter as a tourist.
Visitors who only want to explore the building’s lobby don’t need to purchase any tickets.
Why the lobby, one may wonder.
That’s because Empire State Building’s lobby is one of the few interiors in New York to be awarded a historic landmark’s stature by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
However, if you want to visit the observatories on the 86th and the 102nd floor or see other exhibits, you must buy Empire State Building tickets.
The New York attraction offers four kinds of experiences out of which the Standard ticket and the Express ticket are most popular.
Empire State Building’s entrance
Till late 2018, the visitors to the observatories and the building’s tenants would use the entrance on 350 Fifth Avenue, which was an inconvenience for all.
Now tourists going up the observatories must enter Empire State Building through the 20 West 34th Street entrance.
The new entrance provides visitors to the Empire State Building’s Observation decks a better and seamless entry.
The New York Digital Pass includes tickets to the Empire State Building, a 60-minute Statue of Liberty cruise, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You also get a 10% discount code, which you can use (five times!) to get discounts on future purchases.
Empire State Building tickets
There are four types of experiences that the Empire State Building offers –
Standard ticket
This is the cheapest and the most popular way to get inside the Empire State Building. When you book a Standard Ticket online, it helps you skip the long lines at the ticket counter and waltz into the building.
You can choose the time of the day when you want to visit.
Adult ticket (13 to 61 years): $48
Seniors ticket (62+ years): $46
Child ticket (6 to 12 years): $41
Infant ticket (less than 6 years): Free entry
Express ticket
This is the premium experience, and when you book an Empire State Building Express Ticket, you skip the line at the ticket counter, the line at the security check, and the line for the elevators to go up.
The Express ticket is priced at $87 for all visitors above six years.
You get to choose the time of your visit.
Sunrise tickets
If time and money are not a problem, we recommend the Empire State Building’s sunrise tickets.
Visitors can only book this ticket for sunrise.
This ticket helps you see New York with all the lights on, then you enjoy the sunrise view and finally explore the city in full daylight.
The Empire State Building’s Sunrise ticket costs $136 for all visitors.
Day and night ticket
If you aren’t particular about the sunrise, book the AM/PM Experience Ticket.
The AM/PM ticket allows you to visit the Empire State Building’s Observatory once during the day and once during the night.
You can decide when you want to visit the Empire State Building, as long as both the visits are on the same day.
Adult ticket (13+ years): $70
Child ticket (6 to 12 years): $59
Infant ticket (less than 6 years): Free entry
102nd floor observatory tickets: Visitors can’t book tickets to the 102nd floor observatory in advance. However, if you like what you see from the 86th floor, you can upgrade your experience by paying $20 per person and visit the 102nd-floor observatory.
Visual Story: 15 must-know tips before visiting Empire State Building
What is inside the Empire State Building
The Empire State Building isn’t just about the two observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors.
Many other exhibits are located on the 2nd and the 80th floor of the building, open to all ticket holders.
The Lobby
Since 2018, the Empire State Building has two lobbies – the new one from where visitors to the observatories get in and the Fifth Avenue lobby, which caters to the building’s tenants.
Before 2018, visitors would first explore the historic lobby and then take elevators to the 86th-floor observatory.
Now, they get to see the Art deco Fifth Avenue lobby at the end of their Observatory visit.
This lobby’s backdrop is an image of the Empire State Building itself, with beams of light radiating from the building.
Do look up at the ceiling to see the gold-leaf-on-canvas abstraction of planets and stars.
Main Deck – 86th Floor Observatory
This deck is the highest open-air observatory in New York City.
All the ESB ticket holders get access to the Main deck observatory.
High-powered binoculars help visitors get a closer look at the city.
In recent years radiant heaters have been added to warm up the space a bit.
To spend time at the Main Deck, visitors must purchase either the Standard ticket or the Express ticket.
Top Deck – 102nd floor Observatory
To get to the 102nd-floor observatory, visitors take a lift from the 86th floor.
The Top Deck is much smaller and completely enclosed.
It has huge glass windows through which you can see a beautiful panoramic view of New York City.
On the clear days, visitors get to see up to six states, offering glimpses of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Delaware.
From this Empire State Building observatory, you can see approximately 130 kms (80 miles approx).
Visitors can’t book tickets to the Top Deck online. They must first purchase either the Standard ticket or Express ticket to get to the observatory on the 86th floor and then upgrade.
The site in 1920s
Empire State Building now stands where once stood the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
William Waldorf Astor had started the Waldorf Hotel at the site in 1893.
Four years later his cousin, opened the Astoria Hotel next door.
Together they had 1,300 bedrooms, making it the largest hotel in the world at the time.
However, by the 1920s was dated, and by 1929 they decided to close down.
Soon enough, the Empire State Building took its place.
The ‘Site in 1920s’ exhibit uses a black-and-white panoramic image of Waldorf-Astoria Hotel to show the site even as the Empire State Building’s construction began.
Through building surveyors, visitors can also look in and see the New York City streets of the late 1920s come to life in full color.
Construction exhibit
Lewis Hine was an American sociologist and photographer who got commissioned to document the Empire State Building’s construction.
He photographed the workers during the construction process, and most of his photographs are legendary.
He is known to have hung in a specially-designed basket up to 300 meters (1000 ft) above Fifth Avenue to get into vantage positions for clicking his photographs.
‘Construction’ exhibit is inspired by Lewis Hine and his work.
Visitors get to stand amongst all the live-action surrounded by ironworkers, engineers, and masons shouting over the din of machinery, moving steel beams into position, etc.
A few bronze sculptures of workers are great selfie opportunities.
In this section, you also see the three models of Empire State Building in different stages of completion.
Opening Day
This may be a small exhibit, but it is an important milestone in the Empire State Building’s history.
Notice the excitement as a newsboy holding the day’s newspaper announces the Empire State Building’s opening in the streets of 1930’s New York City.
Modern Marvel
This is also known as the Sustainability Exhibit.
In 2009, the Empire State Building decided to use state of the art technology to reduce energy usage and carbon emissions.
Image: Esbnyc.com
In a fun way, the Modern Marvel exhibition helps the visitors understand how the ESB went about this project.
Otis Elevators
At this exhibit, you will see the building’s original mast car that took guests from the 86th to the 102nd floor till 2018.
Otis also uses this exhibit to showcase how its latest lift technology manages to transport more than 10 million tenants and observatory visitors every year.
Visitors can experience the simulation of an actual elevator shaft, the building’s extraordinary height, and the distances the elevators travel.
This section of the Empire State Building is a tribute to Otis, without whom the building’s towering height wouldn’t have been possible.
Urban Campus
Visitors only manage to see the five floors of the Empire State Building –
- The Lobby
- Second floor, which has some exhibits
- 80th floor, which has more exhibits and the gift shop
- 86th floor, which has the Main Deck
- 102nd floor, with the Top Deck
There are almost 100 more floors, which they can’t access.
The Urban Campus exhibit offers a peek into some of the significant companies that have an office in the building, the amenities they have, and the building’s hidden views as seen by the people working there.
World’s Most Famous Building
Empire State Building has been the most famous building for such a long time that it has been featured in numerous movies, commercials, TV shows, comics, games, etc.
How can we forget An Affair to Remember, which further inspired Sleepless in Seattle?
Seventy-two screens and a 180-degree surround-sound theater showcases the Empire State Building’s place in pop culture using more than 600 short clips from these mentions.
King Kong’s Escape
The most popular use of the Empire State Building in a movie was for the 1933 film titled King Kong.
It was also one of the first times the historic building was an integral part of a movie – just three years after the inauguration.
In the movie King Kong, the giant ape climbs to the Empire State Building’s top to escape his captors.
This exhibit tries to recreate his escape, and you can experience it from inside an office room.
The giant ape’s fingers pierce the walls as he holds on to the building and dodges vintage fighter planes.
Visitors can touch his hands, to feel him growl in anger.
Planes circle outside the office windows, just as they did in the original 1933 film.
Celebrities Galore
The Empire State building’s 86th Floor Observatory gets many celebrities.
Some visit to see their favorite city’s views and some to promote events through the building’s night lights.
Empire State Building at night is a different experience altogether.
This exhibit showcases some of the most-famous visitors with their images and signed memorabilia adorning the walls.
Artistry in Light
Since 1976, the Empire State Building’s night lights have enhanced New York City’s skyline.
Every day the color of the lighting is different and has a cause they support or endorse.
This exhibit shows you how these music-to-light shows get created through a short film narrated by world-renowned lighting designer Marc Brickman.
Stephen Wiltshire’s Drawing
Stephen Wiltshire is a British autistic architectural artist known for drawing a landscape from memory after seeing it just once.
In 2017, he took a 45-minute helicopter ride above Manhattan and then drew an incredibly detailed landscape drawing.
This mind-blowing piece of art is on display inside the Empire State Building.
Recommended Reading: Best time to visit Empire State Building
Entering the Empire State Building for free
There are three ways to enter the Empire State Building without buying its tickets.
Admission to Empire State Building’s 86th-floor observatory is included for free with New York Pass and New York City Explorer Pass.
With the New York CityPass visitors get to explore the Empire State Building for free of charge, twice – during day time and at night.
These discount passes bundle many attractions and tours together and help you save up to 55% of ticket prices.
If you are in New York for a long holiday or visiting as a big family or group, these discount passes are highly recommended.
Besides helping you save money, these passes also save time because they offer skip-the-ticket privileges at most attractions.
Besides the Empire State Building, all the three passes also offer free entry into Top of the Rock, yet another New York observatory.
Kids under six can also enter the iconic building for free if a ticket-holding adult accompanies them.
Recommended Reading
– Empire State Building or Top of the Rock
– Empire State Building or One World Observatory
Restaurants in the Empire State Building
Within the iconic New York building there are numerous food and drink options for all kinds of visitors.
State Grill and Bar
This fine-dining option is at 21 West 33rd Street, New York 10118. Get Directions
The restaurant serves American, Contemporary American, Steak for breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Timings
Monday – Tuesday: 12 pm to 3.30 pm & 4 pm to 7 pm
Wednesday to Friday: 12 pm to 3.30 pm & 4 pm to 9 pm
Saturday: 5 pm to 10 pm
The dress code at the restaurant is Smart Casuals.
Tacombi
Tacombi is a popular chain of restaurant which aims to spread Mexico’s culinary traditions.
One of their branches is at the Empire State Building. Get Directions
It is the best place to try out home-style Mexican cuisine served in the form of a taco.
Timings
Sunday to Wednesday: 11 am to 10 pm
Thursday to Saturday: 11 am to 11 pm
Besides State Grill & Bar and Tacombi, the Empire State Building has many other options.
If you need a quick bite before your trip to the observatory, drop in at either Chipotle, Chop’t, or Sushi-teria on the ground floor.
If you prefer a quick pick up, opt for Starbucks or Juice Press.
Sources
# Wikipedia.org
# Esbnyc.com
# Britannica.com
# Exp1.com
The travel specialists at TheBetterVacation.com use only high-quality sources while researching & writing their articles. We make every attempt to keep our content current, reliable and trustworthy.
Recommended Reading: Empire State Building facts
Popular attractions in New York
# Empire State Building
# One World Observatory
# Top of the Rock
# Statue of Liberty
# Metropolitan Museum of Art
# 9/11 Memorial and Museum
# Museum of Modern Art
# Intrepid Museum
# Guggenheim Museum
# New York Botanical Garden
# American Museum of Natural History
# Edge Hudson Yards
# Vessel Hudson Yards
# Museum of Ice Cream
# Bronx Zoo
# Central Park Zoo
# Queens Zoo
# Prospect Park Zoo
# BlueMan Group NYC
# Spirit of New York Dinner Cruise
# New York Helicopter tour