Important Reminder:The City Guide app will be sunsetting on December 15, 2024, with the web version to follow in early 2025. Please visit our FAQ to learn more or to download our Swarm app.Empire State Building
Structure, Historic and Protected Site, and Scenic Lookout
Midtown Manhattan, New York, NY, New York
The experts at Michelin Travel & Lifestyle and Time Out New York recommend this place
"Beautiful view from the observation tower on 86th floor."(32 Tips)
"Beautiful views from the observation deck."(33 Tips)
"102nd floors,just before sunset!"(27 Tips)
"The Express Pass is the best $25 you can spend!"(25 Tips)
856 Tips and reviewsFilter:
- scenic views
- 86th floor
- observation deck
- express pass
- architecture
- (15 more)
Sort:
- Popular
- Recent
Steve BarnesDecember 28, 2011Don't buy fast track tickets on the street. Get tickets online, wait is only about 30 minutes, street ticket vendors will tell you 3-4 hours, NOT TRUE!
Kevin ClintonDecember 5, 2013If you get a pass, use the ends. Make sure that the white part is facing you, and insert the pass SLOWLY.
The Criterion CollectionMarch 17, 2011One of the most iconic structures in New York; perhaps best known for being climbed by a gigantic, kidnapped jungle ape clutching a screaming woman. Read more
Michael AnastasiApril 25, 2011SkyRide is NOT fast. Hawkers said we'd get in faster. But line for VERY dated, goofy ride is just as long as standing outside. But if you can skip the ride and go straight into line for elevators.
JenApril 8, 2012Get express tickets. No queues for security or the Lifts....ushered straight to the top! Worth very penny!
The New York PalaceMarch 26, 2012Our Chef Concierge says that especially for first timers "It wouldn’t be a real trip to New York City without a tour".
EvanJuly 20, 2013Get the express ticket. It costs more but you skip every line in, up, down, and out. Probably saves 2 hours of waiting even on a slow day.
The New York Daily NewsApril 29, 2011PHOTO: Opened on May 1st, 1931, the Empire State Building turns 80 this year! Visit our iconic photo gallery, at the link, for amazing images of the building's history! Read more
AnnaJanuary 3, 2013two hours in the line, 15 minutes on the top... It was the third time when i spent my precious time in the least effective way, after Eiffel tower and Mao Zedong mausoleum ... No more tourist trap!- Rev "The Rev" 😈July 5, 2013Skip the line. Buy an express ticket in advance on their website. http://www.esbnyc.com/buy_tickets.asp
David DelgadoAugust 28, 2013This is the reason were called the big apple and why this city never sleeps. I love New York
Dustin GavinMarch 13, 2013"the early bird gets the worm" rings true for this place. I was through security and at the observation deck faster than expected.
Roggy RocksteadyMay 12, 2013If you look reeeeeeeal close, you can see the statue of Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan on the 86th floor.
Trump Hotel CollectionJune 30, 2011The tallest building in NYC and offers breathtaking must-see views from the 86th floor observation deck.
Jessica RandazzaSeptember 5, 2010Don't worry about the wait, you can skip "75 percent of the line for the low cost of $47!" New Yorkers opt out, save your money and come have a martini with me at the strand.
Bloomberg TVJuly 13, 2012Need a work out? Climb the 102 floors of the Empire State Building valued at $2.5 billion and attracting around 4 million visitors a year
LiliJuly 3, 2011Definitely upgrade to the EXPRESS pass. It is $25, but the lines to the observation deck are ridiculous. Passes are totally worth it!!!
TOPMANAugust 31, 2012Head into our New York store (Broadway & Broome), check-in and tweet #FoursquareNY for your chance to win a $250 Stylist Appointment!
NY WaterwayMay 2, 2012Our 34th Street bus is FREE for ferry riders. Take it right to the Empire State Building! www.nywaterway.com
Veronika LosovaAugust 7, 2014Don't be cheap and buy the priority pass. Seriously. Even if you go there at 10pm!
Shawn MillerJune 13, 2013if you don't want to wait in line for hours buy the express pass its worth the money
ShinfuMay 13, 2014Don't go inside. Go to the Top of the Rock. It's a trap. Longs queues, the personal is not very kind and the view are worse that in the top of the rock. 2-4 hours without a rest.
- Steve WattsMarch 17, 2015Make sure you buy tickets inside the building....external sellers are a rip off (yes, they got me)
NaomiApril 2, 2012Pay for the express line, it's worth it because line goes on forever and ever. Toilets on 86th floor are the clean.
20,683 Photos
Foursquare © 2024 Lovingly made in NYC, CHI, SEA & LA
Soaring 1,454 ft. (443 m.) above Manhattan, the Empire State Building is the region's #1 tourist attraction & the heart of New York City. Our 86th & 102nd floor Observatories offer the two highest viewing decks in NYC along with unobstructed 360-degree views. On a clear day, you can see five states!
Closed until 8:00 AM (Show more)
- Mon–Sun
- 8:00 AM–2:00 AM
(212) 736-3100
Features
Credit Cards
Yes (incl. Discover & Visa)
See More
Places inside Empire State Building
- 8.6
"Amazing view, try to be there for the sunset"
Jules Sandoz - 6.7
"Service is great! In a bustling, busy place, it felt very personal. Staff were curteous and helpful. Would definitely come back!"
Emma B-Brown 
"Cafe on the third floor. They do an excellent roasted vegetable. The Danish at the coffee bar was on point."
Rob Murcek
Appears on 5,017 lists
Created by Time Out New York
52 items • 5,828 followers
Created by Time Out New York
34 items • 2,569 followers
101 places to see in Manhattan before you die
Created by Victor Garrido
101 items • 948 followers
