Empire State Building

Go up to its observatory deck and and enjoy the stunning views of NYC. Once you’ve climbed up to the top of this skyscraper, you’ll know you are in the capital of the world.

Construction of the skyscraper began in 1930, and an amazing 102-storey building was completed in just 410 days. Prior to 1929, the Waldorf Astoria hotel was on the site of today’s Empire State Building. Every night the building glows a different color - it can be pink, green, or a combination of several colors.

Tickets

There are several options to get tickets to the Empire State Building. We do recommend buying tickets in advance. Then there is no need to wait in line at least for the tickets, this will save some time.

The official website of Empire State Building

Tickets to The Empire State Building as a part of savings pass packages

New York Pass: admission to The Empire State Building is included along with other 100+ attractions in NYC.

New York Explorer Pass: choose The Empire State Building as one of the options in your pass. See The New York Explorer Pass page for more details.

CityPASS: Take advantage of CityPASS offer and visit Empire State Building twice in the same day - during the day and when it is dark - without paying extra.

All official New York City Savings Pass packages are a great way to save between 40% to 60% on admission prices if you plan to visit several attractions or museums in NYC. Buy online, use the pass on your smartphone or print the pass, and enjoy your time exploring New York.

Getting to Empire State Building

Nearest subway stops are 34 Street - Herald Sq (N, Q, R) and 34 Street - Penn Station (1, 2, 3).

Is it true that the wait can be up to several hours long?

Visiting the building can take up to several hours - the lines are quite long here sometimes. Please see below the options for buying tickets in advance - this will allow saving some time.

Is there a skip-the-line option?

You can purchase a ticket with a skip-the-line entry on the The official website of Empire State Building. Some passes allow such entry, too. Please note there is a separate line for security checks and skip-the-line may not be available for that line.

Are there tours that include a visit to The Empire State Building?

The Empire State Building is one of the most famous NYC attractions, so most bus tours will have it included along the tour route. Please note admission to The Empire State Building is usually not included with the hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses, but they do stop next to the attraction.

See Empire State Building during tours

CitySightseeing New York