Empire State Building Tickets

Asking yourself if the Empire State Building's worth it? Then the answer should be a resounding yes. Not only will you get world-class views of New York, you'll also have access to the second floor gallery exhibitions, chronicling the history of the skyscraper from construction to King Kong and beyond.

Other than its towering height and impressive views over the city and its surroundings, the Empire State Building has irrevocable ties with Hollywood and has stood as a symbol of American architectural prowess to countless visitors for nearly a century.

Of course the stars of the show at the Empire State Building are its observation decks on the 102nd and 86th floors. On top of that – or rather, below all that – there's also the second floor galleries. They serve as a museum to all things Empire State. Here, you'll be able to learn about the building from its inception and construction to its strong ties with Hollywood; there are whole exhibits devoted to King Kong and the building's other most famous celebrity visitors.

The galleries also give you hands-on experiences that will make you feel like you played a part in constructing the tower. Walk through the photography of Lewis Hine (including his iconic image of workmen lunching on a steel beam high above Manhattan), relive opening day in the 1930s, and learn about the amazing technology that went into the original elevators – the idea of 1,872-step stairs was just as daunting back then!

If you’re wondering what makes up the space in between, the building serves as the office space for around 1,000 businesses, including LinkedIn and Shutterstock.

General admission tickets will give you access to the 86th floor observatory as well as entry to the second floor galleries, so you'll get more than just 360° views of New York. For a more comprehensive experience, consider any of the options below.

Empire State Building: Premium Experience

Enjoy a 90-minute guided VIP tour with an Empire State Building Observatory Ambassador in a small group (maximum of 7 visitors per tour).

Empire State Building: Day and Night Entry

Get two-time entry to the Empire State Building on the same day.

Empire State Building: Express Entry

This will give you express entry to the Empire State Building, plus access to the exhibits with no queueing.

Empire State Building: Sunrise Experience

Watch the sunrise over New York with this ticket.

The Empire State Building is an Art Deco behemoth. Not only does it represent a major architectural style of the 20th century, but the tower also reigned supreme as the tallest building in the world for 39 years until the completion of the first World Trade Center tower in 1970.

On top of that, it was built in record time! From planning to construction, the whole project was completed in just 20 months; it's amazing what can be achieved when two extremely wealthy men start competing for who can build the tallest tower. The Empire State was born out of competition between car mogul Walter Chrysler's namesake building, and General Motors executive John J. Raskob and former New York Governor Al Smith's desire to one-up him. Standing at 1,250 feet tall, compared to the Chrysler Building's 1,046 feet, it's safe to say who won.

While the elevator ride itself is relatively short – just one minute from the second to the 80th floor – it also includes a fun video installation on the elevator's roof with the sound of New York construction workers bellowing to each other as steel beams fly up around you. After that, there's a second elevator up to the outdoor observation deck on the 86th floor.

The real question is: how long are the lines at the Empire State Building? And the answer is that it depends. You can expect to wait between 20-45 minutes, although this could reach an hour during public holidays. The best way to beat the queues is to choose an Empire State Building: Express Entry ticket.