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A photograph of Empire State Building
Photograph · wilford peloquin · CC BY 2.0

Historic site · New York

Empire State Building

  • Romantic
Open today, 10:00 – 22:00
Today
Open today, 10:00 – 22:00
Visit duration
1 hr 30 min Editorial visit time estimate
Accessibility
Step-free
Price
From $46.00 per person · Standard admission · Adult
Standing
Must see · Heritage site
Rank
Rank 4 of 13,079
Plan a day around this Map

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Plan your visit.

Opening hours

Monday 09:00 – 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 – 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 – 17:00
Thursday 09:00 – 17:00
Friday 09:00 – 17:00
Saturday 09:00 – 17:00
Sunday 09:00 – 17:00

Checked 2026-11-04 · Source

Admission

Per person From $46.00 Standard admission Adult

Checked 2026-11-04 · Source

Access and facilities

  • Accessible toilets · Available
  • Pushchair access · Available
  • Step-free access · Available
  • Toilets · Available

Source · Checked 2026-08-31

A photograph of Empire State Building
Photograph · Sam Valadi · Public domain

About Empire State Building

The Empire State Building stands at 20 West 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, and what a visitor buys a ticket for is the observatory inside a working office tower, not the tower itself. It was designed by William F. Lamb, built during the Great Depression and finished in 1931, when it was the tallest building in the world; the limestone and granite facade and the Art Deco detailing throughout its halls date from that construction. The rest of the building is offices and is not open to ticket holders. The observatory occupies two levels. Open every day on a date-specific schedule, from 09:00 or 10:00 until 22:00; each date range also lists when the entry door closes and when the last elevator goes up. Step-free entrances or public approaches, lifts where required, and accessible toilets serve principal visitor areas. Standard 86th-floor adult admission starts around USD 46; 102nd-floor and express upgrades cost more. Subway B/D/F/M/N/Q/R/W to 34th Street-Herald Square. Weather, events, maintenance and security can change ordinary access. Special tours, exhibitions and upgrades use separate tickets.

Checked 2026-10-01 · Source

A photograph of Empire State Building
Photograph · Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). · CC BY-SA 4.0

What's inside

A ticket admits the holder to the exhibits on the 2nd and 80th floors as well as the decks, and those galleries are where the time goes. The sequence starts with The Site in the 1920s, a black-and-white panorama of the original Waldorf-Astoria plot with viewfinders that bring the surrounding streets up in colour, and moves into Construction, staged around life-size bronzes of four ironworkers and three copper models showing the tower at different stages of its rise. Opening Day puts a newsboy on a 1930s street corner. Modern Marvel covers the deep energy retrofit. Standard 86th-floor adult admission starts around USD 46; 102nd-floor and express upgrades cost more. Subway B/D/F/M/N/Q/R/W to 34th Street-Herald Square.

Checked 2026-10-01 · Source

How long to spend

The operator puts the average visit at between one and two hours, and says the length depends on how much time a visitor wants to give the decks against the museum. Step-free entrances or public approaches, lifts where required, and accessible toilets serve principal visitor areas.

Checked 2026-08-31 · Source

Season and crowds

Open every day on a date-specific schedule, from 09:00 or 10:00 until 22:00; each date range also lists when the entry door closes and when the last elevator goes up. Dated closures, ceremonies, performances, weather or security notices from the operator take priority over ordinary hours. Arrive early enough to complete the public route before final admission. Follow staff directions on arrival.

Checked 2026-11-04 · Source

Tickets

Standard 86th-floor adult admission starts around USD 46; 102nd-floor and express upgrades cost more. The base amount and currency follow the operator tariff; premium products and separate institutions remain excluded unless named. Weather, events, maintenance and security can change ordinary access.

Checked 2026-11-04 · Source

A photograph of Empire State Building
Photograph · Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). · CC BY-SA 4.0

Getting there

Subway B/D/F/M/N/Q/R/W to 34th Street-Herald Square. Use the named entrance and station because security, separate exits and large complexes can change the practical route. Allow extra time for screening and the final walk. Follow staff directions on arrival.

Checked 2026-11-04 · Source

What to watch out for

Step-free entrances or public approaches, lifts where required, and accessible toilets serve principal visitor areas. Open every day on a date-specific schedule, from 09:00 or 10:00 until 22:00; each date range also lists when the entry door closes and when the last elevator goes up. Standard 86th-floor adult admission starts around USD 46; 102nd-floor and express upgrades cost more. Historic surfaces, crowds and security remain relevant.

Checked 2026-10-01 · Source

Photography

The two decks photograph completely differently and it is worth knowing which one a visitor is paying for. The 86th floor is open to the air, so there is no glass between camera and city and no reflection to fight; the trade is wind, and a phone held over the parapet in a gust is a phone that is gone. The 102nd floor is behind floor-to-ceiling windows, which means clean, still, warm shooting and a reflection problem that is solved by putting the lens flat against the glass and shading it with a hand. Standard 86th-floor adult admission starts around USD 46; 102nd-floor and express upgrades cost more.

Checked 2026-10-01 · Source

Place details and sources

Address
5th Avenue, 350, 10118, New York, NY OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Short name
ESB OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Building
Office building OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Heritage grade
Grade 2 OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Type of place
Attraction OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Elevation
15 m OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Established
1931 Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Heritage designation
National Historic Landmark Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Architectural style
Art Deco architecture Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Material
steel Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Height
453 m Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Opened
1931 Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Architect
Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Wikipedia article
Empire State Building Wikipedia · Checked 2026-09-09

Common questions

What are the regular hours?

Open every day on a date-specific schedule, from 09:00 or 10:00 until 22:00; each date range also lists when the entry door closes and when the last elevator goes up.

What is base admission?

Standard 86th-floor adult admission starts around USD 46; 102nd-floor and express upgrades cost more.

Is the complete route step-free?

Step-free entrances or public approaches, lifts where required, and accessible toilets serve principal visitor areas.

Which public transport is named?

Subway B/D/F/M/N/Q/R/W to 34th Street-Herald Square.

Can operations alter access?

Yes. Weather, events, maintenance and security can change ordinary access.

Are premium products included?

No. Special tours, exhibitions and upgrades use separate tickets.

Where it is

Open directions in Google Maps

Nearby

Within 8 min on foot
  • The Morgan Library & Museum 1 hr 30 min
    5 min walk

    The Morgan Library & Museum

    • Notable · Heritage site
    • Museum
  • Bryant Park 1 hour
    8 min walk

    Bryant Park

    • Must see · Heritage site
    • Nature site
  • New York Public Library Main Branch 45 min
    8 min walk

    New York Public Library Main Branch

    • Must see · Heritage site
    • Historic site

In New York

Same category

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Last updated:

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·