Above Midtown at the Empire State Building
At a Glance
- What
Empire State Building observatories
- When
- Coverage from a 2024 sunrise visit
- Where
Midtown Manhattan; visitor entrance on West 34th Street
- Experience
History galleries and observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors.
- Coverage
- Explore coverage
- Details
- What to Know
TheNakedNYC coverage
TheNakedNYC documented sunrise and the changing city view from the Empire State Building.
Morning light moves across Manhattan from the building's observatory levels.
What to Know
A Tower Built in 410 Days
Construction began March 17, 1930, and the building opened May 1, 1931. Architects Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and builders Starrett Bros. & Eken completed the project in one year and 45 days, with the steel frame rising about four and a half stories per week.
Art Deco Above Fifth Avenue
The 102-story building was the first to exceed 100 floors. Indiana limestone, granite, aluminum details, and a stepped profile enclose its steel structure. Its roof reaches 1,250 feet, with the antenna bringing the total to 1,454 feet.
Two Different Observation Decks
The 86th-floor deck wraps outdoors around the tower. Higher up, floor-to-ceiling windows enclose the 102nd-floor observatory. Galleries on the second and 80th floors cover the former Waldorf-Astoria site, construction, opening day, popular culture, sustainability, and elevators.
The 2019 Visitor Redesign
A $165 million project completed in 2019 introduced the dedicated 34th Street entrance, revised museum route, and rebuilt 102nd-floor deck. A glass elevator connects that upper observatory with the 86th floor.
Moving Through the Building
The tower has 73 Otis elevators and 1,860 steps from street level to the 102nd floor. Since 1978, the annual Empire State Building Run-Up has challenged racers to reach the 86th floor.
Its Place in New York History
The building held the world's tallest title for nearly 40 years and became a National Historic Landmark in 1986. Its official history records construction and later changes.
