After spending last Saturday night in New York for a friend’s birthday, I rounded out my weekend by crossing one goal off of my bucket list and visited the Empire State Building’s Observatory. 

I was very surprised by the theme park nature of the operation. We walked through many rooms snaked with empty queues. The wait would have been a much longer experience if they were full, so it is a good idea to ask about wait times before buying your tickets. Museum-style exhibits featured different aspects of the building’s operations, construction and history. Excited to take in the view, we stopped only briefly to read.

There are several options; taking the elevator up to the main deck on the 86th floor is the standard, and for those who want to get as high as possible, you can purchase a separate ticket to go to the 102nd. The 86th is a large outdoor area, great for taking pictures and with plenty of space to move around inside and outside. We did elect to go to the top as well. The ride from the main deck up is in a classic manual elevator, and you exit into a rather cramped indoor space. It was easy to spot many of my personal favorite NYC landmarks, including Bryant Park, the Flatiron Building and the adjacent Eataly Market.

The day was a bit overcast, which made the ultra-long distance view a bit hazy. However, it was still easy to make out the Financial District and the long stretch of green framed by three streets bearing the world famous Central Park’s name and Fifth Avenue to the east. The overall experience was enjoyable. After sharing some of the pictures with folks at Global Traveler, I added a few other observation decks in Chicago and Manhattan to my list. Onward and upward!

— Rob Setzman, digital coordinator and account executive