I recently visited the 1,454-foot-tall Empire State Building, the first time I returned in about 20 years. I was pleasantly surprised to see how enjoyable and up to date the experience of visiting Manhattan’s oldest viewing tower is.

Once we entered with our timed tickets we made our way through the fascinating exhibits all about the history of the Empire State Building; how and when it was built. There are hands on exhibits and great photo ops with life size iron workers resting on beams of the construction project.

After enjoying the museum area, we headed to the elevators which transport visitors up to the 86^th Floor Outdoor Observatory. The elevator ride was a unique experience. The ride up only lasted a couple of minutes with a welcoming movie playing on the ceiling of the elevator making the experience an immersive one.

The Outdoor Viewing Platform offers a 360-degree view of Manhattan and beyond. The part I specifically love about The Empire State Building is the location in Midtown Manhattan. The building is surrounded by the busy streets below. It is fascinating to look down and see the bustling street, the people and yellow cabs rushing to and fro.  It looks like scenes created with mini Lego.

We enjoyed the unique views on all four sides of the building before heading back in to the elevator-up to the 102^nd floor (basic ticket does not include the 102^nd floor).

We exited the elevator to a beautifully designed indoor area with large windows all around. On a clear day, visitors can see as far as 80 miles out.

We had a truly unique experience while we were on the 102^nd floor. As we were looking out the window we suddenly saw someone rappelling down. We later found out it was a fundraising event, people who donated a large sum of money to a particular charity were able to rapell down the Empire State Building. The staff on site mentioned that this was the first time this was done. Half an hour later we watched  another person rapell. It was fascinating!

We really enjoyed our trip. The Empire State Building is a contemporary experience with a mix of the rich history of New York City.

Posted: June 8, 2024