Heritage

Empire State Building

#5of 10 places to visit in New York CityNew York City, New York State, United States

Also known as ESB

Quick answer

Opening hours: 09:00–10:00 and 22:00–23:00. Entry: $44. Allow 1.5 hrs. Best time: Within the first hour of opening.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

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Photo: Sam Valadi / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Opening hours: 09:00–23:00; Daily, typically opening 09:00-10:00 and closing 22:00-23:00 depending on the season, with last entry roughly one hour before closing
Entry fee: $44; Ticket from
Time needed: 1.5 hrs
Best time of day: Within the first hour of opening
Best months: Apr – May, Sep – Oct
Address: 20 W 34th Street, New York, NY 10001

About Empire State Building

The Empire State Building rises 443 metres including its antenna from a site at Fifth Avenue and 34th Street, completed in 1931 as the tallest building in the world, a title it held for nearly 40 years until 1 World Trade Center surpassed it in 1970. The Art Deco tower's limestone-and-granite facade and stainless-steel spandrels were assembled in just 410 days, a construction pace enabled by prefabricated steel sections delivered on a strict daily schedule and roughly 3,400 workers on site at peak. Two public observation decks sit near the top: an open-air deck on the 86th floor at 320 metres, and an enclosed deck on the 102nd floor at 373 metres.

Best time of day: Within the first hour of opening. Or the last entry slot before closing for night skyline views. Both windows carry shorter elevator queues than the midday-to-sunset block.

Empire State Building timings

Empire State Building is open 09:00–10:00 and 22:00–23:00. Those hours hold on Saturday and Sunday too.

Opening hours: 09:00–23:00; Mon–Sun 09:00–10:00 and 22:00–23:00; Daily, typically opening 09:00-10:00 and closing 22:00-23:00 depending on the season, with last entry roughly one hour before closing
Closed on: Open every day

Mon–Sun	09:00–10:00 and 22:00–23:00

Good to know: Hours shift several times a year; exact daily opening/closing times are posted on the official hours page and should be checked for the specific visit date.

Opening hours compiled from esbnyc.com and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Empire State Building ticket price

Entry fees for Empire State Building
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket	$44
Concession (student / senior)	$44
Children	$44

86th-floor main deck tickets start around $44.00 per person with dynamic, date/time-based pricing plus a $5 booking fee; adding the 102nd-floor deck costs roughly $35-$38 more depending on date, as of 2026. Children 5 and under enter free with a paying adult. Pricing varies significantly by day and time slot - verify exact current fares at esbnyc.com before booking.

Prices compiled from esbnyc.com and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit Empire State Building

Quiet
Busy
Very busy

09:00 - 10:30
Opening WindowBest time to go
Shortest elevator queues of the day; clear morning light gives long-range visibility over New Jersey and Queens.
Quiet
12:00 - 16:00
Midday
Steady tour-group and day-tripper volume keeps both decks busy through the afternoon.
Busy
Sunset window (varies by season)
Golden Hour
The single most-booked slot of the day; sunset tickets often sell out days in advance and the 86th-floor deck reaches its highest density of the day.
Very busy
21:00 - closing
Night Skyline
Crowds thin substantially after full dark; the illuminated city grid view from both decks is a different, less crowded experience than the daytime visit.
Quiet

History of Empire State Building

Construction began in March 1930 on the site of the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, commissioned by a group led by former New York governor Al Smith and financed principally by John J. Raskob of General Motors, reportedly in part to outdo Walter Chrysler's newly completed Chrysler Building a few blocks away. Architects Shreve, Lamb & Harmon designed the building's setback Art Deco form to comply with the 1916 Zoning Resolution, which required upper floors to step back from the street to preserve sunlight and air at ground level.

The building opened on May 1, 1931, with President Herbert Hoover ceremonially switching on its lights by remote button from Washington, D.C. The Great Depression left much of the tower vacant for years afterward, earning it the nickname the 'Empty State Building' among contemporaries, and it did not turn a consistent profit until the 1950s. On July 28, 1945, a U.S. Army B-25 bomber crashed into the 79th floor in heavy fog, killing 14 people; the building reopened for business the following Monday. A major renovation completed in 2019 upgraded the observatory experience, adding a two-floor museum on the 2nd floor covering the building's design and construction.

Rules & etiquette at Empire State Building

Airport-style security screening applies to all visitors, and large bags, luggage, and tripods over a certain size are barred; there is no baggage storage on-site, so travelling light avoids a return trip. All tickets are for a specific timed entry window and a reserved elevator slot booked at checkout - arriving without a reservation risks long stand-by queues, particularly on weekends.

The 86th-floor deck is open-air and wire-mesh-enclosed for safety, so weather (wind, rain, extreme cold) is a factor; the 102nd-floor deck is fully enclosed and climate-controlled. Selfie sticks are permitted but monopods and tripods are generally restricted on the crowded 86th-floor deck during peak hours.

Tips for visiting Empire State Building

1
Buy the combined 86th + 102nd floor ticket rather than the 86th-floor-only option if budget allows - the 102nd floor is a smaller, quieter space with a notably different, more vertiginous view and shorter typical dwell time due to its size, so it doesn't add much time to the visit. Sunset and the hour after are the single most popular booking slots and sell out first; if flexible, an early-morning or late-evening slot gives comparable skyline views with a fraction of the crowd.
2
The 2nd-floor museum, included with admission, covers the building's 410-day construction schedule and Art Deco design in enough depth to fill 20-30 minutes before heading up - worth doing on arrival while waiting for the timed elevator window rather than skipping it. For a classic photograph of the building itself rather than the view from it, the rooftop bars in nearby Koreatown (a few blocks south on 32nd Street) offer unobstructed sightlines north to the full illuminated tower after dark.

How to reach Empire State Building

20 W 34th Street, New York, NY 10001Directions in Google Maps

From 34th Street-Herald Square subway station
0.1 km · 1-2 min
$2.90 subway (OMNY/MetroCard)
From Penn Station (Amtrak/LIRR/NJ Transit)
0.9 km · 10-12 min walk
Free (walking distance)
From LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
13 km · 40-55 min combined
$2.90 total (single OMNY/MetroCard fare covers the transfer)

Nearest airport

From LaGuardia Airport (LGA)

approximately 13 km, 30-45 minutes by road depending on traffic.

Nearest station

From 34th Street-Herald Square (subway lines B, D, F, M, N, Q, R, W)

directly across the street.

Empire State Building FAQs

Which is better, the 86th floor or 102nd floor observation deck?

The 86th floor is the classic open-air deck with wraparound views and the more spacious, photogenic experience; the 102nd floor, an additional $35-$38 as of 2026, is fully enclosed, higher, and gives a more vertiginous straight-down view but is a smaller space with less dwell time. Most first-time visitors are satisfied with the 86th floor alone.

Do you need timed-entry tickets for the Empire State Building?

Yes, every ticket is booked for a specific entry window and elevator slot. Walk-up, same-day visits are possible but risk long stand-by waits, especially on weekends and during the popular sunset hour.

Is the Empire State Building open at night?

Yes, it stays open until 22:00-23:00 depending on the season, with last entry about an hour before closing. Night visits see noticeably shorter queues than the sunset slot and offer illuminated skyline views.

How long should you budget for a visit to the Empire State Building?

About 90 minutes total, including the 2nd-floor museum, security screening, and time on the observation deck(s). Add extra time during the sunset slot, when elevator queues run longest.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places