USA New York Empire State Building Entry Tickets

Yes. All visits to the Empire State Building require a timed reservation. Tickets cannot be purchased at the building without a pre-booked time slot. Booking online at esbnyc.com in advance ensures your preferred date and time and avoids walk-up price premiums. A Flex Ticket option is available for visitors who want to choose their date in advance but arrive at any time during operating hours on that day.

Yes, the Empire State Building is one of the best family experiences in New York City. Children 5 and under enter free; infant tickets must be collected at the ticket office on arrival. The second-floor interactive museum galleries with the King Kong giant hands photo opportunity and the construction history exhibits are particularly engaging for children. Families should strongly consider the Express Pass to avoid long queues and ensure the experience is not dominated by waiting.

The Express Pass is an upgrade to standard admission that bypasses all three queues: the ticket counter, security screening, and the elevator lines. During peak periods including weekends, summer months, US holidays, and midday hours from approximately 11:00 to 15:00, standard queue times regularly exceed 60 minutes. The Express Pass reduces this to under 10 minutes. It is strongly recommended for families with young children, visitors on tight schedules, and anyone visiting on weekends or in summer.

Sunset visits offer the most spectacular experience: arriving approximately 30 to 45 minutes before sunset allows visitors to see Manhattan in warm golden light and then the full illuminated city skyline during a single visit. Late evenings after 21:00 are significantly quieter with shorter queues. Weekday mornings from 09:00 to 11:00, particularly Tuesday through Thursday, are the least crowded times. Weekend afternoons from 11:00 to 15:00 have the longest wait times.

Yes, the Empire State Building is one of the best family experiences in New York City. Children 5 and under enter free; infant tickets must be collected at the ticket office on arrival. The second-floor interactive museum galleries with the King Kong giant hands photo opportunity and the construction history exhibits are particularly engaging for children. Families should strongly consider the Express Pass to avoid long queues and ensure the experience is not dominated by waiting.

The Empire State Building is located at 350 Fifth Avenue at 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The closest subway stations are 34th Street-Penn Station on the 1/2/3 and A/C/E lines approximately a 5-minute walk, and 34th Street-Herald Square on the B/D/F/M and N/Q/R/W lines approximately a 5-minute walk. The Observatory entrance is on 34th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, separate from the building's main Fifth Avenue lobby entrance.

On a clear day, visibility from the 86th and 102nd Floor Observation Decks can reach up to 80 miles, allowing views across five states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Clear conditions are most common in autumn and winter when atmospheric clarity is at its peak. On hazy summer days visibility is significantly reduced. The Empire State Building's official multimedia guide available for download identifies specific landmarks visible from every vantage point on the deck.

The Empire State Building has two public observation decks. The 86th Floor Observation Deck at 1,050 feet above street level is an iconic open-air wraparound terrace with 360-degree views and is included in the standard ticket starting from $44. The 102nd Floor Observation Deck at 1,250 feet is an enclosed glass-walled observatory reached via a separate glass elevator, offering a quieter, weather-protected elevated perspective and available as an add-on to the standard ticket.