Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building are the two longest standing and most iconic New York observation decks. Today, there are three modern and shiny new kids on the block (Edge, Summit and One World), but the two original observation decks still have a few tricks up their sleeves. We’ve been up both several times, and we definitely have a standout favorite.
In this guide we compare five important aspects of what it’s like to visit Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building, based on our experiences.
Our Experience
When we moved to NYC at the very end of December 2020, going up to all five sky-high observation decks was near the top of our agenda. And they did not disappoint. We loved how different they all were, from the exhibits to the elevator experience and from the type of viewing platform to the skyline views.
Now, we’d already been up Top of the Rock before we moved to the city. So we had an idea of what to expect. But for the sake of creating this guide, we went up both Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building twice each in the first few months of 2021 so we could draw a fair comparison. To keep the suspense building, we’ll tell our favorite at the very end! Read more about us.
The Skyscrapers
Okay, let’s dive right in! Here are some of the key structural differences between the two towers:
Year Opened
- Empire State Building – 1931
- Top of the Rock – 1933
Building Height
- Empire State Building – 1,454 feet
- Top of the Rock – 850 feet
Floor Count
- Empire State Building – 103
- Top of the Rock – 70
Observation Decks Height
Empire State Building:
- 86th floor (1,050 ft)
- 102nd floor (1,250 ft)
Top of the Rock:
- 67th floor (820 ft)
- 69th floor (840 ft)
- 70th floor (850 ft)
Step Count
- Empire State Building – 1,860 steps
- Top of the Rock – 1,215 steps
Cost To Build
- Empire State Building – $41 million ($661 million today)
- Rockefeller Plaza – $250 million ($1.7 billion today)
For us, the key takeaway here is that the Empire State Building has two observation deck levels over 1,000 feet high, whereas Top of the Rock has an additional observation deck level but the tallest is only at 850 feet high. But don’t let that make your decision for you just yet, there’s a lot more to unpack.
Don’t worry about the step count, that’s just for reference. You’ll take an elevator from street level all the way up to the observation decks, so no climbing is required! And finally, the cost to build is interesting but hard to draw a direct comparison because Rockefeller Plaza includes a bunch of extra land, buildings and square footage in a prime Midtown Manhattan location.
Now, let’s get into our comparisons between ticket prices, exhibits and experiences, elevator ride, observation decks and finally views.
1. Ticket Prices
Outside of the views over New York City, we think ticket prices are the most important thing to consider when deciding which observation deck to go up. We’ll get to views later, so for now let’s start with how much they cost.
Tip: Ticket prices are always changing at all of New York’s observation decks, so it’s important to shop around and find the best deals. They also charge more for sunset time slots, so be aware that it’ll cost you extra to go up for the few hours around dusk. Finally, all ticket sales display pre-tax prices, so the total cost is always more than the base ticket price.
Top Of The Rock
There are three main ticket options for Top of the Rock: General, Express and VIP. General admission is a standard ticket that gets you access to all three observation deck levels with no time limit. It’s the only ticket we’ve ever bought after going up 5 or 6 times so far. Express and VIP are more expensive because they have add-ons and perks.
General Admission:
- Adult – $40-61 (Ages 13+)
- Child – $34-55 (Ages 6-12)
- Senior – $38-59 (Ages 62+)
Why is there such a big range of prices? Well, Top of the Rock used to have set prices but they now have dynamic prices that change based on demand. For instance, a weekday morning ticket at 10:00am will cost $40 because demand is low, but a sunset ticket on a weekend will cost $61 because demand is high.
Express Pass:
General admission + instant access to the viewing decks (skip the line) + priority elevator access and a 20% discount at gift shop. Tickets begin at $105/adult when booked directly.
Honestly, we wouldn’t pay over $100 just to skip the line. The only time we’d even entertain the idea is if we visited NYC on a weekend in summer around sunset when we know the line would be enormous.
VIP Pass:
General admission + expedited entry + guided tour of Top of the Rock. Plus, it includes private elevator, Skylift, Beam and champagne toast. Tickets cost $190/adult when booked directly.
Even though the price is way higher, we do think this would be a great way to do it because the ticket comes loaded with private perks for a more personalized visit, and it includes both Beam and Skylift (Top of the Rock’s two newest unique thrill experiences).
Buying Tickets:
You can buy all ticket types online in advance from the official website, or in person when you arrive (although we only recommend buying in person if you visit in the off season months).
That said, be sure to check the following vendors to see if you can beat the prices:
- Get Your Guide
- Viator
- Tiqets (our exclusive 10% discount code is automatically applied with this Tiqets link!)
Tip: You can buy add-ons for Beam ($25) and Skylift ($35) in person when you arrive. For instance, you pay $40 for a general admission ticket, then pay $35 for Skylift when you arrive for a total spend of $75.
Location:
Top of the Rock observation deck is located at the top of Rockefeller Center, one of many buildings located in Rockefeller Plaza on 5th and 6th Avenues between 49th and 50th Streets.
The entrance you need for the observation deck is on W 50th Street, closer to 6th Avenue and opposite Radio City. Here’s the exact maps location. Look for a bright red carpet leading into revolving doors with the word “ticketing” above.
Closest subway stations:
- Orange Line – F, B, M, D (47-50 Sts Rockefeller Center)
- Blue Line – E (5th Ave 53 St Station)
- Green Line – 6 (51 St)
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building has a lot of ticket options at different price points, which we’ll cover below. Importantly, you must decide whether you want to visit the 86th floor only, or the 102nd floor and the 86th floor. We’ve been up a bunch of times, but we’re yet to go up to the 102nd floor because it’s more expensive and it’s totally enclosed, so for us it’s not worth it.
Main Deck (86th Floor Observatory):
- Adult – $44-58 (Ages 13-61)
- Child – $38-52 (Ages 6-12)
- Senior – $42-56 (Ages 62+)
Top Deck (102nd and 86th Floor Observatories):
- Adult – $79-94 (Ages 13-61)
- Child – $73-88 (Ages 6-12)
- Senior – $77-92 (Ages 62+)
Special Ticket Types:
- Starbucks Sunrise Experience – $135/person
- Express Pass 86th + 102nd floors – $120+/person
- Express Pass 86th floor only – $85+/person
- Premium Experience – $175/person
- All Access Tour – $500/person
- AM/PM Experience – $64+/adult and $54+/child
If we’re being honest, the only one of those special tickets we’d consider is the AM/PM experience because it includes two trips up to the 86th floor, one during daylight and one later that same night. And it reduces the price per visit to as little as $32/adult.
Buying Tickets:
You can buy all ticket types online in advance from the official website, or in person when you arrive (although we only recommend buying in person if you visit in the off season months).
That said, be sure to check the following vendors to see if you can beat the prices:
- Get Your Guide
- Viator
- Tiqets (our exclusive 10% discount code is automatically applied with this Tiqets link!)
Location:
The Empire State Building is sandwiched between 33rd and 34th Streets on 5th and 6th Avenues. To access the observation decks, you’ll need to find the entrance on W 34th Street half way between 5th and 6th Avenues. Here’s the exact maps location. There’s no red carpet, but you’ll see the word “observatory” above the door.
Closest subway stations:
- Orange Line: F, B, M, D (34 St Herald Sq)
- Yellow Line: N, R, Q (34 St Herald Sq)
- Green Line: 6 (33 St Station)
- Red Line: 1, 2, 3 (34 St Penn Station)
Winner – Top of the Rock
In our opinion, Top of the Rock has an easier to understand ticketing system when compared to the Empire State Building. You buy one general admission ticket for all three observation decks and you can optionally buy add-on experiences when you arrive.
We don’t like that there’s a compulsory $5 processing fee included on every purchase made for any ticket type at the Empire State Building. And worse yet, the terminology “ticket reservations are required” is misleading because you can buy tickets in person at kiosks on the 2nd floor (see our photo above) without paying a $5 processing fee. Of course, the downside is potentially waiting in a line, but it’s still a bit naughty in our book.
Tip: Remember you can use any of the New York attraction passes to gain entry to all observation decks in the city at cheaper prices by bundling with other attractions. Our top recommendation is the NY Sightseeing Pass because we’ve had the best experience with them. We always use passes for attractions when we visit New York because they really do save money when used correctly.
2. Exhibits + Experiences
New York’s observation decks are about more than just skyline views. One of our favorite parts about visiting any of the decks is reading the exhibits and information boards about history and development. Plus, the latest in-vogue thing to do is open new and exciting experiences, so they’re all competing against each other to offer the most appealing or thrilling add-on.
Top Of The Rock
Exhibits:
Once you pass through security and up a flight of stairs curving around a sparkling Swarovski chandelier, you’ll find yourself in the Mezzanine Exhibit. A horseshoe-shaped walkway takes you on a journey through the life of John D. Rockefeller and how the Rockefeller Plaza was built.
Are you familiar with the famous photo of workmen sat high up on a metal beam enjoying a break? This is where you can have a green screen photo taken on the beam that’s available for purchase later. The final stop is a theater with three short films that are worth watching.
Experiences:
In order to modernize and compete with the experiences like City Climb at Edge observation deck, Top of the Rock have spent a small fortune to open two new experiences called The Beam and Skylift.
- The Beam – For $25 you get to sit on a beam that sits 12 feet above the 69th floor deck and spins 180-degrees for 90 seconds.
- Skylift – For $35 you can stand on a small open-air circular platform 30 feet above the 70th floor that rotates 360-degrees.
Empire State Building
Exhibits:
After passing through security at the Empire State Building, you’ll embark upon an adventure through two floors of exhibits. On the 2nd floor alone you’ll find the following exhibits (you can download a free self-guided audio tour when you arrive):
- The Site In The 1920s
- Construction
- Opening Day
- Modern Marvel
- Otis Elevators
- Urban Campus
- World’s Most Famous Building
- Kong
- Celebrity
And here are exhibits you’ll pass through on the 80th floor:
- NYC Above And Beyond
- Artistry In Light
- Stephen Wiltshire’s Drawing
- Scenes of NYC
Phew, talk about a lot to get through before you even head up to the observation deck! We recommend allowing for plenty of extra time for these exhibits, especially if you plan to visit at sunset and don’t want to miss the sun.
Experiences:
There are no additional experiences you can pay for after arriving at the Empire State Building.
Winner – Draw
We thought Top of the Rock’s exhibits were outdated and lacking, whereas the Empire State Building’s exhibits were symbolic and extensive. It felt like a lot of effort had gone into making it feel more immersive before actually getting to the observation deck.
That said, Top of the Rock is innovating and now offers new experiences to try, whereas the Empire State Building has no fun (some might say gimmicky) experiences. So overall we have call this one a tie. If you’re more interested in fun exhibits or social media, you should go up Summit One Vanderbilt instead.
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View NYC Guidebook3. Elevator Experience
Yes, we are being totally serious, elevator experience is a real thing at New York’s observation decks! The newer decks have better elevator rides because they’re more modern, especially One World Observatory which has the best elevator experience. But what can you expect from the two oldest decks in town?
Top Of The Rock
The elevator at Top of the Rock is known as the Sky Shuttle, which climbs 850 feet in 42 seconds. It carries you from the entrance to the 67th floor, from where you’ll take escalators to the 69th and 70th floors.
On the way up to floor 69, be sure to look up and watch a light show projected against the elevator’s transparent glass ceiling which displays an animation about the history of New York City. It’s certainly dated, but it’s better than nothing!
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building has a large, classy and more modern feeling elevator ride. It carries you from the entrance to the 80th floor in less than one minute, and as it gains elevation it plays an animated movie of the ESB being constructed around you. Familiar New York accents from construction workers swinging on metal beams and tossing hot rivets into the air surround you on the way up.
You get out on the 80th floor, walk through a room of exhibits and then get in another standard elevator which takes you up 6 more floors to the observation deck. If you pay to go higher, a glass elevator takes you up to the 102nd floor.
Winner – Empire State Building
The elevator experience at the Empire State Building feels more immersive and relevant than Top of the Rock, which is pretty disappointing overall. We think the elevator should be the next thing they spend big on at TOTR!
4. Observation Decks
Okay now we’re really getting into what’s important. Before talking specifically about the views, let’s quickly take a look at the actual observation decks themselves.
Top Of The Rock
Top of the Rock has 3 floors of observation decks: 67, 69 and 70:
- 67th floor – Enclosed room with tall windows creating natural frames for Manhattan and the Empire State Building.
- 69th floor – Large 270-degree viewing platform facing north, west and south from behind glass panels.
- 70th floor – Rectangular shaped viewing platform with 360-degree unobstructed views and importantly, no glass windows.
The 67th and 69th floor viewing areas are big enough to fit a lot of people, which is important when it gets busy. But the 70th floor (see our photo above) is narrow and fills up during peak times. We once stood on the 70th floor at sunset and felt like we were in the front row of a Taylor Swift concert.
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building has 2 floors of observation decks: 86 and 102:
- 86th floor – Square shaped 360-degree outdoor viewing platform completely encircled by a metal mesh barrier.
- 102nd floor – Small circular shaped indoor viewing room with floor to ceiling glass windows.
The outdoor deck on the 86th floor can get jam-packed during peak times, but at least it’s outside and you can put your camera or smartphone camera through holes in the fence to get glare-free photos.
You might notice a red glow in our photo above? The glow comes from heaters that come on when it gets cold out, which is great for battling harsh temperatures but it’s not great for photos that come out with a deep red hue.
As mentioned earlier, we haven’t been to the 102nd floor yet because it’s more expensive and the glass windows reduce photo quality. But if you’re only interested in the views, it delivers those in abundance. That said, we would only pay the extra money if the weather was crystal clear.
Winner – Top of the Rock
While the Empire State Building has an observation deck a whopping 32 floors higher than Top of the Rock (the 102nd floor), it’s expensive and surrounded by glass windows. Whereas the 70th floor at Top of the Rock is totally open and clear of windows, which we love. It’s actually the only floor of any deck in the city without glass barriers, which is a huge deal in our opinion.
The 86th floor of the Empire State Building is definitely worth the trip, but the diamond mesh fence makes photography challenging. It also has a one way system, so once you move out of one area you can’t go back on yourself. In contrast, you can switch between all three Top of the Rock decks as many times as you want.
5. Views
Okay, let’s finish with the grand finale and arguably the most important aspect of all. Which deck has the best views between the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock? Here we go!
Top Of The Rock
From the 70th floor viewing platform, this is what you can see from Top of the Rock:
- Northeast: Central Park
- Southeast: Chrysler Building, Brooklyn
- Southwest: Empire State, One World Observatory, Midtown, Lower Manhattan, Hudson Yards
- Northwest: Hudson River
Here are our photos showing what you can expect to see at different times of day from the 70th floor:
Empire State Building
From the 86th floor of the Empire State Building, this is what you can see:
- Northeast: Chrysler Building, Times Square and Top of the Rock
- Southeast: East River and Brooklyn
- Southwest: One World Observatory, Flatiron Building and Lower Manhattan
- Northwest: Hudson River, Hudson Yards and Edge
Here are our photos showing what you can expect to see at different times of day from the 86th floor:
Winner – Top of the Rock
Both decks offer mind-blowing NYC skyline views from different perspectives, but in our opinion Top of the Rock edges it with better overall views when compared to the Empire State Building for three main reasons:
- Top of the Rock has a unique close-up and front-on view over Central Park.
- You can’t see the Empire State Building from the top of the Empire State Building!
- All of Manhattan is in one view from Top of the Rock.
If you’ve ever been up Top of the Rock, what was the first thing you looked for when you arrived at the viewing platform? We’ll go out on a limb and say it was the Empire State Building.
It’s the first thing we look for every time we go up any observation deck because it’s so iconic, it lights up at night and it’s in the center of Manhattan like the sun to our solar system. So in one sense, we think it’s a victim of its own icon.
Best Time To Visit
Without a doubt, sunset is the best time to visit both observation decks. But it’s also the most popular time slot so despite being more expensive, sunset tickets sell out extremely quickly which means you should buy your tickets online well in advance to avoid disappointment.
If you’d prefer to visit at a quieter time of day, either go up around lunch time or wait until it’s dark later in the evening. At these times you won’t have to deal with long lines to enter, lines waiting for elevators going up and down, or crowds on the observation decks.
Photography
We think the views from both observation decks are among the most unmissable photo spots in NYC. But tripods are not permitted on any floor of any observation deck in the city. So we had to check our tripod into cloakrooms most times, with a few exceptions when they let us carry it but not set it up. This meant we had to improvise to get our shots at sunset and at night.
Here’s what we did at both decks:
Top of the Rock – We set our camera down on one of the flat stone platforms (with strap attached!) so we could capture long exposures with our ISO at 100 once it got darker.
The southwest facing views over Manhattan are immense at sunset, especially in winter when the sun sets closer to the Statue of Liberty (in summer it sets over New Jersey so the photos usually aren’t as good).
Empire State Building – We wiggled our camera though one of the diamond shaped gaps and rested the lens hood on the edge of the stone. Again, we had to keep our camera strap attached (triple checked!) so the camera didn’t fall between the gap but it worked a treat for stabilization.
Because of its central location within Manhattan, we took photos in all four directions from the viewing platform. The sunset view isn’t as good because it faces towards Hudson Yards and doesn’t have any famous buildings in the line of sight outside of Edge.
Which Deck Should You Visit?
Look, they’re both fantastic observation decks in their own right and you’ll enjoy either one. But to summarize, here’s which deck we think you’ll prefer based on the following interests:
- Photography – Both are great, but Top of the Rock has the iconic NYC skyline view.
- History – The Empire State Building’s exhibits are top notch, with a more iconic feel.
- Nature Lover – Top of the Rock gives you views of Central Park which is stunning year round.
- Architecture – The Empire State Building is way more attractive as a standalone structure.
Our Favorite
For us, Top of the Rock is the clear winner for these 4 reasons:
- We love the unobstructed view from the 70th floor.
- It has the better view of Central Park and Manhattan.
- It’s cheaper to visit the highest deck at Top of the Rock than it is to visit to the lowest deck at Empire State Building.
- The view of Empire State Building from Top of the Rock is the icing on the cake.
Whenever we meet Mark’s family and friends from England in New York, we always take them up Top of the Rock over the other observation decks. We think the magical Manhattan views more than make up for poor exhibits and a basic elevator experience.
We hope our comparison of Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building helps with planning your visit to NYC!
Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.
Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us.
I’ve lived in the city for a year now and I did not know how beautiful these places truly were. You take attractions like this for granted and I’m now seeing them so stunning and exhilarating because of your photos and perspectives. Thank you – Top of the Rock is definitely on my list this year!
Thanks Mariana! We’re so happy that we’ve been able to show you the city from a different perspective and hope you enjoy your visit to Top of the Rock!