One Times Square — New York’s newest observation deck

The One Times Square observation deck opened on December 17, 2025, right in the heart of New York City at Times Square itself.

You’re not standing on some distant rooftop far above the city. You’re hovering directly over the epicenter, watching the flow of crowds on one of the most pedestrian-heavy squares in the world, catching details of neon signs, screens, and street life up close. An evening visit is especially striking, when the millions of lights of Times Square come alive right beneath your feet and the heated flooring lets you enjoy the view comfortably even on cold winter nights.

One Times Square -- a new observation deck in New York

Key facts about the One Times Square observation deck

The deck is located on the 19th floor and takes the form of a circular open-air terrace that wraps around the building, offering one of the best views directly over Times Square.
At about 80 meters high, it’s lower than most other NYC observation decks, but that’s exactly what makes it special: from here, you can clearly see street-level life, glowing billboards, and the movement of the crowd.
Access is via two glass panoramic elevators mounted on the exterior of the building.
The building also now houses the Times Travel museum, which tells the story of Times Square and the One Times Square building itself.
On the 25th floor, visitors can get an up-close look at the iconic New Year’s Eve Ball and take photos with it (requires an additional ticket).
The One Times Square building itself was constructed in 1904 as the headquarters of The New York Times, which is how Times Square got its name (it was previously called Long Acre Square).

What makes One Times Square special

The experience feels less like a traditional observation deck and more like standing on a giant balcony or gallery suspended above the square. You’re looking straight down and sideways at screens, signage, rivers of people, taxis, and tourists. The billboards are nearly at eye level, which creates a strange sensation — as if you’re inside Times Square’s advertising machine rather than observing it from a distance. That’s the place’s defining feature.

And yet the view is genuinely mesmerizing: thousands of tourists, hundreds of yellow cabs, the lights of what many consider the greatest city on earth. You can’t help but pause and take it all in, being right at the center of the most chaotic square in the world, just slightly above it.

The pedestrian gallery wraps all the way around the building, giving you a full 360° view, including sightlines down the avenues and cross streets, with distant glimpses toward New Jersey or Long Island City.

The history of One Times Square

One Times Square is both an address and the name of the 26-story building constructed in 1904 as the headquarters of The New York Times.

Over time, it found itself in a uniquely paradoxical position.

Thanks to its location at the heart of one of the most famous squares in the world, the building became one of New York’s most recognizable landmarks and at the same time, almost completely inaccessible from the inside. For decades, hardly anyone actually entered it.

How did that happen?

By the early 2010s, One Times Square had become a study in contrasts. On the outside: one of the most valuable and profitable media façades on the planet. On the inside: near emptiness. Traditional office space made little sense here — revenue from exterior advertising vastly outweighed any potential rental income.

As the home of the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop, One Times Square has played a central role in global New Year’s celebrations since 1907. Thanks to its visibility and location, its advertising surfaces are considered among the most desirable, and most expensive, in the world.

The recent renovation and the new observation deck were designed by the iconic Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta. In New York, they are also behind the 9/11 Memorial Museum entrance pavilion, and elsewhere their work includes the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin and the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha. They are also currently designing the 50 West 66th Street tower near Central Park.