The Empire State Building in New York is another symbol of New York that comes to mind, along with the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and the Brooklyn Bridge. When you see this Art Deco skyscraper in a movie or TV series, you immediately understand — this is New York. And not without reason…
When the Empire State Building opened in New York in 1931, the country was going through one of the most difficult periods in its history — the Great Depression. And yet, Americans built a building that remained the tallest in the world for 39 years! The Empire State Building became the embodiment of an ambitious and unbreakable New York.
If you are thinking about what to see in New York, the Empire State Building must definitely be on that list. At least because there is an observation deck here that offers an incredibly beautiful view of the metropolis from a height of 320 meters.
Interesting facts about the Empire State Building
- For 39 years, the Empire State Building remained the tallest in the world. Its height with the spire is 443 meters.
- Originally, the spire was designed as a mooring mast for airships.
- The name translates as “the building of the Empire State,” in honor of the nickname of the state of New York.
- The skyscraper was built in just 410 days, with a new floor erected every day.
- The building has 102 floors and 73 elevators, and none of them goes to the very top without a transfer.
- Lightning strikes the spire of the Empire State Building 25 times a year.
- More than a thousand companies operate in the building, and more than 20,000 employees work there.
- The spire is illuminated differently depending on holidays and events; there is an entire lighting calendar.
- In 1945, a military bomber crashed into the Empire State Building, but the skyscraper withstood it.
- Construction cost about 41 million dollars, which is significantly less than the original budget. The Great Depression caused prices for materials and labor to collapse.
- In 1986, the Empire State Building was included in the list of National Historic Landmarks of the USA, and in 2007, it ranked number one in the list of America’s Favorite Architecture, according to the American Institute of Architects.
What to see and do at the Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is one of the main attractions of New York — here is what you can do and see here.
Observation deck on the 86th floor
The terrace at a height of 320 meters offers one of the best views of New York. In good weather, five states can be seen: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. What else can be seen:
- Central Park;
- The Statue of Liberty;
- The Brooklyn Bridge;
- The Hudson and East River;
- One Vanderbilt tower.
The best time to visit is at sunset and immediately after, when the lights of Manhattan turn on.
Observation deck on the 102nd floor (Top Deck)
This is the observation deck at the very top of the building; it is more difficult to get here due to the limited number of tickets. The ticket costs significantly more, but the experience is of a completely different level.
Empire State Building Museum
On the second floor of the building there is an immersive museum with the history of construction, original photographs, and artifacts of the era. Interactive installations take you to the construction site of the 1930s. Visiting the museum is included in the standard ticket to the observation deck.
Run-Up race
Every year, the building hosts an official stair-running competition — the Empire State Building Run-Up. Participants climb 1,576 steps to the 86th floor. The record among men is about 9 minutes 33 seconds.
How to get to the Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is located at: 20 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001, at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street, in the very center of Midtown Manhattan.
The most convenient way to get there is by subway. The nearest New York subway stations are: 34 St–Herald Sq (lines B, D, F, M, N, Q, R, W) — literally two steps away, 34 St–Penn Station (lines 1, 2, 3) — a 5-minute walk, and 33 St (line 6) — a 7-minute walk.
You can also get there by taxi; Uber or Lyft will take you directly to the entrance. Keep in mind traffic in Midtown, especially during rush hours.
If you are already in central Manhattan, you can walk to the building. From Times Square, the walk will take about 10 minutes; from Grand Central Terminal — 12 minutes.
History of the construction of the Empire State Building
At the end of the 1920s, New York was seized by a real race — who would build the tallest building in the world. The Chrysler Building, 40 Wall Street, Bank of Manhattan Trust — all claimed the title. It was in this atmosphere that the Empire State Building project was born.
The initiator of the construction was the governor of New York State, John Raskob, and a group of investors. Raskob put a pencil on the table and asked architect William Lamb: “How high can we make it?” This is, essentially, how the appearance of the future tower was determined.
Construction: 1930–1931
When the previous building on the site — the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel — was demolished, construction of the Empire State Building began in March 1930. It lasted only 13 months, thanks to a well-coordinated system: rail carts delivered materials to the floors directly to workplaces, and finished structures were assembled almost immediately after being lifted. The steel frame was erected at a speed of 4–5 floors per week.
The grand opening took place on May 1, 1931. President Herbert Hoover pressed a button, turning on the building’s lights directly from Washington. It was a real moment of triumph — and at the same time a bitter irony: the US economy was in a deep depression, and at first the new skyscraper was so empty that New Yorkers nicknamed it the “Empty State Building.”
The spire of the Empire State Building
Originally, the spire was designed as a mooring mast for airships. Raskob imagined them approaching the tower directly above Manhattan, with passengers descending by elevator. The idea was beautiful, but impractical due to strong winds above the city. Only a few symbolic dockings were made, after which the idea was abandoned.
Architecture of the Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a classic example of the Art Deco style, which in the 1930s was synonymous with progress and modernism. The authors of the project are the architectural firm Shreve, Lamb & Harmon.
The stepped silhouette of the building is a result of the New York zoning law of 1916, which required setbacks in the façade as the height increased, so as not to block light for the streets.
The exterior finish is made of limestone, granite, and stainless steel. The façade is decorated with vertical ribs-pilons, which visually “pull” the building upward and create a sense of rapid movement.
Inside, there are marble lobbies with gilded reliefs and huge mosaic panels on the ceiling depicting the building itself surrounded by eight wonders of the industrial world.
The Empire State Building in pop culture
Source: King Kong
The most famous shot in the history of the skyscraper is King Kong climbing the spire of the building in the 1933 film of the same name. Moreover, the film was released just two years after the tower opened — that is how quickly it became an icon.
Another iconic moment is the final scene of the romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle (1993) with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan: the couple meets precisely on the observation deck of the Empire State Building. After the release of the film, the number of visitors to the observation deck increased sharply.
In Godzilla, Spider-Man, Independence Day, The Holiday, and dozens of other Hollywood films, the building appears as a symbol of New York.
The Empire State Building has also appeared in music. Alicia Keys, in her hit “Empire State of Mind” (together with Jay-Z, 2009), made the phrase “Empire State” itself a synonym for New York. The song became an unofficial anthem of the city.
Useful information
📍Empire State Building / 20 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001
Subway: 34 St–Herald Sq (B, D, F, M, N, Q, R, W)
Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 22:00 (last entry — 21:15)
Time needed: 1.5–2 hours, taking into account the queue and time on the observation deck
Price: Observation deck 86th floor — from $44; observation decks 86 + 102 floors — from $79
Website for buying tickets: esbnyc.com
We recommend buying tickets in advance; lines at the ticket office can be long even on weekdays.
