Visit New York: Empire State Building

A visit to New York just wouldn't be complete without visiting the Empire State Building.

With New York CityPASSes in hand, we were excited for the Empire State Building Experience.

I had originally wanted to visit just before sunset, but I forgot that the sun sets a lot later in New York than in Hawaii, and it would be past my kids' (and my!) bedtime.  So I checked the Empire State Building website to find out how long it was to get to the view on a Friday evening, and the website stated 20 minutes.

By the time we arrived at the Empire State Building, it was 6pm, and there was no line.  From the time we arrived at the Lobby, went through security (we did not have to exchange our CityPASSes for tickets, as the tickets in the booklets were the tickets to be scanned), and looked at the Sustainability Exhibits, it was mere minutes before we arrived at the 80th floor and the Dare to Dream Exhibit (you can take photos through the windows on this floor), and then another few minutes before we reached the 86th floor Observation Deck.

The weather was perfect, and the views were just stunning.

It was simply amazing to see hundreds and hundreds of buildings and New York's landmarks from the Observation Deck of the Empire State Building.

There is a fence surrounding the outdoor observation deck with large holes so you can take clear pictures. There are security personnel at the deck to help ensure everyone's safety and to help prevent accidents.  I observed a security personnel quickly react to a mom who had put her baby against the fence for a picture (it was very possible for the baby to fall through the large holes) - he immediately told the mother to take the baby down.  Whew!

Visitors can also download the Empire State Building Observatory Experience App for a self-guided tour.  The app helps to point out popular structures throughout the city.

New York CityPASS holders can return the same night to see the city light up!

Whether you visit during the day or night, the views are sure to be extraordinary!

Empire State Building
350 5th Ave

New York, NY 10118

Mahalo to CityPASS for the New York CityPASSes!