The Empire State building, often dubbed the "Cathedral of the Skies", is the undisputed most popular attraction of New York. Millions of people, 3.5 million to be exact, flock to this architecturally very attractive building each year. It is the tallest skyscraper in New York since the destruction of the World Trade Center and has not lost any of its appeal since it was built 1931.

The Empire State Building is the best way to see how New York looks from above. You can enter the Empire State Building from 350 5th Avenue Street. With 102 floors and 381 meters it is an astonishing achievement, especially considering that it was built more than 70 years ago. There is a big observation deck on top which you can visit to take pictures or just be amazed by the panoramic view. It is one of the most romantic places on the Empire State Building observation deck.

The observation deck is one of the most popular in the world and more than 100 million people overall have visited it already. The observation deck of the Empire State building is located on the 86th floor on which you can walk around the building and have a 360 degree view of New York from the top of the skies.
There is another, smaller observatory on the 102nd floor which was built later but it is not always open. Because of its smaller size, expect it to be closed on busy days.

The top of the Empire State Building is illuminated at night and normally follows a standard schedule. The flood lights were added in 1964 many years after the construction of the building finished.
The colors adapt to special seasonal changes such as Christmas or special events. This can include sports events. When one of the local sport teams, be it basketball, football or ice hockey, is having a game in New York, the colors will light up in the colors of the team playing.
During the US Open tennis tournament, the colors will be yellow, just like a tennis ball. And after the September 11th attacks, the colors were blue, white and red for several months.

The Empire State building is featured in many Hollywood movies of all kinds. The most famous event at the Empire State building though must have been when stuntman Jeb Corliss smuggled in a parachute and tried to parachute off the observation deck. Before he could jump he was stopped by police but this story was going through many TV stations.

When visiting New York, don't miss this fantastic opportunity to see one of the greatest constructions on this planet.