3. Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center

Advice: we recommend to visit Rockefeller Center (or Rockefeller Plaza). There is more space and fewer tourists, including a great view to the Empire State Building on one side and Central Park on the other. You’d better buy tickets in advance, or buy standard or big version of the city ticket.
Location: approx. 0.62 miles (1 km) from Times Square in opposite directions. Empire State Building: Fifth Avenue between 33rd & 34th Streets (entrance from Fifth Avenue). Rockefeller Center: Sixth Avenue between 49th & 50th Streets (entrance from 50th Street).
How to get: to the Empire State Building - "Herald Sq - 34 St" subway station, trains:  N   Q   R   B   D   F   M  ; to the Rockefeller Center - "Rockefeller Center - 47-50 St":  B   D   F   M 
Mark on the map: google-map (#3), standard map (#3).
Neighboring attractions: Museum of Modern Art, MoMA (0.25 miles / 400 m from Rockefeller Center), Grand Central Terminal (0.62 miles / 1 km), Times Square (0.62 miles / 1 km), Central Park (0.5 miles / 800 m from Rockefeller Center).
Spend time: usual time spent on the observatory is 45 minutes, but your time is unlimited. Buy your tickets in advance to avoid long waits.
Cost: you will find exact prices in the article below, admission to observatory is approx. $30, additional $15 to get to the 102nd floor.
Opening hours: 365 days a year. Empire: from 8am to 2am. Rockefeller: from 8am till midnight.

Skyscrapers, perhaps, are among the main landmarks of New York. A trip to New York would not be complete without visiting skyscrapers. We will tell about two skyscrapers. In fact, it’s hard to choose between them.


Empire State Building is the tallest building in New York, located in the center of Manhattan. It is a 102-storied landmark skyscraper. It has a roof height of 1250 feet / 381 m (and with its antenna spire included, the height is 1454 ft / 443 m). There are two observatories on the 86th floor and on 102nd floor, from where you can get unmatched view on New York City (photo). There is often a long wait to buy tickets. But you can skip the ticket line by buying your ticket online in advance.
Opening hours: 365 days a year from 8am to 2am. Learn more:
- standard and big version of the city ticket include 86th floor observatory admission and audio tour.
- Ticket prices for the 86th floor observatory: $32 ($55 priority queue ticket).
- Ticket Prices for 86th and 102nd floor combination: $52 ($75 priority queue ticket).
For more details visit the official site of the Empire State Building.
To book online with discount go to this site.

Advice: because of the long ticket lines and big quantity of tourists, we recommend to pay attention to the second skyscraper mentioned in our article.


Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 buildings and is well known as the center of New York on Christmas holidays. The biggest Christmas tree is erected here. You can also enjoy skating on the ice rink.
The tallest building of this complex is GE-Building, 70 floors, 266 m / 850 ft above the sea level, with observatories on the 67th, 69th and 70th floors. The ticket lines are not too long, but you’d better buy tickets online.
- standard and big version of the city ticket include admission to three observatories.
- Cost of admission: $30 ($40, Sunrise/Sunset tickets). There are also many different combination tickets for Rockefeller Center tours. Learn more on their website.
To book online with discount go to this site.
Opening hours: 365 days a year from 8am till midnight.
Advice: the visit to this skyscraper is mostly recommended: more space, fewer tourists, spectacular view on the Central Park to the north (photo), and on the most beautiful building in NYC, Empire State Building to the south (photo), which you won't be able to admire if you visit it.


Neighborhood attractions:
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
It is located only four blocks north from Rockefeller Center. It was founded in 1928, and became one of the first respectable museums of modern art in the world, serving an example for other similar museums. Cost of admission: $25, included into standard and big version of the city ticket.
Opening hours: 10.30am 5.30pm (closed on Tuesday).
Virtual tour around the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA):


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