What's in the Empire State Building. Empire State Building: the history of the famous tower

The Empire State Building is one of the first and legendary skyscrapers in New York that has become its symbols. It was called the eighth wonder of the world, and until 1972 it proudly bore the title of the tallest building in the world. The history of construction is rich in interesting facts, both amazing and sad.

Building architecture

The development of the project, which took only 2 weeks, was carried out by a group of architects from the firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon. In the design of the building, they successfully combined the mood of the public during the Great Depression and new requirements for urban development.

The skyscraper has stepped shape, tapers upward. This is one of the requirements of the Urban Zoning Act (1916). The narrowing of the upper floors was supposed to provide good street lighting.

The facades are devoid of any decoration and are as simplified as possible, but the building is undoubtedly attributed to the Art Deco style. An important role in this is played by a set of materials - chromed steel, plastic and glass. A new and bold combination for that period of time.

Construction of a New York skyscraper

In January 1930, construction began on the Empire State Building in New York. On preparatory stage They dug a pit, installed utilities and erected a foundation. In March of the same year, construction of the main part began.

All work was based on the conveyor principle. This is especially clearly demonstrated by the fact that the steel frame parts were installed 8 hours after they were manufactured at the factory.

Coal furnaces were installed directly at the construction site, in which rivets for the frame beams were heated. By the way, it was assembled to the 86th floor in six months. In parallel with the assembly of the steel frame, plumbers and electricians worked inside the building, laying utility lines.

Empire State Building - numbers and facts

The famous New York skyscraper amazes not only with its scale, but also with some facts that not everyone knows about.

Empire State Building in numbers

Some figures provided by statistics and historical chronicles make us look at the Empire State Building with different eyes:

the construction required 10,000,000 bricks, 60,000 tons of steel elements, 6,500 window structures, about 700 km of electrical cables;
the spire is struck by about 100 lightning strikes per year;
the height at the end of construction was 381 m, but after the installation of the television tower it increased to 443 m;
total weight of the building - 365,000 tons;
about 3,000 people constantly worked at the construction site;
the construction of the skyscraper took a record 410 days;
the building has 103 floors, connected by 73 elevators;
the observation decks of the Empire State Building were visited by 110,000,000 people;
about 30,000 people work in the offices of the skyscraper;
the cost of the building at the time of completion was $41,000,000, and in 2014 it was valued at $629,000,000.

There were also some sad statistics. According to official data, 5 people died during construction.

The Empire State Building in New York is memorable not only for its height and architecture, but also for several interesting facts his "biography".

One of the most famous skyscrapers in the USA received its name thanks to the unofficial name of New York - Empire State or “Imperial State”.
It was possible to rent out all the offices of the tower only a decade after construction.
At the highest point they planned to install a spire for mooring airships. In practice, this turned out to be impracticable due to strong vortex air flows at altitude.
Every year on February 5, a running competition is held in the skyscraper. The winner is the one who climbs 1,576 steps in record time.
Since the building contains a huge number of offices, it has your postal code - 10118.
The main load is borne not by the foundation, but by the steel frame. This allows you to significantly reduce the weight of the structure.
The Empire State Building has become the hero of several films. The most famous of them is King Kong (1933).
A magnificent panorama opens from the observation deck. You can see the surrounding area at a distance of 128 km.

Wide known fact is that for the construction of the high-rise, installers from the Mohawk tribe were attracted, who were not afraid of heights.

New York skyscraper illuminated

Several decades after its construction, the Empire State Building became a symbol of the American dream and gained the special love of US citizens. It aroused a new wave of interest and sympathy in 1964, when the upper part of the building was equipped with floodlights. They illuminated the TV tower and the top floors on holidays or other significant dates. The system still works today.

Each holiday and event corresponds a specific backlight color scheme. So, after the death of F. Sinatra, these were blue lights, on the anniversary of the Queen of Great Britain - purple and gold. After the destruction of the World Trade Center, the tower was illuminated in red, white and blue for several months. During the US Open (tennis) tournament, yellow is the dominant color.

On some memorable dates, the backlight is turned off completely for a short time.

Interesting fact! In 2012, 10 floodlights were replaced with 1,200 LEDs. They provide a wide range of illumination colors and are fully computer controlled. There are now about 16 million colors available to illuminate the top of a skyscraper.

On the official website of the Empire Building you can always find out the current color of the lighting, as well as what it was like yesterday and what it will be like on the next significant date.

Incidents at the Empire State Building

In July 1945, an American bomber crashed into the Empire State Building between the 79th and 80th floors. The blow was so strong that he the engine flew right through the building. The skyscraper itself did not receive any particular damage. Most offices opened the next day without any problems. The collision claimed 14 lives.

The most famous skyscraper in New York City is located in Midtown Manhattan at the intersection of 34th Street and 34th Street.

The Empire State Building is made in the Art Deco style, has 102 floors, the height of the building including the spire is 443.2 meters. The building takes its name from the old colloquial name for New York State (The Empire State). The building was built in 1931 and for 40 years was the tallest building in the world (until New York City builders completed the North Tower of the World Trade Center in 1972).

The Empire State Building is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and represents the strength of the American economy and the spirit of the American Nation.

The building was designed by a group of architects led by the American architect William Lamb. Construction of the building began in March 1930, with 3,400 workers simultaneously employed on the construction site every day. The work was completely completed on May 1, 1931, meaning the building was completed in less than 14 months or 410 days.

The original cost of the Empire State Building was estimated at $43 million (642 million in 2012 prices), however, due to the outbreak of the economic crisis— During the Great Depression, at the beginning of construction and during the year when the building was being erected, engineers were constantly looking for ways to reduce its cost; the final cost of the building by the end of construction was a little more than half of the initially expected costs - $25 million.

During the first year of operation of the Empire State Building, its observation deck brought the owners an income of $2 million, which was comparable to the funds received from renting out the building's space.

However, for several years, the owners of the Empire State Building were unable to fill the building with tenants by more than 60%, which was explained by the ongoing Great Depression. Due to this, the building was popularly nicknamed the EMPTY State Building. Thus, the building paid off for investors only after 19 years in 1950.

The Empire State Building is the first building in the world to have more than 100 floors. The building has 6,500 windows and 73 elevators. Today, the building houses more than 1,000 tenant companies and more than 21,000 office workers visit the building every weekday, making it the second largest commercial building in America after the Pentagon.

Interesting facts

After the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 (9/11) and the collapse of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the Empire State Building again became the tallest building in the world;

The building is currently owned by more than 2,800 investment funds through Empire State Building Associates L.L.C;

Over the years of the Empire State Building's existence, more than 30 people have committed suicide by jumping from its observation deck located on the 86th floor;

On December 2, 1979, Evita Adams jumped from the observation deck of a building but was thrown by a gust of wind to the floor below where she was found with a broken hip;

On July 28, 1945, at 9:40 a.m., an American pilot flying a B-25 Mitchell bomber crashed into the north side of the Empire State Building between the 79th and 80th floors as a result of loss of control. As a result of the incident, 13 office workers and the pilot himself were killed;

Push

The feeling of being at the foot of the Empire State Building is breathtaking. What amazes the most is the fact that this giant was built in 410 calendar days! It's crazy... By the way, during my life in Moscow, I worked for 3 years in one fairly well-known development company; our company was engaged in the construction of one of the Moscow City high-rises. So, for example, the construction of that high-rise has been going on since 2003, but it’s 2013—and the building is not a quarter complete.

The view from the observation deck cannot be described, it is amazing. It is better to visit the building in the evening, when New York is completely immersed in illumination. Long queues of tourists can spoil the impression somewhat, but after going to the observation deck, you will completely forget about it! You can get acquainted with the Empire State Building at one of my individual ones.

There are two observation decks - at the 86th floor level and at the 102nd floor level. There are so-called “express” tickets (bypassing most of the queues), so by overpaying $22 per person, you can save an hour and a half of your own time. Access to the landing on the 102nd floor is paid separately (+ $17) - this is where you can definitely save money; the landing at the top is cramped; the view from it is practically indistinguishable from the view from the 86th floor.

IN largest city The USA is home to more than five thousand skyscrapers. Only in New York could an office building become a historical landmark. The face of the American metropolis is giant high-rise buildings, and this building does its job well. The Empire State Building is an unshakable symbol of the Big Apple and one of the most recognizable skyscrapers in the world. If you like to travel and study unusual architectural treasures, then this building will find something to surprise you.

Today, the Empire State Building (ESB) is a national monument and a must-see landmark in New York City. Over 130 million people have already visited the observation decks of this building, which is comparable to the population of an average country.

Where is the Empire State Building located?

The famous skyscraper adorns the island of Manhattan, and its 102 floors are visible from several kilometers away. The building is located on Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th streets, 1 km from Times Square. From 1931 to 1972, the Empire State Building held the title of the tallest structure on the planet until the North Tower of the World Trade Center was built. After the 2001 terrorist attack, the skyscraper again ascended to the pedestal, but this time as the tallest building in New York.

This is interesting. IN beginning of XXI centuries in the world, and in America itself, many high-rise buildings appeared that surpassed the Empire State Building - the Freedom Tower in New York (104 floors), the Royal Clock Tower in Mecca (120 floors), Shanghai Tower in Shanghai (128 floors), International Commerce Center in Hong Kong (118 floors). The most tall building at the moment - Burj Khalifa, which has 163 floors. The skyscraper opened in 2010.

In 1986, the Empire State Building was included in the list of national treasures of the country, and in 2007, the building became the first on the list as the best architectural solution. The owner and manager of the building is W&H Properties.

How to get there

You can get to the famous skyscraper by public transport. If you go by subway, you need to get off at the 34th Street/Herald Square station on lines N, Q, R. You can get there by bus - M4, M10, M16, M34. Nearby are Times Square, Museum contemporary art New York, Morgan Library and Museum.

History of creation

The site where the Empire State Building is now located was the site of John Thompson's farm until the 18th century. A spring flowed here, flowing into the Golden Perch Pond - a reservoir that is still located in the area from the high-rise building. In the 19th century, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel stood here, hosting New York's social elite.

At the time of its construction, the structure became the first in the world, which had over 100 floors, or rather 102. The height of the Empire State Building in New York is 381 m, and with the spire - 443 m. The skyscraper has antennas from which television and radio broadcasts are carried out. The first experimental television broadcast was made from the top of the skyscraper on December 22, 1931 - six months after completion of construction. Today, the spire of the structure as a transmitter is used by almost all radio and television channels in the city.

Spotlights that illuminate the Empire State Building with colorful lights were recorded back in 1964. The building is painted in honor of the holidays and memorable dates- on Presidents' Day the structure glows red, blue and white, on Valentine's Day - red, pink and white, and on St. Patrick's Day - green.

Thousands of tourists come to the building every day. The thing is that there are two observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors. On the first platform you can see the whole of New York; it is more difficult to get to the last floor - the platform is smaller and only a small number of visitors are allowed there. The skyscraper itself also houses an attraction that simulates flying over the city on the Hudson.

Construction or who became the architect of the Empire State Building

The building was designed by Gregory Johnson and his architectural firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon. It was this company that prepared the drawings in a couple of weeks, taking as a basis their previous project - the Carew Tower in Cincinnati in Ohio. The plan was created from top to bottom. The main contractors were the Starrett brothers and Eken, and the construction was financed by John Raskob.

The preparation of materials began on January 22, 1930, and construction began on St. Patrick's Day - March 17 of the same year. The project involved 3,400 workers, most of whom were immigrants from Europe, as well as the Mohawk Indian foundry workers from the Kanawake reservation near Montreal. The skyscraper has 102 floors, and the total weight of the structure is 365 thousand tons. They spent $41 million on construction.

This is interesting. It is believed that the ESB architects, when they met with investors, heard the question: “How high can you build a building without it falling?” The builders understood this hint well - the skyscraper was to be called the tallest skyscraper in America, and at the same time in the world.

The construction of a skyscraper became part of the competition - the winner received the right to be named tallest building. Wall Street and the Chrysler Building competed for the title. These structures held the title for less than a year, as ESB beat out its rivals on the 410th day of construction.

Thanks to the popular nickname of the state of New York, the skyscraper of the Imperial State or the Empire State Building got its name. Construction built in 13 months, which is very fast for the first half of the 20th century. For comparison, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were built in seven years.

Opening

The official “coming out” of the Empire State Building was ceremonial: President Herbert Hoover pressed a button in Washington and turned on the lights in the building. Ironically, the lamps on the high-rise spire were lit for the first time on the day of Franklin Roosevelt's victory over Hoover in the November 1932 election.

This time was also marked as the Great Depression. The structure began to be called the Empty House of the Imperial State, since no one rented office space in the ESB. And the whole point was not only the crisis, but also the uncomfortable location - the metal structure occupied almost the entire internal area. The offices were cramped and looked like small closets. Afterwards, the building was reconstructed, creating modern comfortable premises. The legendary skyscraper is the penultimate one hosts Donald Trump and Hideki Yokoi sold for $57.5 million in 2002. The new owner of the skyscraper is Peter Malkin's real estate company, which manages a couple of other historic buildings in New York. Today, the view of the Big Apple from the Empire State Building is the most magnificent because of the opportunity to see a 360-degree panorama.

Architectural style

At the beginning of the 20th century, steel frames began to be used for the construction of multi-story buildings, which had previously been used for the construction of bridges and railway stations. In 1930, the Chrysler Building with a height of 319 m received the palm as the tallest building in the city. The building overtook the Bank of Manhattan, which reached a height of 282 m. However The Empire State Building surpassed everyone in 1931- towering 381 m above New York. The total weight of the structure is 365 thousand tons, and the steel structure has a mass of 59 thousand tons. There are 10 million bricks in the walls.

By increasing the length of the shafts and the speed of passenger elevators, the maintenance of the high-rise was simplified. The Empire State Building has 62 elevators arranged in groups. But according to city zoning laws, high-rise buildings must have narrowed upper floors. To better illuminate the streets, architects began to build skyscrapers that were completely different from the Chicago high-rises. turn of the XIX century and XX centuries. The new style of multi-storey buildings combined the motifs of art deco and avant-garde geometricism.

One of interesting places ESB is the spire. The structure has 16 floors and also houses a control room. The top of the building was going to be used as a pier for airships. The Spire only accepted two airships, and then all were canceled due to the risk of collision. There is also an antenna mast at the top of the structure, which is decorated with illumination from time to time. Only in the first few years the observation deck on the spire visited by several million people. The annual profit was $1 million, a significant amount during the Great Depression era.

The width of the Empire State Building depended on the requirements for ventilation and natural light. Before the installation of powerful air conditioners, the depth of the room from the window to the back wall could not be more than 8.5 m. The building has 6,500 windows connected by vertical steel strips. The outer covering of the walls is made of gray limestone, which is framed with aluminum sheets. The support platform has five floors and occupies the entire area of its site. There is a three-story lobby in the center, surrounded by two tiers of shops. Due to the fact that there was no place on the construction site where materials could be stored, they were delivered on schedule and immediately lifted upstairs. The construction process was similar to a factory assembly line, which is why it was possible to build a skyscraper in such a short time.

The ESB style is art deco, created at the International Exhibition of Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925. The style incorporates motifs from various historical forms - from culture Ancient Egypt before the development of the Maya. Art Deco is characterized by the use of new materials - chromed steel, glass and plastic. In their reviews, tourists note that the architecture of the Empire State Building is unusual, since all the most interesting things are located outside.

Empire State Building inside

What's inside? famous skyscraper, after all, the building was not built for tourist purposes? ESB is an ordinary office high-rise, which during the years of construction was called the Empty State Building (empty - empty). Companies were reluctant to occupy the premises, but the situation soon changed due to interior remodeling. Just 10-15 years ago, small firms were the main tenants of 100 m2 offices. Today, entire floors are occupied by large companies thanks to colossal reconstructions of the internal halls.

It is more convenient to climb to the upper floors of the Empire State Building by elevator, but some people try to climb the 1860-step staircase. This could very well be a training session, as once a year the building hosts a competition to see who can climb the fastest. The winner is awarded one million dollars. The office space can accommodate 15 thousand people, and the elevator carries 10 thousand passengers in one hour;
Empire State is not just an office, but entertainment for tourists. In the lobby, which is 30 meters long and three floors high, hangs a giant panel depicting the eight wonders of the world. Naturally, one of them is the Empire State Building itself. There is a Guinness World Records room where information about unusual achievements and record holders is stored;
On July 28, 1945, a plane crashed into a building. It was a B-25 bomber that flew between the 79th and 80th floors. The disaster claimed the lives of 11 people;
Every year the skyscraper is visited by more than 35 thousand tourists, and more than 50 thousand people work in the building itself.

Opening hours

The Empire State Building is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. The last rise is at 1.15 am. On the 86th floor there is an observatory, from where you can see amazing city panoramas from a height of 320 m. On average, they spend about an hour at the observation decks, but the visiting time is not limited in any way.

Ticket prices

Since the observatory opened in 1931, the building has been visited by more than 110 million people. Accordingly, there are long queues before entering. It is recommended to buy tickets in advance to avoid the line of tourists. There is a standard version of the city pass, which allows you to visit the observation platform on the 86th floor and an audio guide. The cost of entry to the site on the 86th floor is $32, and if express without queues - $55. You can also visit the 102nd floor for $52 and $75 without waiting.

What to see nearby

If visiting the famous skyscraper is not enough, then you can check out the attractions nearby. The list below will help you have a good time:

. The city on the Hudson is home to one of the most famous and largest parks in the world. Central Park is located in Manhattan on an area of 3.4 km2. 25 million people come here every year. Hotels are located opposite the park, so it is convenient to combine a walk and not be interrupted from your planned activities;
. Sports complex, which is located on Eighth Avenue. This is a multifunctional facility that is used more than 300 days a year for various events. It hosts New York Knicks basketball games and New York Rangers hockey tournaments, concerts and performances. During hockey matches the hall seats 18,200 people, and during concerts - 2,000 visitors;
. The pride of America, which rises above New York on Liberty Island near Manhattan. For more than 100 years, the symbol of democracy has been welcoming and seeing off hundreds of ships in the Big Apple harbor. It is an interesting attraction for tourists and a beacon of freedom for Americans;
. One of the oldest hanging structures in the country, which was the longest in the world until 1903. Steel slings were used for the first time to build the Brooklyn Bridge. The main span over the East River is 487 m long and the total length is almost 2 km.

1. The construction of the Empire State Building took only 1 year and 45 days. The construction process was accelerated by the fact that the ESB was involved in a construction race with the skyscraper.

2. Much less money was spent than planned. Construction cost almost $41 million. This is less than half of the projected costs.

3. The building has been empty for many years. Because of the Great Depression, no one could afford to rent an office at ESB. At the time of opening, about 80% of all premises were vacant.

4. One day a plane crashed into the Empire State Building. This happened on July 28, 1945. A B-25 bomber crashed into the building between the 79th and 80th floors. As a result of the accident, 11 people died.

5. Rumor has it that the building's spire was intended to anchor airships.

6. At the top of the tower, on the 103rd floor, there is a tiny room. It is used for maintenance and is not available to the public.

7. The Empire State Building is struck by up to 100 lightning strikes per year.

8. ESB has its own postal code - 10118.

9. The Empire State Building is a movie star. He played his first major role in the film about King Kong. Filming took place two years after its opening.

10. Many of the workers, or “skywalkers” as they were also called, who built the building were Mohawk Indians. They were famous for not being afraid of heights.

11. Every year, on February 14, mass weddings take place in the skyscraper. The newlyweds get married on the 80th floor, receive free tickets to the observation deck and become members of the “Wedding Club”.

12. Every year, the skyscraper hosts a race up the steps to the very top (1,536 steps to the 86th floor). The fastest time, at the time of writing this article, was 9 minutes and 33 seconds, achieved by Paul Craik from Australia.

13. There are no residential premises in the ESB. Its premises are intended only for offices.

14. At the top of the Empire State Building a very strong static electricity. Try to kiss your soul mate and you will feel a current between your lips)

15. The ESB lights were turned on for the first time from Washington, DC.
The opening of the Empire State Building on May 1, 1931, was a national event. President Herbert Hoover turned on the building's lights while in Washington.

If you're in New York, be sure to take the time to visit this beautiful skyscraper and its observation deck.

Don't forget to buy a card. With it you will save a lot of time and money when visiting the sights of New York.

How the ESB was built:

Views from the observation deck:

Empire State Building (ESB) – main symbol New York, US National Historic Landmark and best American architectural achievement of all time.

The skyscraper received its name in honor of the American state of New York, which is often called the “Empire State”.

According to legend, when Henry Hudson sailed down the Hudson River, he was so struck by the beauty and grandeur of the area that he exclaimed: “This is a new empire!”

Empire State Building – 103-story office building located on Manhattan Island in New York, USA. The entrance to the building is located on Fifth Avenue - between West 33rd and 34th streets.

Location on Google maps, the map itself can be enlarged:

Translation into Russian

WITH English language"The Empire State Building" can be translated into Russian as " Imperial State Building"or "House of the Imperial State".

History of the skyscraper: design and construction

Looking into history, we learn that The building was designed by the architectural firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon., whose chief architect was William F. Lamb.

The design used early designs for the Reynolds Building skyscrapers in North Carolina and Carew Tower in Ohio.

Tower construction started on St. Patrick's Day - March 17, 1930, and ended 1 year and 45 days later In total, the construction of the skyscraper required more than 7 million man-hours.

Above the building construction 3400 workers worked: most of them are emigrants from Europe, as well as several hundred installers who come from the Tomahawk Indian tribe, distinctive feature who had no fear of heights.

At the time of the start of construction of the ESB, the future symbols of New York - the Trump Building and the Chrysler Building - laid claim to the title of the tallest skyscraper in as soon as possible and were already under construction.

A serious struggle broke out between them, as a result of which the ESB overtook everyone: the building grew four and a half floors per week, the record is fourteen floors in ten days.

So, after 410 days, 5662 m 3 of building materials, 60 thousand tons of steel structures, 10 million bricks and 700 km of cable, The tallest building in the world at that time appeared on the Manhattan skyline.

Opening of the Empire State Building

Solemn The opening of the building took place on May 1, 1931: The state governor cut the ribbon and President Herbert Hoover lit the tower's floodlights using a switch in Washington.

For your information! At that time, the Great Depression was in full swing in the United States, and not everyone could afford to rent space in a skyscraper, which is why the building was empty for a long time: offices occupied approximately 20% of the total area. The tower was completely rented out only after a whole decade.

Height and other technical characteristics of the building

At the time of the official opening of the skyscraper its height was 381 m, and after the construction of a television tower on the roof of a skyscraper in 1952, height reached 443.2 m. After which the top of the tower began to be used for the location of equipment.

How many floors?

The building has 103 floors: commercial premises occupy the first 85 floors buildings, their total area is more than 257 thousand m².

The remaining 16 floors are a superstructure in the Art Deco style, which is a combination of modernism and neoclassicism.

There are observation platforms on the 86th and 102nd floors of the skyscraper.

The width of the tower at the base is about 140 m: the building occupies about one hectare of land. In total, the building has 6,500 windows, 1,860 steps and 73 elevators, which are capable of transporting up to 10 thousand people per hour.

Observation platforms

Main observation deck

The highest observation deck operates on the 86th floor of the skyscraper outdoors in New York. Dozens of movie scenes were filmed here and millions of unforgettable moments were experienced.

For reference! The site is located around the spire of the building, presenting visitors with a panoramic view of New York and its environs. It offers breathtaking views of Central Park, the Hudson River, the East River, the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty and much more.

You can also use observation binoculars with multiple magnification and view objects in great detail.

Upper observation deck

Sixteen floors higher - on the 102nd floor of the building - there is another observation deck, significantly smaller in area than the main one, and also completely closed.

Lighting

The tradition of ceremonial lighting of the tower in different colors in honor of major events, holidays and celebrations are preserved for many decades.

Previously, the top 30 floors were illuminated by 200 floodlights: on Independence Day, the building turned white, red and blue, and on St. Patrick's Day, green.

To achieve this effect, the filters on the spotlights were manually changed: the process took several hours.

In 2012, dramatic changes took place in the tower's illumination system: A dynamic LED lighting system was installed. If previously the change in architectural lighting occurred within 10 colors, today New Yorkers see a palette of 16 million shades.

The new illumination system allows you to control the light remotely, adjust its direction and create various effects.

No holiday in New York is complete without a light show on the tower, which is often synchronized with the musical accompaniment.

Interior: what's inside?

Building interior – one of the few recognized as a landmark Committee for the Preservation of the Architectural Heritage of New York. In 2009, 18 months were spent restoring the aesthetics of the original 1930 interior design (recall that the entire building took only 13 months to construct).

Inside there is a thirty-meter-high hall that stretches over three floors. It is decorated with panels of the Seven Wonders of the World, and on the wall above the reception desk in the lobby is one of the most famous in New York - an image of the building itself, emitting light.

Useful information for tourists

Skyscraper open all year round from 8 am to 2 am, and a huge number of people visit it every day.

The least number of visitors occurs at 8 am and 3 pm, as well as late in the evening.

To avoid wasting time in line in front of the cash register, you can purchase a ticket on the official website. The validity period of such a ticket is one year, that is, it is possible to schedule a visit for any convenient time. However, you still have to stand in line (security check, elevator). Only visitors with VIP tickets can skip these lines.

Prices. The cost of visiting the open observation deck on the 86th floor is from $37 for an adult and from $31 for a child. VIP tickets are $65 for everyone. A visit to the upper observation deck on the 102nd floor is paid separately (plus $20 for all ticket categories).

The New York Pass allows you to visit more than 90 Big Apple attractions, including the Empire State Building, with a single ticket.

The cost of such a ticket depends on its validity period - from one to ten days: from $124 to $420 for an adult and from $94 to $279 for a child.

Exhibition "Sustainability"

On the second floor of the skyscraper there is an exhibition “Sustainability”. The building is currently being renovated: about $120 million is being spent to reduce energy consumption.

The Sustainability exhibition showcases the latest technologies and processes and tells the story of the building's renovation through digital displays, sculptures and real building materials.

Exhibition "Don't be afraid to dream"

On the 80th floor there is an exhibition “Dare to Dream”. The History of the Empire State Building - The Story of the American Dream: The exhibition chronicles the history, design and construction of the building. It includes original documents: photographs, architectural sketches, construction notes and daily accounting documents.

Get more detailed information about the building, its location and role in modern world thanks to the interactive multimedia tour, which is included in the ticket price. To do this, you need to download the corresponding application from the AppStore or Google Play, which can be done on site using the free wireless Internet.