Are you lucky enough to be able to visit New York’s Top of the Rock? Here’s our mini-guide: tour, times and prices!
Would you like to see New York City from the top of one of the city’s tallest skyscrapers, perched at a height of 259 meters? Located atop the tallest building in Rockefeller Center, the Top of the Rock offers one of the finest panoramic views of the Big Apple.
A visit to the Top of the Rock, at the highest point of New York’s eighth-tallest building, offers a view that rivals the 86th-floor observatory of the famous Empire State Building (also available on an equally breathtaking tour). The Top of the Rock is less well known to the general public, with the Empire State Building – the city’s second-tallest building – overshadowing it for over 80 years. Are you planning to visit the Top of the Rock? We’ll tell you all you need to know about visiting this viewpoint!
History of Top of the Rock
Photo credit: Unsplash – Hannah Busing
Before you climb as close as you can to the heavens, do you know the singular history of this open-air observation deck? The Comcast Building (originally named the RCA Building from 1933 to 1988, then the GE Building from 1988 to 2015), was built by the wealthy Rockefeller family between 1931 and 1933, in art-deco style. It is one of nineteen skyscrapers in Rockefeller Center.
Designed as a tapering blade with a flat roof – made to resemble the deck of an ocean liner – and no spire. Its architecture is unusual in that it was erected like a sharpened block of stone – which enhances the sensation of height – hence the singular name Top of the Rock, meaning « top of the rock » and also, by metonymy, the « top of Rockefeller Center ».
Another anecdote: the building holds an important place in American culture, as the world-famous 1932 photo of eleven workers having lunch with their feet dangling in the air, seated on a steel crossbeam suspended in the air at the top of a skyscraper, represents the construction of the RCA Building (86 years later, the author of the photo is still unknown).
What to see and do at Top of the Rock?
Photo credit: Flickr – Ivan Velazco
The great advantage of the observation deck is that it offers a 360° view of the Manhattan skyline, including the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center, rebuilt between 2006 and 2013 after the attacks of September 11, 2001 (you can also pay your respects at the memorial dedicated to this tragic event).
Top of the Rock actually consists of three terraces, on the 67th, 69th and 70th floors. An elevator provides quick access to the 67th floor. Below you is the New York skyline, over 250 metres high.
The lower floors are surrounded by windows, while the top floor is in the open air, making it one of the best places to photograph New York (almost) from the air. To the north, you can see the iconic Central Park and Times Square, while to the south, you can admire the Empire State Building and Downtown in the background. On the left is the tip of the Chrysler Building spire.
How to visit Top of the Rock
To discover Top of the Rock, you need to prepare for your visit, in particular by finding out all you need to know about the site. From visit times to site accessibility, we’ve put together a selection of the most frequently asked questions.
How long does the tour last?
Visiting the Top of the Rock takes an average of 45 minutes to an hour. However, you can choose to stay longer at the top, or even all day to enjoy the site to the full: the building is open until midnight.
When is the best time to visit Top of the Rock?
The Top of the Rock is one of New York’s most popular tourist attractions, and the three-storey skyscraper is sure to be busy at any time of day.
– In the morning, the sun shines on the Empire State Building and the southern tip of Manhattan.
– In the afternoon, Central Park is lit up, with the Empire State Building in shadow (or rather, against the light in photographic terms).
– In the evening: the whole city seems to be ablaze in a festival of twinkling lights: a visit at night is one of the best moments.
Good to know: A visit at dusk is the most popular time of day. An additional $10 is required to visit Top of the Rock at sunset.
Is it possible to eat on site?
Food and drink are not permitted on the viewing platforms. You can, however, eat at Rockefeller Center after your visit.
Are there any unauthorized items?
Objects that could endanger the safety of visitors and employees are not permitted in the building or on observation platforms, including weapons and knives, lighters, glass bottles and flammable substances. Musical instruments, amplifiers, tripods, professional video cameras and loudspeakers are also not permitted.
Accessibility
- Wheelchairs
The guided tour of Top of the Rock and Rockefeller Center is accessible to people with reduced mobility. All entrances are accessible, and power-assisted doors are located at the main entrance (50th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues).
Elevators are available on every floor of Top of the Rock, from street level to the observation deck on the 70th floor.
All public toilets at Top of the Rock are equipped with wheelchair-accessible cubicles.
- Transcriptions
Paper transcripts of all the short films shown during the Top of the Rock tour.
- Headphones
All visitors to Rockefeller Center receive a personal headset for the duration of the tour.
- Visual & audio guide
Guide dogs are welcome in all public areas of Top of the Rock and Rockefeller Center. An audio tour of Top of the Rock is available free of charge in the Top of the Rock mobile app, for iPhone and Android.
- Strollers
Strollers are allowed if they are retractable.
How do I get to Top of the Rock?
To get to Top of the Rock (address: 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10111), simply take the subway. Here, you can choose between two stations:
– Station 47-50 streets – Rockefeller Center (lines B, D, F and M)
– Station 5 av/53rd st(E and M lines).
Top of the Rock opening times and prices
Photo credit: Flickr – DeShaun Craddock
SCHEDULES
The site is open daily from 8am to midnight. The first elevator goes up at 8am, the last at 11pm.
Good to know: The site remains open even in rainy weather. Certain areas may be closed if the weather deteriorates dangerously.
Opening hours may vary on public holidays:
– Thanksgiving, November 28: 8am-midnight
– Christmas Eve, December 24: 8am-10pm
– Christmas Day, December 25: 8am-midnight
– New Year’s Eve, December 31: 8am-10pm
– New Year’s Eve, January 1: 10am-12.30pm
RATES
- Adults
- Children aged 6 to 12 (free for children under 6)
- V.I.P. access ticket (priority and rapid entry)
- Guided tour (every half-hour from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., English only)
- Pass New-York: if you want to avoid long queues and benefit from discounts to visit New York’s must-see sites, including the Top of the Rock, then opt for Pass New-York. You can choose between three packages, each of which includes a visit to the Top of the Rock as well as other must-see New York landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building. Depending on your budget and the attractions you wish to visit, you can choose the package that suits you best.
36 per person
$30
$85
$25