I've heard that the 'top of the rock' is just as good and less lines but I felt if I was going to NYC I was going to see the Empire State Building. My tip is to buy the express pass. We pre-bought tickets on line and then when we got there the line was very long so we upgraded... more

I booked tickets before leaving for the states as the ESB is one of the well known landmarks of manhattan and i felt we ought to go to say we had been. We went on a day when the visibility was not great and as such there were no queues. If it had been clear i can only imagine what... more

I wish I had read these reviews before going. I really got the feeling of being mugged there with all the hustling for extra money. And as mentioned even the $20 doesn't get you to the top. They have a quck line to make you pay your money, then long lines inside especially on the 80th floor. Really the view... more

We waited...and waited...and waited....in line to get to the observation deck of the Empire State Building. They have cleverly disguised line-ups at this attraction. When you first go in, it looks as though the line isn't too bad. So, you wait. You pay your entrance fee, and then you are shuttled into another line cleverly hidden in another area. Once... more

What's a trip to NY without the Empire State building? We were on a very fixed, tight schedule of time, so we knew we did not have time to waste standing in lines. I bit the bullet and splurged on the express passes for our family of four. Wow!! Smart move!! We were treated like celebrities and pulled to the... more

Its bad enough having to wait in line for such a long time and be hearded like sheep in order to gain access to ESB NYC, but when the staff have a bee in their bonnet it just makes the experience a little more difficult to bear. We were constantly told to hurry along in an aggressive manner. My teenage... more

What a great experience! Great views of New York City from every angle! I feel this experience was totally worth the price of admission! On that score, there seems to be some confusion among the prior reviewers. It currently costs $20 for a ticket to the 86th floor, you don't need to go any higher, don't need to buy the... more

The documentation your given while in line doesn't make clear or mention that you're paying for the 86th floor only. It was $20 per adult. When we got up there we were confused, because it was only the 86th floor. The 86th floor is only 84% of the way to the top! The way you go all the way up... more

We went to the empire state building to visit the observation deck. When they told me the price for my family of 4, my mouth hit the floor. $172.00 I told them to pound sand and left. Very disappointed. more