One World Observatory vs Empire State Building – Which is the Best?
When in New York City, which would you choose from the two admired observatory decks – One World Observatory or the Empire State Building?
These observation decks mounted on the city’s most famous skyscrapers offer fantastic views and have immense historical significance.
Visitors often get baffled by the vast amount of information provided while deciding which observatory to visit.
In this article, we have tried to make it easier by providing a one-by-one comparison of the two observation decks of New York’s most famous buildings.
One World Observatory vs Empire State Building – Our Recommendation
We recommend you visit both the One World Observatory and the Empire State Building decks for a profound experience of the New York cityscape.
Where the One World sits on the old World Trade Center site near the New York waterfront, the Empire State Building is at the center of midtown Manhattan.
Each gives a different perspective based on what you expect during your visit.
They are conveniently located 15 minutes from each other, making it an easy visit on the same day.
With the One World Observatory and Empire State Building combo tickets, you can save upto 5% on your visit.
If you have only time or the budget to visit one of the observation deck, the choice comes down to your personal preference.
To enjoy views of Manhattan and visit popular attractions, choose Empire State Building.
On the other hand, if you wish to pay tribute to the 9/11 victims and connect with history while enjoying views of the water front of NYC, go to One World Observatory.
If you are still unable to decide between One World Observatory and Empire State Building, read ahead as we compare both the observatory deck on various criteria.
One World Observatory vs Empire State Building – Ticket Prices
The One World Observatory entry ticket costs $44 for adults (13 to 64 years), $41 for seniors (65+ years) and $35 for children (6-12 years).
Kids under 6 get free entry but need a ticket.
For the Empire State Building entry tickets to the 2nd and 86th floors cost $45 for adults (13 to 61 years), $43 for seniors (62+ years) and $39 for children (6-12 years).
For additional entry to the 102nd floor along with the 2nd and 86th floors, the ticket prices are $81 for adults, $79 for seniors and $75 for children.
Children below six years get free admission.
You also get a skip-the-line combo ticket of One World Observatory + Empire State Building to visit both attractions with a 5% discount on the tickets.
One World Observatory vs Empire State Building – Which has Better View?
Both these skyscrapers, located in the Manhattan borough of New York City, provide some of the best views of the cityscape.
The One World Observatory lies at 1268 feet (386 meters) above the street level and provides 360° panoramic views from the comfort of an indoor climate-controlled space.
Due to its proximity to the waterfront area of Manhattan, you can enjoy clear views of The Financial district, Hudson and East Rivers and Statue of Liberty.
From here you can also enjoy views of the Chrysler Building, the Grand Central Terminal, the Flatiron Building, the Brooklyn Bridge and parts of New Jersey.
The Empire State Building is 1250 feet (381 meters) high, overseeing the Manhattan Rivers, Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, Times Square and much more.
The buildings’ position and almost similar heights give a magnificent view, and each of them is incomparable.
On clear days both the observatory decks offer views stretching to five districts past New York.
One World Observatory vs Empire State Building – Observation Deck Height
The One World Observatory is at the top of the tallest building, the One World Trade Center, in the Western Hemisphere of New York City.
The observatory decks at One World reach upto 1268 feets (368 meters).
The 100th, 101st, and 102nd floors house the Observation deck with stunning 360-degree views extending up to 45 miles across the city.
The Empire State Building has two observatory decks – the main deck on the 86th (1050 feet) and the top deck on the 102nd (1250 feet) floor.
A private balcony on the 103rd floor is also exclusively reserved for celebrities.
Hence, One World Observatory is the clear winner when it comes to the height of the observatory deck.
One World Observatory vs Empire State Building – Features
One World Observatory
Empire State Building
We provide an overview of the eateries, activities, and distinctive features inside the Empire State Building vs One World Observatory.
Exhibits and Experiences
The One World Observatory offers multimedia experiences and digital guidance on your visit to the deck. They include:
Horizon Grid: An educative multimedia display with 145 screens highlighting prominent locations, well-known people, and unforgettable memories.
See Forever Theater: a thrilling audio-visual spectacle that offers the first look at the breathtaking city skyline.
Digital Skyline Guide: The ‘One World Explorer’ in the iPad guide, gives you a virtual perspective and the ability to fly to the location when you pick on the iPad.
You can also hear amazing anecdotes about each place.
The Sky Portal is a circular glass disc that is 4.2 meters (14 feet) in dimension, providing an HD real-time picture of the streets.
City Pulse is an interactive ring monitor with high quality that lets visitors see the neighborhoods and landmarks of New York.
A time-lapse film, “Voices,” shows how New York City changed from the 1600s to the present.
The Empire State Building has exhibitions on two floors – 2nd and 80th covering the history of New York, the building, its construction and its evolution over time.
These include:
- The Site in the 1920s
- Construction Exhibits
- Opening Day Exhibits
- Modern Marvel Exhibits
- Otis Elevators Exhibits
- Urban Campus Exhibits
- World’s Most Famous Building Exhibit
- King Kong’s Escape Exhibit
- Celebrities Galore Exhibit
- Artistry in Light Exhibits
- Stephen Wiltshire’s Drawing Exhibit
On the 80th floor, an augmented reality experience is also called “The Scenes of New York.”
The Empire State Building also allows Movie Nights on the 80th floor with food and drinks, filming classics of all times.
Restaurants
In the One World Observatory, you can access fine-dining restaurant ‘One Dine’ on the 101st floor and casual cafés like Illy Caffè & Gelateria and One Mix.
Empire State Building offers several options in the main concourse, like ‘State Grill Bar,’ ‘Tacombi,’ ‘Chipotle,’ ‘Chopt,’ ‘Juice Press,’ and ‘Starbucks Reserve.’
These restaurants in Empire State Building are accessible for all observatory deck visitors.
Elevator
One World’s SkyPod Elevators climb 102 stories in 47 seconds and are the fastest elevators in North America.
While riding up, it provides a unique journey through hundreds of years of New York’s history through LED screens at its side.
At the Empire State Building, the visitors board two or more elevators to reach the 80th-floor exhibit hall first, the main deck on the 86th floor and then the 102nd floor.
Therefore, the elevator experience is quite different in both buildings.
One World Observatory vs Empire State Building – Building
The One World Observatory has 102 floors with a height of 1268 feet (386 meters) accessible to the public.
It has a total of 104 floors, and the total height is 1776 feet with the spire, built on the site where the previous World Trade Center Twin Towers stood.
The One World Observatory has a modern look with a glass finish matching the neighborhood.
The Empire State Building comprises 104 floors and is 1,454 feet with spires, with only the 86th-floor deck (1050 feet) and the 102nd-floor deck (1,250 feet) accessible to the public.
The building has clear geometric patterns, simple shapes, clean lines, and fancy decorations, which were popular during the 1930s when it was built.
It is popular for its night lights, which are specific colors that represent occasions, holidays, organizations, or countries, and no light expresses sympathy or respect for any disaster.
One World Observatory vs Empire State Building – Opening Hours
The One World Observatory hours are from 9 am to 9 pm.
It takes about 45 minutes to 1-hour to complete your visit here.
If you go in the late afternoon, ideally on a weekday, you can see the sunset over the sea horizon.
The Empire State Building’s general opening hours are from 10 am to 10 pm.
However, the times change based on the season and events.
The visit to the 86th floor takes about an hour; if you visit the 102nd floor, add another 30 minutes to your plan.
During peak seasons from May to September, you may have to spend extra minutes in long queues at the elevator and entrance.
One World Observatory vs Empire State Building – Location
One World Observatory
Empire State Building
One World Observatory and Empire State Building are located in Manhattan, 20 minutes from each other.
The One World Observatory is located in lower Manhattan in the Western Hemisphere.
Address: One World Trade Center, 117 West Street, New York 10007. Get Directions
It is situated at the corner of West and Vesey Streets in Lower Manhattan.
The Empire State Building is at the heart of Manhattan, surrounded by the Grand Terminal and popular public spots.
Address: 20 W 34th Street, New York 10001. Get Directions
In New York City, you can quickly get to both locations via buses, subways, and taxis.
Empire State Building vs One World Observatory – Expected Crowd
Tthe One World Observatory gets about 3 million visitors annually while the Empire State Building receives 4 million.
Remember, both these buildings have immense historical backgrounds, and the visitors are often attracted to that.
One World Observatory, though a comparatively recent structure, is built on the site of the 9/11 attack World Trade Center.
On the other hand, the Empire State Building has stood tall in the heart of New York City since 1931.
Each observatory’s unique experiences also attract visitors to choose one over the other.
Final Verdict: One World Observatory vs Empire State Building
When deciding which observatory deck to visit, you must know your expectations from the visit to the top.
If it is just the view and your digital experience, then One World Observatory is the one with its pristine waterfront views and the surrounding land mass.
However, to explore the iconic structure that has shaped the NYC skyline for over 90 years, including its history and exhibits, the Empire State Building is the one for you.
Sunset views are the best from One World Observatory for their positioning in the cityscape and would be less crowded.
Also, with One World, you can add the 9/11 Museum and 9/11 Memorial to your itinerary for additional reference to New York’s history.
For night visits and lighting on the building, the Empire State Building is better as it has a flexible closing time depending on the season.
Finally, we suggest paying quick visits to both and returning home with a full-fledged New York experience.
FAQs
1. Which is taller, the Empire State Building or the One World Observatory?
The One World Observatory’s highest floor is 1268 feet, and that of the Empire State Building’s top deck is 1250 feet.
So, the One World Observatory is taller than the other.
2. Is the One World Observatory better at night or day than the Empire State Building?
The One World Observatory is better during the day and sunset, where the crowd is comparatively smaller than the Empire State Building.
The Empire State Building looks beautiful with the lighting at night and the late-evening views from its deck.
3. Can you go to the topmost floor of the Empire State Building and One World Observatory?
You can go to the highest floor, the 102nd floor of the One World building, which has the observation deck.
The public has access to the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building, while celebrities can access the private balcony on the 103rd floor.
4. Who has a higher admission fee – the Empire State Building vs One World Observatory?
The One World Observatory entry ticket costs $44 for adults (13 to 64 years), whereas the Empire State Building entry tickets cost $45 for adults (13 to 61 years).
The senior and children’s ticket costs for the Empire State Building are also a couple of dollars more than those for One World Observatory.
5. Can I visit the One World Observatory and the Empire State Building together?
Purchase the combo ticket to visit the famous skyscrapers of New York, echoing the history of different times and nature.
Featured Image: Gagliardi Photography, Romanbabakin