One World Observatory
Updated January 4, 2026 –– I'm going to say what no polite travel writer does: A big part of the allure of seeing the view from atop the western hemisphere’s tallest building (at 1,776 ft.) is the knowledge that you may be tempting fate by doing so. The skyscraper was built as a nose thumb to the terrorists who had twice attacked the World Trade Center on this same acre of ground. That has meant that the building’s office space is still not fully rented (according to the scuttlebutt). But the observation deck should be a big hit because, along with the tremendous views, visitors can show their patriotism by choosing this eagle's-eye perch over the Empire State Building, the Top of the Rock or one of the city's other observation decks. That point used to be brought home by the introductory video, which detailed the pride that the men and women who built the building took in their work (touchingly, one of the construction workers did the same job on the Freedom Tower that his father had on the Twin Towers). Unfortunately, it no longer seems to be playing (or wasn't when I visited in late 2021). The other side of the coin (whether the place is safe) is addressed when you head into the final part of the lobby: a tunnel the developers dug into the bedrock, and kept purposefully rough-hewn, filling it with signs (in lights) about the durability of the rock foundations and the fact that the building contains 5.4 million cubic feet of concrete “making this the strongest building ever constructed.” Is this meant to reassure patrons or hype up the excitement? I’ll leave that to the cynics among you to decide.
The Observatory also lures customers with some pretty whiz-bang features. Its elevators not only shoot passengers up 102 stories in an ear-popping 47 seconds (they’re among the fastest elevators in the world), but also have walls that turn into video “windows,” through which riders see a computer-generated visual history of the city, from meadowlands to the skyscrapers of today. (Be sure to look right to glimpse the Twin Towers, just a brief blip in this 500-year timeline.) There’s also a fun multimedia presentation at the top, and a “tour guide” often stationed to answer questions about visible landmarks with the help of an interactive wheel of screens.
That being said, I think the designers made several key errors. Unlike the city’s other observation decks, OWO has no outdoor areas, so the views are sealed behind glass, which is less exciting than feeling skyscraper-top winds whip your hair as you stare into the abyss. Plus, the powers that be now ask visitors to pay extra to look through a tablet at the view. Save your money! The tablet is loaded with not-very-exciting videos, plus text giving background information for only a handful of the buildings you’ll see through the glass. Final disappointment? Though you can see 50 miles in all directions on a clear day you do so from the foot of Manhattan, meaning the buzzing, crowded streets of midtown are far in the distance. If you go to any of the other of the city’s desk, you’ll be in the middle of the action, which makes the views more dynamic (I think).
On-site are a bar/restaurant (One Dine) and a souvenir store. As at the other observation decks in town, tickets are timed, which should mean minimal waits (so don’t pay extra for VIP access).
Updated January 4, 2026 –– I'm going to say what no polite travel writer does: A big part of the allure of seeing the view from atop the western hemisphere’s tallest building (at 1,776 ft.) is the knowledge that you may be tempting fate by doing so. The skyscraper was built as a nose thumb to the terrorists who had twice attacked the World Trade Center on this same acre of ground. That has meant that the building’s office space is still not fully rented (according to the scuttlebutt). But the observation deck should be a big hit because, along with the tremendous views, visitors can show their patriotism by choosing this eagle's-eye perch over the Empire State Building, the Top of the Rock or one of the city's other observation decks. That point used to be brought home by the introductory video, which detailed the pride that the men and women who built the building took in their work (touchingly, one of the construction workers did the same job on the Freedom Tower that his father had on the Twin Towers). Unfortunately, it no longer seems to be playing (or wasn't when I visited in late 2021). The other side of the coin (whether the place is safe) is addressed when you head into the final part of the lobby: a tunnel the developers dug into the bedrock, and kept purposefully rough-hewn, filling it with signs (in lights) about the durability of the rock foundations and the fact that the building contains 5.4 million cubic feet of concrete “making this the strongest building ever constructed.” Is this meant to reassure patrons or hype up the excitement? I’ll leave that to the cynics among you to decide.
The Observatory also lures customers with some pretty whiz-bang features. Its elevators not only shoot passengers up 102 stories in an ear-popping 47 seconds (they’re among the fastest elevators in the world), but also have walls that turn into video “windows,” through which riders see a computer-generated visual history of the city, from meadowlands to the skyscrapers of today. (Be sure to look right to glimpse the Twin Towers, just a brief blip in this 500-year timeline.) There’s also a fun multimedia presentation at the top, and a “tour guide” often stationed to answer questions about visible landmarks with the help of an interactive wheel of screens.
That being said, I think the designers made several key errors. Unlike the city’s other observation decks, OWO has no outdoor areas, so the views are sealed behind glass, which is less exciting than feeling skyscraper-top winds whip your hair as you stare into the abyss. Plus, the powers that be now ask visitors to pay extra to look through a tablet at the view. Save your money! The tablet is loaded with not-very-exciting videos, plus text giving background information for only a handful of the buildings you’ll see through the glass. Final disappointment? Though you can see 50 miles in all directions on a clear day you do so from the foot of Manhattan, meaning the buzzing, crowded streets of midtown are far in the distance. If you go to any of the other of the city’s desk, you’ll be in the middle of the action, which makes the views more dynamic (I think).
On-site are a bar/restaurant (One Dine) and a souvenir store. As at the other observation decks in town, tickets are timed, which should mean minimal waits (so don’t pay extra for VIP access).
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