The Empire State Building is one of the most famous and most visited buildings in the world. Over three million people visit the New York City skyscraper each year. The building provides two observatory decks on the 86th and 102nd floors where visitors can enjoy panoramic views of New York City and the surrounding areas. The Empire State Building also offers an attraction called the New York Skyride. It is a simulated aerial virtual tour of New York City and features Kevin Bacon as the narrator.
The New York Skyride first opened at the Empire State Building in 1994 to offer a complimentary attraction to the observation decks. There have been two versions of the simulated tour. The first version, which was used beginning in 1994 and ran up until 2002, was narrated by James Doohan, “Scotty,” of Star Trek fame. In this version of the virtual tour, Scotty pilots the airplane through a storm, with the tour winding its way through New York’s subway, FAO Schwartz, Coney Island and other stops along the way. After the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, a new version of the aerial tour was created. The new tour is narrated by Kevin Bacon and opened in 2002. Although there is a storm, it is much shorter and the tour has more of an educational emphasis and includes World Trade Center footage.
The New York Skyride is located on the 2nd floor of the Empire State Building. Visitors sit on a platform and enjoy a flight simulation shown on an 18-foot big screen. The tour lifts off from the top of the Empire State Building and through flight simulation takes people on a guided tour of New York City. There are two pre-shows before the flight simulation. One is called “I Am New York,” that provides a history of the Empire State Building, and the second show is called “Top 10 Things To Do In New York.” The virtual tour is an airplane ride over New York City, flying over Manhattan, past the Statue of Liberty, Yankee Stadium, The Brooklyn Bridge and United Nations, among other New York sites.
Visitors to the Empire State Building can compliment their New York Skyride experience with experiencing views from the building’s two observation decks. The 86th and 102nd floor observatories both offer panoramic views of New York City and the surrounding areas. Visitors can purchase combo tickets to take advantage of both of these attractions in one price. The 86th floor observatory features both outside promenades as well as an enclosed-glass area that is heated in winter and cooled in the summer.
The Empire State Building is one of the most recognizable and most visited buildings in the world. The skyscraper is an historic landmark on New York City’s skyline. It is a popular culture icon as well, and has been featured in numerous movies such as King Kong, An Affair To Remember, Manhattan, Sleepless in Seattle, and When Harry Met Sally.