One World Observatory: New York from its highest floor
One World Trade Center is the tower that rose beside the site of the Twin Towers. Its observatory is the highest place in New York from which the public can look out.
- What it is
- Monument
- Time to allow
- 1 to 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Ticket
- Best time
- A clear morning, or dusk
New York this week
Why One World Observatory is worth it
The tower was designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and opened in November 2014. With its spire it is 1,776 feet high, a number chosen for the year of the Declaration of Independence: 541 metres, the tallest building in the United States and in the western hemisphere.
The observatory opened on 29 May 2015 on floors 100 to 102. The viewing floor is 386 metres above the street. Unlike the decks in Midtown it is entirely indoors, a ring of floor-to-ceiling glass that you walk round.
Its view is the view of the harbour. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are below you to the south-west, the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges to the east, and the whole length of Manhattan runs north to the towers of Midtown, with the Empire State Building in the middle of them.
What to see
The lifts
The ride up takes under a minute. The walls of the lift are screens that show the island growing from forest and marsh to the present city as you rise.
The reveal
You arrive in a dark room facing a wall of film. At the end of it the wall lifts away, and the real city is there behind it.
The view south
The harbour, with the Statue of Liberty, Governors Island, the Staten Island ferries crossing, and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge at the mouth of it.
The Oculus
At the foot of the tower, Santiago Calatrava's white station hall, ribbed like a bird's wing. It is free to walk through and leads to the subway.
How to do it well
- Check the weather on the day. On a cloudy morning the hundredth floor can be inside the cloud, and the staff will tell you so at the door.
- It pairs with the 9/11 Memorial, which is next to it. Do the memorial and museum first.
- Being indoors, it is the comfortable choice in cold, wind or rain. The glass means reflections in photographs: press the lens to the window.
- The entrance is on West Street, on the side of the tower away from the memorial pools.
- Sunset slots are the dearest. The view east over the bridges is best in the afternoon, with the sun behind you.
Where it is
Address
One World Trade Center, 117 West Street, Lower Manhattan
Nearest station
World Trade Center (E), WTC Cortlandt (1) or Cortlandt Street (R, W)
Museums and sights nearby
- Brooklyn Bridge1.6 km
- Whitney Museum of American Art3.0 km
Distances are in a straight line.
Tickets and tours: One World Observatory
One World Observatory: common questions
- How high is One World Observatory?
- The viewing floor is on the 100th floor of One World Trade Center, 386 metres (1,268 feet) above the street. It is the highest public viewpoint in New York.
- Is One World Observatory indoors?
- Yes, entirely. You look out through floor-to-ceiling glass on all sides. There is no open-air terrace, which makes it the best deck in bad weather and the least good for photographs without reflections.
- Which is better, One World Observatory or the Empire State Building?
- They show different things. One World is at the southern tip of the island and looks over the harbour, the Statue of Liberty and the bridges. The Empire State Building is in Midtown, in the open air, among the skyscrapers. For a first visit most people choose a deck in Midtown.
- How much time do you need for One World Observatory?
- Allow 1 to 1.5 hours. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.
What visitors say about One World Observatory
Rating from Google
Things to do near One World Observatory
The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.
- 5Visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum150 m awayMuseum, 2 to 3 hours, memorial free, ticket for the museum
- 15Ride the Staten Island Ferry for nothing1.3 km awayOn the water, 1 to 1.3 hours, free
- 19Eat your way through Chinatown and Little Italy1.4 km awayWalk, 2 to 3 hours, free
- 7Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge1.6 km awayWalk, 1 to 2 hours, free
Artists to see near One World Observatory
The museums nearest to here, and the most famous artists on show in each.
Whitney Museum of American Art, 3.0 km away
The Museum of Modern Art, 6.2 km away
Where to eat near One World Observatory
The nearest of the famous tables this site lists in New York. Distances are in a straight line.
- Delmonico's4.5Grand restaurant, Financial District900 m away
- Fraunces Tavern4.5Tavern and museum, Financial District1.1 km away
- Nom Wah Tea Parlor4.2Dim sum parlour, Chinatown1.3 km away
- Ferrara Bakery & Cafe4.4Pastry shop and café, Little Italy1.5 km away
Hotels near One World Observatory
The five-star hotels closest to it, of those this site lists in New York. Distances are in a straight line.
- Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown4.7Five-star hotel, Tribeca, by the World Trade Center350 m away
- The Greenwich Hotel4.7Five-star hotel, Tribeca800 m away
- The Wall Street Hotel4.8Five-star hotel, Wall Street950 m away
- Crosby Street Hotel4.6Five-star hotel, SoHo1.7 km away