One World Observatory in New York: Tickets and Tours

One World Observatory is located at One World Trade Center and is the tallest skyscraper in New York (and the United States) that pays homage to the Twin Towers.

Being one of the most popular attractions in New York, booking your ticket for One World Observatory in advance will save you quite a few lines. If you don't know how to do it or how to choose among the options, here's a hint about my favorites:

You can buy your tickets for the One World Observatory at the box office of the building, which opens at 9 am. In general, in New York, I do not recommend buying tickets at the box office, as you will face long lines and you will probably enter One World already exhausted from waiting on your feet.

The best way to buy tickets online is that, instead of waiting to buy your ticket at that time, you can go straight up and see life begin in New York with the start of the day. In addition, you can compare prices and rates for tickets to the One World Observatory and check if there is a discount for your visit.

If you want to make a complete visit of New York, a very good option is to buy a tourist pass. For example: the New York Pass includes the entrance to the One World Observatory among many other activities.

With this particular pass, you can choose between 1 and 10 days of validity to have "free bar" of activities. I recommend it if you are one of those people who when you travel want to squeeze the destination to the maximum and not miss absolutely nothing.

Anyway, there are also other passes and if you are considering buying one to complete your visit, I recommend you to consult my article in which I compare each of them: New York Tourist Cards

Most visitors usually stay at One World Observatory for about an hour. Tickets to One World Observatory do not limit how long you can stay, so you can stay as long as you like. If you're visiting with children, it may take a little longer, as the interactive displays will keep them busy for a while.

One World Trade Center is visible from almost anywhere in Manhattan. Its height, its reflective glass windows and its already mythical silhouette make it unmistakable, so getting to it on foot or by public transportation will be very easy. Located at Ground Zero, very close to Wall Street, you can walk from almost anywhere in southern Manhattan.

• Subway: If you are staying a little further away, the fastest way to get there is by subway.
• City bus: note that the New York City sightseeing bus also has a stop very close to the One World Observatory.

To better organize your itinerary and know the distances, prices and maps of public transportation, you can take a look at this post on how to get to One World Observatory in New York

To help you plan your visit, please note that the One World Observatory is open from 9 am to 9 pm except during the summer, when the skyscraper is open from 8 am to 10 pm. Throughout the year, you can climb One World Trade Center every day of the week.

Going up to One World Observatory with the little ones is a plan that you will not regret, as there are activities programmed specifically for them. In fact, for your visit with children I recommend that you let them play for a while in the:

• Sky Portal, interactive screens located on the floor that project images of life in New York under One World Trade Center and give the impression of floating above the air.
• City Pulse, interactive screens that show presentations on icons of New York culture such as its famous cheesecake or its various sports teams.

Check this article if you want to know more things to do in New York with kids to make your family visit to the Big Apple a success.

After entering One World Trade Center, you will begin your ascent to the 102nd floor (where the observation deck is located) in an elevator covered entirely by screens that will show you a spectacular time-lapse of the evolution of New York, from its founding as a Dutch colony in the 17th century to the present day.

Upon reaching the top of the skyscraper, you will enter the One World Observatory through the See Forever Theater walkway, with another show of stunning visuals of everyday New York.

And now, finally, you can enjoy what you came all this way for: breathtaking views of New York City from the top. The observation deck is enclosed unlike the Empire State Building and the Top of the Rock, giving you a sense of greater distance from the city.

Plus, One World Trade Center is the tallest skyscraper in the city, so you'll be able to see New York stretching for miles and miles in the distance.

Before you head up to the observation deck, make a mental list of the views from One World Observatory. In a city as big as New York, and especially on a first visit, it's easy to forget all those famous landmarks you'll love to see in miniature and then recognize on your walks around the Big Apple.

In case you're not into doing the typical tourist activities, there are many more buildings in New York that you can visit, even if they don't have an observatory: Woolworth Building, Chrysler Building, Flatiron Building and many others will delight anyone with a passion for architecture. They are also a must-see:

• Best time to go up to One World: Thanks to its glassed-in observation decks, any time of the day (and even of the year) is a good time to visit. Sunset will give you spectacular colors in the sky; morning will offer you a clear, unobstructed view of the skyscrapers and the Hudson; and nighttime is always special, with millions of lights in the skyline. If you can't decide, check out this guide on the best time to go up to One World Observatory.
• How to avoid crowds: The busiest times at One World Observatory are around 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., when visitors are preparing to watch the sunset. For similar afternoon views and a less crowded experience, I recommend going at 9 a.m. (or 8 a.m. in summer), which will give you the whole day to explore the city you've just seen from above.
• What services does the building offer: One World Observatory has a gift store on the 100th floor and a restaurant on the 101st floor to end your visit with a break.
• Be careful with the prices: Be aware that One World Observatory is full of "traps" to attract tourists and make them spend a little extra on interactive tablets for the visit, souvenir photographs, and the like.
• What if the weather is bad: I recommend that you buy tickets for the One World Observatory one or two weeks before your trip to New York, when you can check the weather and choose the best day. Needless to say, if you go up to the skyscraper on a clear day you will have spectacular views of New York and if you go up on a rainy day, the good thing is that the observation deck is covered, which is also an advantage if you go in a very cold or very hot season.
• Looking for flexibility: Note that if you have just decided on the time, you can book flextime tickets for One World Observatory.

And if climbing a skyscraper doesn't really appeal to you, but you want to enjoy the views of New York from above, you have other options like taking a helicopter tour of Manhattan or visiting one of the many rooftop bars in the city. But in my opinion, climbing a skyscraper is a breathtaking experience that you can't miss, especially on your first time in New York.

If the heights have given you an appetite, you're in luck: an area as busy as Downtown Manhattan is full of places to eat, from the most luxurious and exclusive to the quickest and cheapest. The only doubt you'll have will be which one to choose.

Take advantage of the fact that you are in the area to take a break, recharge your batteries and take shelter from the cold or the heat whether you are in New York in winter or summer, and then continue to discover this area that has so much to offer.

Inescapably, One World Trade Center is part of Ground Zero and is linked to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum so booking a visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum with admission to One World Observatory is very interesting, as you will be able to explore in depth an event in recent history that has marked the city like no other.

You will have the opportunity to explore one of the most interesting and unique exhibits in the world, telling the story of the Twin Towers attacks with objects directly rescued from the rubble. You can read the chronicle of my experience here: 9/11 Memorial and Museum Tickets and Tours.

You can also book a guided tour of New York with entrance to the One World observatory and you will learn from an expert guide the history of the city and then contemplate it from above.

In addition, in New York you have other highly recommended skyscrapers to see the city from above:

• Climbing the Empire State Building, an icon of the New York skyline, is a must on any first-time visit to New York, as it contains a fragment of the city's history within its walls.
• And, of course, Rockefeller Center, whose observation deck known as the Top of the Rock will give you the best views of the city including a spectacular close-up of the Empire State Building. In my experience, the best skyscraper in New York.
• The Edge, an innovative building with a spectacular observatory whose glass floor will let you see New York from a bird's eye view (literally). Made to test anyone's vertigo, be sure to read how to organize your visit here: The Edge Tickets and Tours.

If you're looking to be on the cutting edge and visit the hippest skyscraper in the city, then consider going up to the new SUMMIT observation deck in New York: its architecture, innovative observation deck and incredible location have already made it a favorite of many New Yorkers and visitors alike.