SUMMIT One Vanderbilt

It was a truly delightful experience for the entire family. The kids were absolutely thrilled—captivated by the stunning views and the colorful balloons, especially from the open-air deck where they could feel the breeze and excitement all around. For the adults, it was equally enjoyable. Soaking in the breathtaking panoramic views while sipping on refreshing drinks made for a relaxing and joyful time. There was a shared sense of wonder and contentment among all of us—it was one of those rare moments that brought smiles, laughter, and lasting memories.

I had an incredible experience thanks to the amazing staff. During my visit, I lost an item, and the staff went above and beyond to help. Jason and his manager were especially kind and helpful, they truly cared and even assisted us in trying to track down the person who stole it. Out of all the places I’ve visited during my trip to New York (and I’ve been to a lot!), the service here stood out the most. Everyone I came across was welcoming, sweet, and professional. The Summit truly has some of the best staff and service I’ve experienced. Outside of the staff, the summit is just beautiful. The views are incredible and the rooms are interactive.

Magnificent building with great views. Its magical, for adults and kids. Kids will like the balloon room. The views are breathtaking. Also, the souvenir shop is a great place to get gifts for you or others. You can go there anytime you want. Its beautiful all-day. Depending on time and day, the lines can get long but for the experience, its acceptable.

🌆 Summit One Vanderbilt is a must-do NYC experience From the moment you arrive, everything feels thoughtfully curated. Theres a quick video with an explanation of why and how the building was created, which adds so much meaning before you even step into the elevator. The line is super organized and moves quickly, making the whole entry process smooth. Once inside, it’s breathtaking. Panoramic views, creative mirrored rooms, and interactive spaces make it perfect for amazing photos. Whether you go during the day or at sunset, the experience is unforgettable. Great price, beautiful design, and totally worth it if you’re visiting the city. 📸 Pro tip: Wear bright colors and clean your camera lens. The reflections are insane

What a beautiful experience. Wren we arrived my 4 year old had a bathroom emergency. Staff were wonderful! They helped us through fast so he could go. We had a stroller and they helped us navigate it every step of the way. I would 100% recommend going. Especially at sunset.

A must-see! You really get "two birds with one stone" here: a 360° view over New York from above, and a fun, immersive experience with themed rooms and illusions. There are mirror games, a small glass terrace where you feel like you're floating, and a room full of giant balloons that brings out your inner child. Plus, you can enjoy a drink on the rooftop terrace while taking in the view. A truly unforgettable experience!

An experience like no other! I have visited a few other observatories around NYC but nothing compares to Summit One! The views were breath-taking, walking on the reflective mirrors was something of awe and wonder and the drinks were strong as hell lol. Just a heads up: The lines are super long, and the security feels as though you're going through TSA plus it can be quite over-crowded. Nevertheless, it was an awesome experience.

While the overall experience is good right from the moment you enter the high speed lift, the waiting time is very high. The staff at the site showed very little respect to the patrons visiting. Especially the waiting part outside the entrance has a long line and no proper information is available anywhere except to depend on the rude staff( mostly on their phones texting and talking) who sends us back and forth. If at all management wishes to make this place a great tourist experience, they need to consider training their staff on crowd management. As we pay a good lot of money, the least we expect is a soothing and pleasing experience on vacation.

This experience was absolutely AMAZING and I highly recommend to anyone and everyone! This was hands down my favorite part of our trip and so glad we made the decision to come here. 96 floors high and the design and presentation and interaction of this is just spectacular! Job well done. You start off by checking in -- we actually had tickets for the glass elevator ride but it wasn't operational the day we went so they refunded us the additional cost. When you check in and go thru security, you take your first set of pictures then led to obtain your shoe covers and sunglasses. You can choose to use your own sunglasses however rest assured if you forgot yours like I did, they have plenty for you to use during your exploration. You then go to take your pictures for the clouds that you'll see later in your exploration. Really cool. You can even choose to make a funny face or however you want to see your face be presented in the clouds. Then is the elevator ride up! It does have strobe lights but staff does ask if anyone has a sensitivity to this given they have the ability to turn that off. So, look up and enjoy your ride up! Way up! Once you get out, you'll enter an all glass and mirror room. If you're scared of heights like I am it's going to be sensory overload in the beginning and you'll probably be weak in the knees like me. I just tried not to look down or over any railings and I was ok. That's my tip :) They do have a photographer there that can take your pictures which we opted to do and they turned out FANTASTIC! Highly recommend this. For all prints digitally was $25. Very reasonably priced considering that we paid way over that for only a few prints digitally at TOTR the day prior. I'll definitely be printing these to hang up at home. They have various rooms that you walk thru and each is a different experience to itself along with the breathtaking views of the city. The last part is professional pictures out on the glass ledge. Promise that if I can do this then anyone can. Again, don't look down.

Loved this experience. In my opinion, it's the very best observatories in the city. Super interactive and the views are amazing. Make sure to do your research prior to coming. You can't come in heels or dresses. Comfy shoes are best to not scratch the floors and no dresses because there are mirrored floors. There is a snack area in the end to purchase some snacks and drinks. This experience is pricy but worth it for sure. The only con i have is that the staff isn't nice or friendly. The only nice person was the very last employee at the clear elevator section. Every other person was pretty rude. I'm born and raised in nyc and can deal with that, but it's not fair when people are spending so much money to come here, esp tourist

i give this place a 2 stars solely because not a single person who worked here was nice and we felt so rushed whenever we interacted with any worker!! immediately upon entry, the security guard was raising his voice at my boyfriend to put his items somewhere and was being confusing on where. after that you get a photo taken and we were told to stand in a spot and our photo was taken with no warning, he didn't even count down or say smile. we move on to scan our tickets and this group of 3 workers were talking amongst each other and completely ignoring us for at least 2 minutes. she did apologize, but then didn't tell us where to head next which led to us being stopped and scolded by another worker who said we needed to walk all the way around. all of this before we even entered summit one!! once entering you put shoe covers on because the first room we enter is mirrored all over (including the floors), so keep that in mind if you plan to wear a skirt/dress! anytime we had to interact with a worker, it was a disappointing experience. there's a room you go in where i guess they your face is projected in the clouds, but when we entered, a man scans our wristbands and says NOTHING, we had no idea what we looking at at first, we figured it out on our own when our faces had already passed by. super sad, that would have been cool to see there's another experience where you stand on this edge that protrudes out a little and it all glass so you can see out and under and this woman scans our wristbands once again and tells us to smile for the camera, but she never told us where the camera was and it happened so fast! the camera is above way up high on the ceiling! you do get 30 seconds to take your own photos/videos there afterwards theres a timer counting you down the views here are beautiful, i'd recommend it over the empire state building or the edge, but i'm so so so disappointed with my experience here!

One Vanderbilt, completed in 2020, is a 1401' tall skyscraper right next to Grand Central Station. It wasn't here when I worked in Midtown Manhattan but, I heard of the plans to transform the midtown east area and this was one of the projects. I'll say that the skyscraper is impressive in its overall design. My son and I bought tickets on Viator for the Summit which is a three floor observatory on top of the building. Prior to going up there is a screening process where they take your photo and then you view a short film about the building. They also show you the current viewing conditions. On the day we went at 11:30am it was overcast. I believe you can opt out and go at another time. You also have to wear shoe coverings like the kind when you go to an open house. This is to protect the flooring which is mostly glass and mirrors. The elevator ride up took less than a minute which is impressive. I'll say the Summit was built as an "experience" with the glass mirrored flooring and artwork that is present. Unfortunately, there was a lot of fog that was slowly dissipating but not enough to see downtown, New Jersey or the rest of the boroughs. I'm sure on a clear day the views are stunning. The one turnoff was the incessant mechanical noise piped through the speakers. I'll describe it as similar to sounds you hear while standing online at Space Mountain. I get that someone thought it would add to the "experience" but after about ten minutes I was like just shut it off. The third floor of the Summit has a small cafe, bar, gift shop and open air seating. It's actually quite nice to hang out, have a drink, and enjoy even more sweeping views if the weather cooperates. Overall it was a good experience and definitely worth a visit.

I really don't know how I just made it here for the first time with the amount of times I've visited NYC. But better late than never! I did take my daughter to the Edge years ago, which was super cool, but this was better. It's also a few hour time commitment while the Edge was more of a quick view of the city so it depends on how much time you want to spend taking in the views. We went around 4pm on a Saturday end of April. I worried the lines would be super long and even considered paying the extra fee to skip the lines. While we definitely waited in a long line to get in, it wasn't that bad and I'm glad I didn't spend the $ to skip the lines. My daughter's friend was with us and said the lines were way worse when she came during sunset another time. I'm sure that's cool to see, but sunset= longer lines. Once we got to the 91st floor my kids wouldn't stop saying how cool it was up there. My son couldn't stop taking pictures of the amazing view. And my daughter and her friend were in tiktok heaven. I don't think you can get a better background for tiktoks. They also had a blast in the floating ball room, which was another perfect tiktok setting. My kids got hungry halfway thru and were happy with a pretzel bite snack. My daughter's friend has celiac so we did have trouble finding a gluten free snack, although she was able to eat the chips. A few more gluten free options would be great! At the end we did the glass elevator, which is listed as the most popular option on their website. There wasn't any line for this so I"m not sure it's that popular. It was cool, but NYC doesn't look that different whether you're viewing it from the 91st or 101st floor so I'd skip that one. I didn't think it was worth the extra charge. Overall, it was such a fun activity and I think the highlight of our quick trip to NYC. It's also conveniently located in Grand Central so if you're coming to NYC by train you can go when you first arrive or when you leave. I just recommend buying tickets ahead of time, especially on a weekend, since they tend to sell out.

Put this place on your bucket list. I was in New York and this place came up as a must try experience. The day we had originally booked our tickets for had to be rescheduled because of the weather. We ended going later in the evening and I was amazed with the city view in the night. We went up three floors with different experiences. The top deck had drinks and an area you can sit and just look at the views. You are given a wristband that stores all your photos and are assessable at the end of the tour. I got the digital prints and ordered me an add on picture that I liked. Overall the place is amazing. There is a sky box area where they take your picture of you standing what feels like in the air. I enjoyed the room with the silver balls that floated above the ceiling. Definitely something you have to try once.

Summit One is my favorite! We had a wonderful experience from beginning to end. You check in at your reserved ticket time, go through the metal detectors, and wait in line to be escorted to the elevator. Our wait time was about 45 mins, on a Saturday evening. We wanted to watch the sunset, so we made reservations for 4:30 p.m. since sunset time is 6:30 p.m. Unfortunately, it was a gloomy day, so we didn't get to experience the wonderful sunset views of NYC. If you want to experience the sunset, I recommend that you purchase tickets 11/2-2 hours before sunset time to give yourself enough time to check in, wait in line, and enter the summit doors. The experience includes multiple interactive rooms. My favorite was the balloon room, which offers many cool photo opportunities. The floors in the first room are mirrors, so you should avoid wearing skirts, dresses, etc. Also, high heels are prohibited because they can scratch the floors. I also recommend that you practice patience, this is a popular place, so you'll more than likely encounter a lot of people trying to take pics, taking over the windows, etc. Once you're done, you'll be welcomed by a cool bar area, where you can sit and take in the beautiful NYC views. Tickets were very affordable and well worth it!

The view is great but that is dependent on the weather. You also have to wear shoe covers the whole time so be prepared to hide those in your photos unless you don't mind. I chose a 12:00 initially but then asked to switch to 11:30 since that was going to work better for me. I would have had to pay a fee for rescheduling but luckily I called within 24 hours of booking so it was free to change. The line to enter the museum wasn't too bad but make sure you set time aside for this museum so that you can take your time. They let you enter the security line before your appointment but for the line after where they scan your ticket, you have to go in at the exact time and not a minute earlier. It can also get crowded when you're inside the exhibit especially if there's a popular spot to take a photo so you will have to wait your turn. We took lots of photos on each level and even waited for some spots but we were only there for under 2 hours including the wait in the security line.

This experience is BEYOND spectacular!! Do book your ticket well in advance if you want to get the sun set experience from the 92th floor. We booked the ticket which covered the complimentary drinks as well. It's a different experience having drinks from the 92th floor!! From the elevator ride to the the 3 floors they cover to each floor experience, it is a fun experience for any age group! The wait line can be long depending on the time-slot you choose to go. Our wait time was almost 45 mins. But it was totally worth it! One of the most instragrammable places in NYC. It has a mindblowing rooftop which gives you a wonderful 360 view of the NYC city.. This is a MUST do! Dont miss out on this one!

I visited Summit One Vanderbilt with my mom last weekend over a mom/daughter weekend. Summit is an observation deck experience on a few floors above the 73rd floor. There are views in every direction (from indoors through glass and an outdoor area with glass walls), infinity rooms (filled with mirrors and windows), glass balconies you can stand on to look down, etc. It's definitely a bit of a tourist trap, but I like to try everything once! The views are incredible, but it's pricey for what it is (in my opinion). Its main attraction seems to be its use as a backdrop for photos for Instagram, so there were lots of people dressed up for photos, on their own, with friends, with family. That's not really my thing, nor are very crowded spaces. So we did a quick visit, checking out each of the rooms quickly and taking some photos if the views from different angles. I'd say it's one those do once and then never again type tourist spots, not bad for a quick visit if you're in the area. There are some other opportunities for views in the city, but this one is definitely trying to separate itself through artsyness (there is even a room with some Yayoi Kusama works). Others are more about the engineering of the building or the views. I wouldn't recommend going out of your way for this viewpoint in particular, but if you're in the area and views and photo ops are your thing, Summit is doing a very arty version of it that is well worth a stop.

Our family absolutely loved this place. We were visiting during a heat wave and it was perfect because almost everywhere you were looking out from was indoors. This is perfect for the hot summer or for the cold winter. There's a small terrace where you can go outside at the very end... but it's super small and it's not a viewing deck like you get at somewhere like the Rockefeller center. This didn't bother us at all bc you get full clear views regardless. If you want a full outdoor observation deck, this might not be your best option. What we also liked were the various rooms you moved through.... It was nice to have these extra bits of entertainment other than elevator up... look... go back down. Especially great for kids. It was a highlight for them. I recommend showing up at least 30 minutes before your scheduled ticket time. You have to go through ticket scans and security. We had a 4pm slot and it took about 40 mins to get through everything. If you have a prime spot like a sunset time you want to be there for... I would show up even earlier.

Amazing views of the city. I went around 10 p.m. so I felt a bit rushed on each level, but it's definitely something that you should have on your to do list when visiting NYC.

Out of all the observation decks I've been in NYC. It's like going to the immersive exhibitions but also with the best view in the city. I highly recommend it!

What a cool place!! Beautiful building and amazing views. Drinks and little coffee shop are really good too

Summit was very cool. We went on a day with nice weather so we had great visibility. Getting up from the lobby was a little chaotic, but once we made it up, it was amazing. They had several different rooms across three floors. We spent a lot of time in the first room waiting for a turn to get up to the windows while people took pictures. This floor has the best views up against windows but on the upper floors there's almost no one to compete for window space with. On the very top floor that's also the gift shop and cafe, there's an outdoor section that is cool as well.

Had a great time here! Probably spent like 3 hours in here taking photos and looking at the sunset! Probably the tallest building in New York that I've ever been! You get to see everything! I recommend getting your tickets online first because waiting in line for your tickets was long! If you got your tickets already the line moves pretty fast! We got in less than 10mins and it was crowded! The tickets were only $45 each person and you get to see 3 levels of crazy stuff! Were did everything inside and enjoyed everything! Got to see the mirror floors, balloons, push out glass window, bar, top views, and the sunset! I really enjoyed this attraction! It was probably one of my favorite ones! Got to see insane stuff that I can never see anywhere else before! At the top level you can see the view outside and enjoy the sunset with some champagne and of course Lox bagels which was so perfect for the moment! The view was stunning! I would highly recommend coming here if you're visiting New York! But get your tickets online first it faster and easier! And they do have some deals online as well!

I bought tickets to this place expecting it would be a quick experience and boy was I wrong. We arrived a few minutes prior to our scheduled time and we stood in the long line that snaked out into the terminal. There were plenty of workers walking around so I approached one of them to inquire about my tickets. They have a pretty good deal for military personnel (current, present, past) so I was to check in with a staff member for directions. He escorted us past the long line and right into the customer service desk. Here another friendly worker verified my ID and gave us our tickets. We no longer got back in the long line but now waited in this shorter one. There was a TSA style check we went through and the line then snaked its way to the photo op area. After the photo, we were given booties and sunglasses to use from here on out (sunglasses to use because its sooooo bright on the upper floor) After that, we went to another station that took an individual picture of you for one of the interactive screen rooms they have. We then filed into another line and waited for the elevator to take us up, up, up. Once at the top, we were free to explore. There are more then a few rooms to check out and it was so busy! It was crowded, sunny, and very warm. We were super short on time so we spent at most like 5 minutes in each room but easily you can spend up to an hour if you are into taking pictures. Once we snaked our way through every room we headed to the elevator to head back down. Now this line was long and we waited about 25 minutes. Once we made it to the 1st floor, the workers thanked us for coming in and we left. Overall this is a one time experience for me and I'm glad I checked it out. We still had fun although we were rushing! Employees we interacted with were all friendly!

Summit One Vanderblit is a great experience, waiting to get inside took awhile for us, it took us about 20-30 minutes to inside and upstairs to the exhibit. There are 3 floors where there are many photo ops, and great views of NYC! I enjoyed the room with the balloons, there were many people while we were but it's also a fun experience and you can take many pictures. We were able to see the city on a gloomy day, still a fun experience.

Amazing experience of immersive art, technology, architecture, and the best views of NYC! The Summit touches all of your senses. From the elevator to the top of the observation deck your experience is captivating! The 360 degree views of the concrete jungle of New York City is absolutely breathtaking. The art exhibits in each section offers wonderful photo opportunities and fun interactive technology. The Summit offers a glass bottom floor, glass room with 360 degree views, floating orbs, outdoor observation deck, short film, immersive art and technology and is truly a thrill! You must experience the Summit when visiting NYC, it's a great attraction for all ages.

Summit one Vanderbilt was one of my all-time favorite experiences while visiting NYC. There are more multiple levels where you can go to, and there is an interactive aspect on each level as well as amazing views of the city. We went right at sunset, which was honestly perfection because we got to see the sun set across the entire city, and then the city at night with all of the buildings lit up. It truly was magnificent. Once you reach the top level , there is also a full service bar where you can order drinks and appetizers. I would say the only downside was that it took about 45 minutes of waiting in line before you actually reach the summit. They make you go through multiple lines and once you reach the final line, you wait in a relatively dark and smaller enclosed area before taking an elevator all the way up to the top. All in all, spending money on a ticket for Summit One Vanderbilt is completely worth it! If you are visiting NYC, I would highly recommend adding this to your list of things to do as this was quite spectacular especially at sunset!

It's pretty cool but its pretty pricey for a quick self tour. Our time slot was 10:30AM and it took almost 30 mins to get through the line and security. When we got to the top, it was a little bit miserable. The sun hit so hard and you definitely need sunglasses to not blind you. Since the heat was so bad we move to the side with the silver balloons. While this side seems cool, it is very crowded and small. Balloons keep popping which made my little children jumpy. My husband thinks the Edge is better but it was way too cold to do the edge during winter.

I checked out SUMMIT One Vanderbilt back in December, and it was easily one of the coolest experiences I've had in NYC! The 360 views are unreal, but what really makes it stand out is the interactive design mirrored rooms that make the skyline feel infinite, floating silver balloons, and those insane glass skyboxes that let you step out over the city. It felt more like an immersive art experience than just an observation deck. It was a bit crowded, but totally worth it for a fresh, mind blowing view of NYC!

Pros: + One of the most iconic instagramable places to visit in NYC + Gorgeous rooftop bar for the best view of the Manhattan skyline + Discounted pricing for NYC/LI residents - but not much TBH $5 a ticket + Spacious areas with amazing photographic decor + Get the photography package Cons: - Tickets are pretty expensive though Just some friendly advice: the floors and ceilings are made of glass and are reflective. Do not wear dresses/short skirts here. Maybe consider wearing pants IG: QueenOfAdventureNYC

This place is so beautiful! The setup is amazing, them experience was amazing, the view from the top is breathtaking. I love everything about this place. The next time I go. I am going to go at night.

What an amazing experience! An observatory deck located right next to Grand Central. We reserved tickets in advance for sunset time. I highly recommend getting tickets at least a couple days in advance because when we arrived, I saw they were sold out for the next 3 days. Going around sunset was such a good choice because we really got to see the full before/during/after sunset views. We ended up staying around 2 hours total, just taking our time going through all the areas. You're not able to go back once you pass an area, but you can stay as long as you want in each section. It was such an interactive experience that is mostly indoors with some outdoor component at the end, rather than a forced outdoor area like most other observatories in the area. They have a lounge area after the exhibits that you can just stay at while enjoying the view. Overall, yes this is more expensive than other observation decks, but I think it is completely worth it for the better experience especially if you're visiting the area.

I was a local playing tourist, and I gotta say, there's not much to do here. It's crowded, and outside it's super windy on a regular day. The views may be wonderful for tourists but that's the case with any observation tower. The cafe isn't half bad though, it's good to be able to get some nibbles or a hot cocoa (in my case) and enjoy the views.

This is my favorite "observation deck"in NYC. I bought the ticket online for 9 AM admission. I received an email prior to my visit to give directions on how to get there, what to wear, and prohibited items. I entered on 42nd street next to TD bank, then took the stairs down. Do not take the elevator because it will take you to the subway station. I arrived there a quarter to nine and the line had built up. After I was admitted I was given plastic bags to cover my shoes. I highly recommend wearing sneakers and not pointy heels. You can also grab a pair of sunglasses. The view is spectacular. You can see Central Park, Empire State, World Trade Center, The Edge, Bryant Park. Glasses and mirrors everywhere. A lot of people took pictures while sitting on the floor. My favorite part is the room filled with silver balloons. Very fun and a cute way to take pictures with. You can hear some balloons are popped. There are three levels of viewing areas. The terrace is outdoor so I recommend bringing a jacket. You can buy churros and drinks there. I spent about 1 and a half hours from start to finish.

The Vanderbilt is the fourth tallest building in NYC. Summit one is located in midtown Manhattan and recommend reservations by all means. You can buy tickets day of but if they are at capacity you are out of luck. I do recommend arriving 15 minutes early to your ticketing time as there will be lines regardless of the time. The summit one experience is broken up into three floors with some art installations. The top level ends with a rooftop view to get drinks or some bites. Overall, the views are unmatched of the city and pretty cool being 73 stories high. Just be prepared mentally that you will be dealing with huge crowds. However, great photo ops and a fun interactive balloon room. Prices range from $49 and up.

"The Summit" en Nueva York es un lugar increíble. La vista es espectacular, y la experiencia en sí es muy moderna y divertida. Puedes ver toda la ciudad desde lo alto, y hay instalaciones interactivas que realmente le dan un toque especial. Creo que la única atracción que se paga por aparte de los pases. Merece la pena. A veces puede haber mucha gente, y la entrada no es barata, pero vale la pena si buscas algo diferente y memorable. En resumen, es un gran lugar para disfrutar de Nueva York desde otra perspectiva. Tu outfit se arruina completamente con la bolsa que te ponen en los pies.

This experience was wayy better than I expected. We took our friend here for her birthday and I'm usually not one for tourist activities however, this one was a great experience and blew me away. The view and immersive components of this place was amazing. You go through security and they take you all the way up where you see a breathtaking view and explore multiple floors. This is the best photo opportunity and we got the tickets that come with a cocktail/mock tail which was such a fun touch. They even allowed you to enter an outdoor area to get an even better experience.

Great views of the city & amazing staff. Huge lines but they move fast. Take tons of pictures and have fun!

I decided to play tourist for a day in Manhattan and headed to Summit One. I'd seen so many pictures and was hoping it would be as magical as it looked--and it absolutely was! We bought our tickets right inside Grand Central and then waited in line to get in. It took about 20-30 minutes to go through the line and all the steps to get to the top, but once we were in, it was worth it. Everything is so well thought out and truly magical. I loved every moment of the experience and everything they had to offer. At the end, there's a spot with food, drinks, and an outdoor lookout area. We tried the food, and it was actually very good! We couldn't resist getting some prosecco, our favorite drink. Finding seating was a bit of a challenge--it felt like a race to grab a spot as soon as one opened up--but other than that, we enjoyed all the views and the creativity that went into the place. I even picked up a souvenir from the gift shop to remember such a memorable day.

The thrill of standing on glass floors at 1,100 feet above Manhattan absolutely intrigued me. Can you say - 'enter the matrix' or what!?! No need for any pills blue or red - you're completely immersed once you enter so do your Keanu impression & enjoy it. I'd been up top the Rockefeller Centre years ago & so I could appreciate the spectacular views from above the skyline of Manhattan, but this was on another level! Of note - check out the 'Matrix' pix I posted. I did not alter or enhance these photos - this is exactly what the naked eye sees! Mind trip or what!?! Still fresh & new - opened in 2021, the Summit observation platform is located Midtown near Grand Central Station, at the One Vanderbilt building. The Empire State Building, the Hudson River, Central Park etcetera - time your visit accordingly to get the best views. I recommend arriving at 6pm then staying till sundown to see all the lights coming on all over Manhattan - best views of the city right here. *However, the one issue with this attraction is the horrible migraine inducing chanting music being played via overhead speaker, upon entering the beginning of the observation platform. Dear Summit directors, please stop with the insanity I beg you!?! Play smooth jazz instrumental music or heck I'll even accept elevator music over this draconian madness playing causing my brain to shrink! I did not go with the add-ons extras - drinks, access to higher floor etcetera, & yet I was still thoroughly impressed & happy despite the crazy psycho music. It is a definite absolute 100% must experience when in Manhattan! The architecture of Summit One, will blow your mind. Make a reservation online for Summit One Vanderbilt. Just do it!

Honestly one of the worst customer service experiences I've ever had, and really pricey (~40/ticket). I would've thought that paying that much guarantees a decent experience, but we had to wait 2.5+ hours total. It also seemed like none of the staff knew what was going on; maybe it was an off day. The 360 degree views are incredible, but I think we were just soured from the experience.

Cool place to visit while in NYC. No need to buy tickets in advance unless you're really in a time crunch. We bought ours the day of, and had to wait for the next time slot entering to go in. I think we waited about 30-40 min. Entering was easy. Lines can get long. Plenty of people. I would recommend trying to go really early or maybe late to get the less amount of people to enjoy the look outs. Rooms can get packed. All in all, we enjoyed our visit.

Came here last summer to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday and we had such a great time. The staff were all so kind and helpful, the space was clean and the views were breathtaking!!! Each room was entertaining but our favorite was the exhibit where you could see your face in the clouds. We took plenty of photos and have memories that will last a lifetime. Do yourself a favor and visit!!

The sun was out! So Wear sun block and bring your sunglasses! Next time I would go during sunset! The view is amazing and the experience was unforgettable. Also, the stuff was professional and very friendly!

What a fun time! Despite the massive crowds, I was still able to enjoy this interactive art/exhibit experience. I highly recommend booking your tickets online as certain time slots will sell out in advance. There were tips to go first time slot in the morning to avoid crowds but i think word got out. The first time slots seem to sell out and so do the ones around 3pm and an hour before sunset. Prices are higher with the popular times by $10. While you can purchase tickets onsite, there's a chance they might sell out or the next available time slot might be much later. It's accessible by the subway (which we took). You enter through Grand Central Station. I recommend downloading mta.com for real time train schedules for closures or delays. The entrance process is fairly organized. They look at your tickets while you are in line if pre-purchased. They will direct you to the left if you are buying onsite. You are provided a scan band. Then given a pair of booties (shoe covers). Don't wear high heels or work boots that will jack up the floor. They're not permitted. Once those are on, you proceed to have your group photo taken which they transpose to various backgrounds of Summit One Vanderbilt. Because there are soo many mirror's reflecting the sun in the AIR room they have sunglasses for borrowing if you don't have any. The sun is fierce and in full force when it's not cloudy. The sweeping, panoramic city views seem endless! It's really cool to see how vast the city is from a higher perspective. The AFFINITY room is next which contains the silver blow up balls. This is a great room where you can toss the balls or place them over the air vent boxes. There are employees in every room to regulate the crowd. Don't sit on the floor & don't kick the balls. However, you know this happened & people were informed, sternly but politely. These employees had good dispositions and the patience of Job. I can only imagine how exhausting and frustrating it can be to repeat yourself. Unity is the room where you're supposed to scan your band prior to entering and the image of your face shows up in the clouds on the large screen. You scan your face at the beginning when you get your booties etc. Also, don't touch the screen. Not me again. Haha others did and the employee had to lay down the rules. There is an art installation, REFLECT by Yayoi Kusama that are a collection of various shapes of mercury glass drops. Once you're done, it leads you further upstairs to their cafe and terrace. Be sure to check out the open door viewing of the city! It truly is mesmerizing. You also won't have so many people obstructing your view. Amongst all of this, the bathrooms are near the top of this building. Strongly suggest you use the restroom PRIOR to getting in line otherwise you're out of luck unless you can hold it for 30 minutes or more. Use the bathrooms in Grand Central station. However, even if you don't need to use the restroom, in Summit OV, check it out anyways! The restroom has a pretty stellar view also! Don't bring anything unnecessary with you, travel light. You will be carrying your coats, whatever you have on you the entire time. No storage. As for pictures, there's going to be people all around. Just angle your camera to hide them , crop them or photoshop them out. Also READ their website! They have extremely helpful info to make your visit enjoyable! Although, I didn't do it myself, I can imagine going an hour before sunset would be the best of both worlds and make for some really awesome shots. They recommend not wearing dresses or to wear leggings or shorts underneath because your hoo- ha is going to be reflecting proudly in some stranger's line of sight. There were plenty of women wearing their cute dresses or skirts for the ' gram but came prepared thankfully!

This is my first time coming to the Summit One Vanderbilt building. It is such a beautiful building inside and out. They are open from morning till night time so it depends on what type of photos you would like to have. I came here during the evening and wow there were tons of people at that time as well. I had a lot of fun going into the different rooms and areas. The city view was amazing and just so beautiful. There is nothing like this and New York has everyone beat on city views. Plenty of different areas to take photos and even though there were a ton of people I didn't feel like it was too overwhelming. It was overall fun and I would probably want to come back next time to see the daytime view as well!

We had out of town visitors so we played tourist for a day. Summit One Vanderbilt was an excellent way to see the city from a unique vantage point. There were so many photo opportunities. Also they had their own photographers & cameras and cameras to capture you throughout the experience. They also had 2 gift shops. Every room offered a new way to interact with the view ( Yayoi Kusama's clouds, giant balloons, etc.) There was also a space wher you could buy food & drinks and continue to enjoy the view. It was worth every penny.

My experience at Summit was a solid 4/5. It is a huge tourist attraction so be prepared to be standing in long lines for quite some time. I booked a 10 am appointment on a Sunday and it was just as packed as grand central would be. There's several interactive sites and photo ops which makes it fun for all ages. I will say when I first walked in I was a tad underwhelmed with how it looks in person. However, there's no denying that some sort of magic happens when you take pictures because the entire image truly transforms into a stunning view. The glass is so clear it really looks like there's nothing between you and the glass. I also enjoyed the room with floating objects too.

Well this was a disappointment to say the least. The experience really sucked. From the initial start it was very distasteful felt like an airport TSA line. I was almost ready to take my shoes off. The delay down stairs is unnecessary. We chose a 7:30 block so we could hopefully catch the sunset at 8pm but it took almost 45min just to get through the check in process which was ridiculous. If you don't want to watch the video or scan for over priced photo identification there should be a fast lane. So what am saying is if you are going to see something specific like a sunset choose an extra hour earlier and you wont miss it. There is no indication of what your viewing experience will be like once you get to the top. Yes thats correct with all the unnecessary process downstairs the one thing that should be available to know is not. If you are as unlucky as we were there was absolutely ZERO visibility of anything. We had dense white fog surrounding the whole viewing area. So yep you guessed it we pretty much paid $120+ for an elevator ride and to play with beach balls. There is no refund, return different day tickets or really any compensation for this so just suck it up. If you are booking far in advance like we did just keep an extra eye on last minute fog, rain clouds or anything that may completely make your experience shitty because you wont find out from them while you wait.

This was the best experience we had during our 5 day stay in NYC. After you enter you get your pictures taken -make sure to take off your jackets and anything that you wouldn't want in the pictures. They will choose one group leader whose wristband links the pictures -pick the leader of your group. You then have to put on booties to protect the glass and sunglasses to protect your eyes so bring your own. You then enter a long hallway where you wait for the elevator up. As soon as you enter it's amazing the views are out of this world. Take as long as you want and remember you can go up but can't go back down to previous floor. Take a ton of pics. Then there's a room with balloons that you hit around and that's really fun. It's amazing how much you can see from up there. You won't be disappointed in this adventure. Enjoy

If you're planning to visit, please do book a reservation ahead of time. You will choose a time slot on when you want to visit. It is located by the Grand Central terminal. The entrance is on the side of TD bank. As you enter, you will fall in line and go through a security check. List of prohibited items are posted. They don't allow heeled shoes and they provide shoe cover. You will proceed to the elevator which will take you to 91st floor (the experience is floors 91 to 93). The elevator is full of mirror and has flashing lights. Let them know if you have a visual sensitivity to lights. Bring shades, if not, they do have some by the shoe cover. You can take all the time you want on each floor but once you go up on the next level, you won't be able to go down. I highly recommend visiting this place as you can get a good view of the entire city plus a great experience! They also offer digital photos for $20 only (when purchased beforehand online).

The best thing on my itinerary this year for my birthday trip to NYC. Purchased tickets ahead of time. Lots of people so that was a great idea. Went up to the 93 floor, they provide booties for your shoes and spoiler alert if you forget your sunglasses they do have a pair for you. It's a must to have the glasses as it shines bright like a diamond in the attraction. We had a drink in the cafe and I also pre purchased the photo opp which came out extremely nicely.

I was skeptical but ended up loving the experience. Pics were fun & the view worth every penny. Its a bit creepy going up with strange music & flashing lights up to the 90 something floor. once in its VERY COOL! the different levels are gorgeous & top it off with a bar that makes great cocktails & has food. great view to sip & take it all in. go...

Interestingly we visited on a day/evening with very dense fog that completely impacted our view; we were in the clouds. This was communicated upon check in and we made the decision to continue. I was also on crutches due to a recent injury and the attention all staff gave to my injury was pleasantly surprising. I was so surprised that the experience didn't end in the first room/stop or second, but at every turn there was more! On the way out and unprovoked my kids said, "this was so much fun!" We will make a redemption trip during summer weather to get the experience with an actual view! :) Many shout outs to the staff for being so amazing!

Such a dope experience. I went on a Saturday at the 4:30 m time slot. Once you arrive, you'll go through a a few lines including security and ticket check. You get black shoe coverings and sunglasses because it's extremely bright (both items you'll have to return). You go through a cool semi 360 room that explains the history behind Summit One. You then go through a really cool elevator experience up to the floor All floors are photo opportunity ready. The very first floor has a view. You then get 2 or 3 more floors that have different themes. One is the famous silver balloons, the other is this weird mercury designed looking floor, you also get one with lights and a city view, one with a big screen of the clouds, and lastly my favorite is the glass floors. The glass floors is only a small section that you wait in line for. The staff will take pictures of you, then you get 30 seconds to do personally pictures. You can purchase the staff pictures for $20. There's also another floor with the bar and a rooftop view. The ticket price starts around $43 and go up depending on if you're doing prime hours which is an additional $10. You can also do drinks which is an extra $14 per person. Tips: Pack Sunglasses Get there early, especially if you have a sunset ticket. It'll take you at 30mins - 1 hr to get to the top floors. Check when the sun is setting in advance All white outfits looked really cool with this place Book a sunset tour then you'll get daytime and nighttime pictures. Overall, great experience. I don't regret paying an extra $10 to get a day time and evening view of the city.

A great way to see new work! You go through a series of pictures and rooms. 3 floors. Pretty cool concept! Pictures weren't that impressive so we didn't purchase. It was wayyyyy too crowded for us to have to buy reservations... I feel like everyone had the same time!! I wish it was more intimate. The views were insane though! Beautiful views. The staff was great,