Welcome back to another post about New York City! Today I’m sharing my visit to the Rockefeller Center (Top of the Rock). I’m sure you’ve seen this place in countless movies, TV shows, and photos! I’m going to talk briefly about the history of the Rockefeller Center in this post, along with a brief guide to visiting.

A BRIEF HISTORY

• Built by John D. Rockefeller Jr.

• Constructed in 1930, the building was created during the Great Depression and provided over 40,000 people with jobs.

• The Center officially opened in 1933.

VISITING THE ROCK

• I would highly recommend buying tickets online, as the lines are busy most of the time. They will charge you extra for sunset tickets, just FYI. You can buy tickets here.

• When you arrive at your scheduled ticket time, they’ll scan your ticket and send you through security. Be ready for some classic New York-style ushering. You’ll then have the opportunity to take a photo in front of a green screen, recreating this photo. I decided to pass on that opportunity…They do make you wait in the queue with everyone else who is waiting for a photo, which I thought was a bit inefficient.

• After the glamorous photo op, you’ll be sent to elevators that will hoist you up ~70 floors. The ceiling is see-through and they play some nice intergalactic music as you look up the illuminated tube (there are some flashing lights). If you’re freaked out by heights, you might want to sit this one out. The ride takes 42 seconds.

• Once you get to the top, there are a few levels that everyone can explore. You can stay inside the building on the level with the elevators, or you can ride escalators up to the balcony areas. The top level is the best for photo taking as there is no glass obstructing the view. From what I could tell, the highest floor accessible to visitors was stair access only.

• You get down the same way you got up! For those a bit scared of heights, the good news is the elevator floor does not go clear upon decent.

Thanks for reading this guide to visiting the Rockefeller Center! Be sure to check out my other NYC posts.

xx,

Katherine