Empire State Building Observatory

As skyscrapers grow ever taller, observation decks have sprung up all over the city. But nothing compares to the towering original: the Empire State Building. Since 1931, visitors have marveled at the marble-paneled Art Deco lobby, giddily felt their ears pop on the elevator ride up and gasped aloud as they step out onto the 86th-floor open-air observatory. The 360-degree views of Times Square, Central Park, and New York Harbor are unparalleled; nearly a century after it was built, this remains the highest open-air vantage point in the city.